The Lord Mayor of Dublin visited the picket line at the Irish Glass Bottle plant in Ringsend, Dublin, yesterday as industrial action entered its third day.
Cllr Dermot Lacey of the Labour Party pledged his support to the workers, who are protesting against the failure of the company's owners, the Ardagh group, to accept a Labour Court recommendation on redundancy payments. It had recommended five weeks pay for each year of service, including statutory entitlements.
It is estimated the Labour Court recommendation would cost just under €25 million, while the company's offer - just under two weeks pay for each year of service plus statutory entitlements - would cost about €12 million.
The Taoiseach has referred the dispute to the National Implementation Body, established under the PPF. Its members include IBEC, which represents the company in the dispute, ICTU, and the secretary general to the Government.
The implementation body met informally on Tuesday but did not report any progress, only that it would keep in touch with the parties to the dispute.
The plant is due to close tomorrow with the loss of 380 jobs, but workers are expected to step up their protest action.
The SIPTU branch secretary, Mr Gerry Lynch, said the workers were determined to "secure a just severance package in return for the lifetime of loyalty which many of the workforce have given to the company".
Sinn Féin's representative for Dublin South East, Mr Daithí Doolan, said the workers would march today to the offices of the Dublin Port Company, which leases the 24-acre site where the plant is located. The protest would be likely to disrupt motorists crossing the East Link toll bridge.
The lease on the site has 64 years to run and is worth an estimated €20 million to the Ardagh group. Mr Lynch expressed anger that the company was excluding its employees from the potential payout on the lease.
