Dell staff to meet as redundancy anger grows
Over the coming months 1,900 will lose their jobs at the Limerick plant.
More than 300 have signed a petition objecting to the redundancy terms on offer and a major meeting of workers has been organised for tomorrow night at the South Court Hotel.
Workers have voiced their fury at the six weeks pay per year of service which is capped at 52 weeks.
Those with up to 10 years service will receive a total pay-off package of around €8,000.
The petition was organised by Denis Ryan, 53, who worked for the company for the past 10 years.
In recent days, he presented the signed petition to Sean Corkery who heads Dell’s Limerick operation.
Mr Ryan said: “He [Mr Corkery] just told me his position had not changed.
“The aim of Thursday’s meeting would be to try and negotiate a settlement with management which workers feel they deserve.”
Under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, employers letting significant numbers of staff go are obliged to enter into consultations with staff or their representatives.
As Dell is a non-union facility, Mr Ryan said no one knows who is representing workers or who they can approach. Mr Ryan said management told him they had held “sound bite” meetings to get a feel for the overall view of workers.
“But no one manager said there were discussions with any particular person representing workers.
“I would like management to sit down with someone people can actually go up to and ask what is going on. I am quite willing to sit down with management at any time and discuss the issues,” he said.
Many workers have refused to speak to the media fearing they would lose their jobs in the first wave of redundancies in April.
Mr Ryan said he raised this issue. “It was pointed out to me that I had a confidentiality clause and the manager said they could take disciplinary action and actually sack me, or whatever the phrase it is they use now. But in my original contract there was no confidentiality agreement, so I am not subject to that,” he said.
Mr Ryan has called on all local TDs to attend tomorrow night’s meeting in the South Court Hotel to show their support and solidarity with the Dell workers.
The meeting is due to commence at 6pm.
