Talks between troubled diamond manufacturer Element 6 and the Siptu and TEEU unions broke up this evening without agreement on the company’s survival plan for the plant.
Workers will be balloted tomorrow for industrial action.
The talks lasted for four hours today and General Manager of Element 6, Ken Sullivan in a short statement after the talks, said no agreement had been reached.
“Again, I urge all those involved to see the urgency of the situation facing us all and to work together to save jobs here in Shannon.”
No further talks are planned.
In the rescue plan, 163 of the original 370 jobs earmarked for redundancy are to be saved with 207 workers facing compulsory redundancy.
Yesterday, workers received protective notice with the company advising individual workers that they may be affected by the company’s decision to cut jobs at the plant.
However, employees are expected to return the notices unopened to the company as the impasse between the two sides continues.
The sticking point between management and unions remains the redundancy deal on offer, which is a fraction of what was on offer six months ago.
Siptu shop steward, Murdoch Gleeson said: “There was no budging today from management on the terms of the redundancy package and we have no mandate to negotiate on a rescue plan without an improved redundancy deal first."
Mr Gleeson said that management did not want the unions to proceed with the ballot for industrial action, but the unions had agreed to go ahead with the ballot.
He said there was "no point" referring the issue to the Labour Court if management "was not prepared to move on the redundancy deal."
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