A Cork chemical company temporarily shut down yesterday, with 160 layoffs at its Ringaskiddy plant.
SIPTU confirmed it received notice of the decision from the company, ADM, on Thursday, with the closure taking effect from yesterday while an economic review is carried out.
"They issued an ultimatum to our members about two weeks ago and said that unless they accepted various detrimental changes in work arrangements, they would be given notice from the company," SIPTU's Mr Gene Mealy said.
The SIPTU regional secretary for Cork said ADM management "refused to negotiate with SIPTU in the context of restructuring proposals". He said, "We are calling on ADM to sit down and negotiate with us."
ADM, with headquarters in Decatur, Illinois, has more than 24,000 employees and more than 260 processing plants. It took over the Ringaskiddy plant, which produces citric acid, in 1990.
The company was not available for comment last night.