Dawn Meats could close plant by end of January

DAWN MEATS is to close a processing plant in Midleton, Co Cork, possibly by the end of January.

The company confirmed yesterday it was in consultation with 44 of the plant’s employees about the future of the local operation.

Some of the workers at the plant are on two-day or three-day working weeks.

Dawn Meats purchased the plant at Knockgriffen in 1994 and, at its peak, hundreds were employed there.

Last April, the company shed 65 jobs in its boning hall, reportedly to concentrate on a restructuring of operations and invest in other plants around the country.

SIPTU, which represents most of the slaughterhouse employees, is to meet with Dawn Meats management today to discuss redundancy matters.

Union sources said slaughterhouse employees were killing about 900 cattle a week which were then transported to other Dawn Meats plants for processing.

One employee, who didn’t want to be identified, said there were also a number of agency workers and office staff employed at the plant.

He said it was likely the agency workers would be let go, but it was unclear what would happen to clerical staff.

“We have been told the plant will be closing as soon as negotiations are finalised with the union. We have not been told that work will be available at the company’s plant in Charleville,” the worker said.

He added that last Christmas most workers were on a five-day week but this had gradually been reduced to three and two days.

The company, meanwhile, did not indicate what was likely to happen to agency workers or office staff.

Dawn Meats said with farmer, shareholder and Government support, it was restructuring slaughtering and deboning facilities to a scale never envisaged before in Ireland.

The company said it had recently opened a new boning facility in Grannagh, near Waterford City, and was also undertaking major investment at Charleville.