Workers unhappy at severance package

SIPTU is to ask the Labour Relations Commission to intervene to get better redundancy terms for its members who have been let go by Smurfitt Kappa in Cork.

Just 24 hours after the workforce of 173 staff was to be reduced to approximately 30, union representatives met with the company to see if any more jobs could be saved and to discuss redundancy terms.

It is understood the staff were offered 3.5 weeks’ pay per year of service capped at 79 weeks.

“The severance terms that were offered fell below the wishes of our members,” said Paul Depuis of SIPTU.

“The offering was not in line with what should be expected from a company of the size and financial position of Smurfitt Kappa.

“There is obviously a lot of uncertainty among the workforce and this has not helped.”

The union also sought information from the company on where the 30 jobs are going to be saved in Cork and to see if it could pinpoint where further redundancies could be avoided.

Mr Depuis said the union would be looking for the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, talks between management and SIPTU are due to get under way next Monday on redundancies at the Cadbury Ireland plant, in Rathmore, Co Kerry.

The future of the Rathmore plant is believed to be secure but, so far, details of the number of job losses have not been revealed.

There’s ongoing speculation and between 10 and 20 jobs could go at the Rathmore factory, according to Kerry South TD Tom Sheahan, who lives in the area.

Upwards of 100 people are employed at the plant which has been in production since 1948.

Cadbury Ireland, whose main plant is at Coolock, in Dublin, is to make 200 of its 1,100 staff in Ireland redundant.

The base material for chocolate – chocolate crumb – is produced in Rathmore and sent from there to the Coolock factory. Some of the crumb is also exported.

The company has said it must be become more competitive in a difficult trading environment. A loss of competitiveness led to a decline in export demand, it said.

A further €20 million is to be invested in the Coolock plant.

The company said its plans are aimed at safeguarding operations in Ireland and protecting over 900 jobs in the future.

Around €10 million had been invested in recent years in the Rathmore factory, which at one time employed 400 people.

It has been a major source of employment along the Cork/Kerry border for more than 60 years.