The 400 temporary employees at the Apple computer factory in Cork, who are to lose their jobs, will receive five weeks' pay for each year of employment, plus statutory entitlements.
At a meeting of the workforce addressed by SIPTU officials last evening, the workers agreed to the plan, although for some of them the payments will amount to only £400, while the maximum figure might be £1,000 depending on shift increments and overtime arrangements.
It is understood that initially management queried why any severance pay should be offered. When the announcement of 450 job losses was made official earlier in the week, SIPTU - the main union at the plant - had difficulty persuading Apple that in the Irish culture, once workers were let go, severance payments were a matter of record, depending on service.
A union source said last night that, depending on the number of hours worked, overtime and shifts, some of the temporary workers would receive 5 1/2 weeks' pay for each year of service.
He said the company had also acceded to a workers' request to allow up to 60 of the permanent employees to leave on voluntary redundancy conditions. It is not clear what their payments will entail but for some workers it could mean a cheque of between £15,000 to £20,000.
Despite the general gloom that the company is closing a major part of its production facility, the union spokesman said he believed a generous package had been negotiated.