Golf club staff to ballot for strike action over loss of 21 jobs
The club’s management said it had carried out a detailed business overview since last year and that it was now putting in place “a major restructuring plan” to enable the club to remain viable “during very testing times”.
It said that while it required up to 21 redundancies, a number of jobs will also be created through the outsourcing of some of the roles.
The club said there had been a 20% reduction in forecasted green fees and that subscriptions had also fallen by approximately 20%, with 220 people opting not to renew their membership.
It also blamed the collapse of the economy which, it said, had impacted on the Irish golfing market, and the poor weather last summer which, it said, had hit visitor numbers.
Maurice O’Meara, the club’s general manager, said: “We have retained as many jobs as possible in the circumstances, but it is a source of great regret that positions are being lost.
“I would like to thank the staff for the great service they have given to the club and I wish them well for the future. We need to act now to secure the long-term future of the club.”
Siptu, which represents staff at the club, said it would be balloting its members for strike action, probably next week.
The union’s sectoral organiser, Dennis Hynes, said an independent assessor had concluded that the company could have a surplus of more than €300,000 if just five staff were let go.
He said the union had offered more redundancies in a plan that would give the company a surplus of almost €600,000.
He said the company had refused to discuss those options, adding that he believed the company wanted to make staff earning more than the minimum wage redundant.
The only game in town is to get rid of the people earning more than €8.65 per hour, he said.
Mr Hynes also said the company was breaching a company-union agreement not to act unilaterally while the situation remained under examination by the State’s industrial relations machinery.
He said the Labour Court, which has been looking at the situation, is due to hold another hearing on thematter on Apr 29.
In a recommendation issued last month, the court did say it was clear to it that “a significant number of redundancies” would have to be considered.
Course management did not comment on the union’s claims over the minimum wage and alleged breach of the company-union agreement.
