Raw deal for pigmeat workers

THE Government has agreed to a €180 million compensation package of taxpayer’s money to support the pork processing industry following the contamination crisis last week.

The EU has committed a further €15m to meet the cost of storing pork should the market not recover quickly. With all this compensation it would be easy to believe no one will suffer financially from the debacle. That is not the case.

Workers are not going to be paid for being laid off last week. Most of those represented by SIPTU missed four days, only returning to work on Friday.

Our members have a basic rate of €10 an hour. Workers not in unions are only paid the minimum wage. It would probably cost no more than €600,000 to compensate employees, but it would be compensation much appreciated by them and their families in the run-up to Christmas.

Unfortunately, the employers say compensation for workers did not feature in the deal made with the Government. It appears that taxpayers’ money will only support the owners of the processing factories, not the people who work there.

Certainly the industry should be compensated for the losses arising from the manner in which the Department of Agriculture dealt with the situation. But compensation should be paid to all who suffered. We have yet to be told how the compensation figure of €180m was arrived at, or how a bone fide scheme can be ring-fenced to exclude some of those most affected? The industry is estimated to be worth between €650m and €800m per annum. The contamination goes back to September 1 and less than 10% of pork processed in the country was affected.

This means no more that 3.33% of the pork processed annually was contaminated. Much of this product had already been eaten and value of the meat recalled cannot have been more than €10m.

How was the figure of €180m reached? Does this figure allow for future losses? Why were the lost earnings of workers not included?

Was the consumer considered when the scheme was negotiated, or will the €15m in EU funds be used to store meat in an effort to inflate the value of pork and manipulate the market?

In short, are the people benefiting from the compensation the ones who need it most, or does the deal protect powerful vested interests, including possibly those responsible for allowing the problem to arise in the first place?

Surely it is unjust that people earning €10 an hour, or less, should have to forego a week’s wages in the run-up to Christmas through no fault of their own, while others will pocket millions?

Gerry McCormack

National Industrial

Secretary

SIPTU

Liberty Hall

Dublin 1