A DISPUTE between a food manufacturer and four of its employees over the alleged accessing of confidential company information is expected to be settled at the High Court today.
Green Isle Foods Ltd, Naas, Co Kildare, had earlier this week obtained a temporary injunction requiring Declan Foley, John Recto, Colum Beirne and John Peters to maintain the confidentiality of information which allegedly included commercially sensitive data on company profitability and a plan for a small number of redundancies.
The four were suspended on full pay last Friday after it was alleged they accidentally accessed the information and it was allegedly downloaded on to a USB memory stick.
The four had refused to sign undertakings sought by the company in relation to the information and claimed such undertakings would be used as the basis of disciplinary proceedings against them.
The Technical, Engineering Electrical Union (TEEU), which represents the workers, served notice of industrial action as a result of the suspensions.
Yesterday, the High Court was initially asked by counsel for the company to continue the temporary order on confidentiality and also asked the four staff provide information of the identity of any third parties who may have been given the information or how it might be accessed.
Marguerite Bolger, for Green Isle, said the information involved was “incredibly sensitive” and included share price information which might require the stock exchange be informed.
Lawyers for the four staff asked for an adjournment as they had only just obtained legal advice.
The lawyers asked for time to respond to what was described as a number of inaccuracies in sworn statements provided by the company.
Following an adjournment and discussions between the parties, Ms Bolger said a number of undertakings had been drawn up which, if the staff agreed to them, would mean the matter was resolved.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy adjourned the case to today for the undertakings to be finalised and continued the injunction in the interim.