Bulmers unions set to ballot for strike

BULMERS workers in Clonmel mandated their unions to ballot for strike action if the company continues to operate a four-cycle shift.

According to Industrial Relations News (IRN), the company is seeking to activate a clause in a 1999 agreement which sets out a 33% premium for a four-cycle shift.

The company claimed it required an immediate introduction of the four-cycle shift, to guarantee supply.

It said unions representing its 360 operatives, SIPTU and ATGWU, agreed in 1999 to operate that shift if necessary in the future. It proposed to introduce two weeks of day shifts followed by two weeks of night shifts. This will give each employee a long weekend off every second weekend, it said.

However, the unions denied they ever agreed to the 1999 clause and are not prepared to accept it.

Earlier this month, the Labour Court backed the company position on the issue, provided the terms of a February 2007 conciliation proposal were applied. IRN said this conciliation proposal provided procedures for choosing workers for four-shift operations, lead-in payments and extra leave for some and provision for loss of earnings compensation.

Despite those terms, the workers rejected the Labour Court recommendation and the unions said while they agreed to enter talks with the company, the ballot for industrial action would proceed if there was no breakthrough.

The plant expanded in recent years on the strength of Magners and it is understood that about half of the 360 workers were recruited since 2005.

That year, the company put a clause into contracts of all new employees, requiring them to work a four-cycle shift if necessary. That clause was disputed by the unions and they brought the matter to the Labour Court earlier this year.

One key to resolving the dispute is likely to be the position of the pre-2005 workers, who have no contractual obligation to work the new shift system – although the Labour Court still said their company/union agreement provides for the four cycle shift.

Following first round talks between unions and management yesterday, it was agreed the company would respond to the unions on certain “issues”.

The union said it was prepared to listen but the threat of the ballot remains.