'Wave of redundancies' expected as Covid protections are lifted

General secretary of Ictu Patricia King said 'tens of thousands of workers, having been laid off due to the pandemic and their redundancy rights being suspended, would lose out on almost 19 months of redundancy pay, where such payments arise'. File picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The Government is preparing for a wave of redundancies in the coming months as emergency Covid protections are lifted.

Announcing a fund to support those who lose their jobs in the wake of the pandemic, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said his department estimated that between 25,000 and 56,000 people could be laid off in the next three years, which would cost the taxpayer up to €130m,