100 jobs to go in meat factory

THE manufacturing sector looks set to haemorrhage up to 100 more jobs with the rationalisation of operations at Meadow Meats in Laois.

Parent company Dawn Meats has said it wants to amalgamate the boning work done in Rathdowney with its plant in Grannagh in Co Waterford, where all existing staff will be offered employment. Meadow Meats employs 150 staff at the Laois operation.

Some of those staff say they have been offered redundancy payments or alternative employment at Dawn’s operations in Kilkenny but others say they would not be able to move.

Yesterday local SIPTU branch organiser said the loss of jobs in Rathdowney would be a huge blow to the community because “there is literally no alternative employment in the village”.

“People are being offered redeployment to the other Dawn Group plant to which the work in being transferred in Grannagh, Co Waterford, but only a few will be able to take up this option. Many of these workers are only earning €9 an hour and making a round trip each day of 180km is not financially feasible, nor do they have the resources to move house.

“We are meeting the company tomorrow to discuss the wind-down of the boning hall operation, which is due to be completed by the end of August.”

The abattoir, which employs most of the other 50 workers, will remain open. The recent Labour Court recommendation that workers opting for redundancy in Dawn’s Midleton plant should receive four weeks’ pay per year of service. “We will be seeking significantly more compensation for workers in Rathdowney because redeployment is not a realistic option.”