Locals to protest at Galtee plant closure

SEVERAL hundreds people are expected to mount a protest outside the Galtee Meats plant in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, today to coincide with its closure.

The protest, which is being organised by Save Galtee Action Group, is expected to include company shareholder, farmers, former workers and local businesspeople.

It will be the second protest outside the plant in less than a month.

On September 11, 100 protesters gathered outside the factory to plead with consumers to boycott Galtee, Shaws and Roscrea brands, claiming that they contain non-Irish pig meat.

They claim that Dairygold, the parent company, is importing large amounts of foreign pig meat for the Irish brands.

A few years ago Galtee Meats employed 450 staff at its Mitchelstown plant.

However, slaughtering was axed and widespread rationalisation introduced.

On June 1, management announced that it would be closing the plant with the loss of the remaining 55 jobs. Those employees were mainly involved in packaging.

Action group secretary Tony Lewis said that around 50 workers were let go last Friday and the remaining staff, who are understood to be office workers, would leave the plant for the last time today.

“We’re calling on everybody in the community interested in Mitchelstown’s future to attend the protest. We want to highlight what we see as the catastrophic business plan of Dairygold, which is of no benefit to the shareholders, producers, workers or indeed the consumer,” Mr Lewis said.

“When purchasing these brands the consumer is no longer guaranteed that they are buying Irish produce. Dairygold used to pride itself as being the last major co-op controlled by its producer/shareholders,” Mr Lewis added.

The company, however, says it is finalising arrangements with Bord Bia to have ‘Origin Ireland’ quality logo appear on the products.

It has also said that calls for boycotts of its products are “counter-productive and detrimental” to the interests of pig producers.