Vita Cortex dispute: Workers vote to accept LRC recommendations

Protesting workers at the Vita Cortex plant in Cork have voted to accept a series of recommendations from the Labour Relations Commision (LRC) aimed at ending the dispute.

"As of today the LRC has concluded that there is no basis for a mediated settlement of the dispute," the workers said in a statement.

"However, they have issued guidance recommendations which would represent a fair and equitable basis upon which to resolve the dispute."

A representative for the workers said that they had voted to accept the recommendations - which were made on a strictly confidential basis - at a meeting today in Connolly Hall, Cork.

Vita Cortex management, which earlier today announced that it had exited the mediation process, has been asked to respond within a week.

In a statemen earlier, management said it was not satisfied with SIPTU's proposal to deal with demands, as it represents just two thirds of the workers.

Management said any agreement would have to include a full resolution with all workers who were made redundant.

Thirty-two workers at the Cork manufacturing plant have been staging a sit-in over redundancy pay since the plant's closure on December 16 last.

The protesting workers have been occupying the building since in pursuit of the same 2.9 weeks per year of service redundancy package which they say the company paid to previous employees.

The State is covering the two weeks’ statutory payment. The workers say company owner Jack Ronan must pay what they claim was the agreed balance, 0.9 weeks per year of service.