IBEC accused of letting members’ standards slide

EMPLOYERS’ body IBEC has been accused of failing to ensure its members uphold standards of employment and decency in the workplace.

The call came as a dispute at Limerick firm, Curran Aluminium and PVC entered its fourth week.

That dispute centres around, what SIPTU claims, is the company’s refusal to implement a Labour Court recommendation.

SIPTU said the ruling proposed rates of pay and terms and conditions of employment that reflect the norm for the industry.

There are also concerns about staff being let go from the company.

The union has claimed seven of the workers have been made redundant without the firm adhering to an existing “last in, first out” policy.

However, Curran Aluminium, which is based in the Roxboro Enterprise Centre, said a recent inspection by the National Employment Rights Authority found that the company was fully compliant with all relevant employment rights legislation.

It said allegations to the contrary were irresponsible, damaging and false, adding that it would prefer to deal with the issues directly with employees.

To date the company has managed to continue to operate at full capacity without the SIPTU members.

SIPTU sectoral organiser for Limerick, Karan O’Loughlin said: “The Labour Court has been quite clear that basic rights such as overtime after 39 hours, breaks in line with the Organisation of Working time Act, a premium for working before 8am, along with the workers’ right to be represented by a trade union should be respected.

“This company is a member of IBEC and is actively represented by IBEC.

“Supporting an employer who applies less that normal, decent, terms and conditions surely puts other IBEC members at risk.

“Ultimately IBEC could drive other members out of business who are applying the norm for the industry, or better than the norm. It is important now that IBEC makes a statement condemning this kind of practice. It is everyone’s duty to support decent employers so that all citizens can have access to decent employment and can earn a living wage.”

She said the union would not allow wages and living standards to be dragged down in that way.

“There has to be a standard below which we will not go,” she said.

IBEC said it had no comment to make on the allegations made by SIPTU, adding that it preferred to leave the matter to the company.