Siptu president Jack O’Connor has visited protesting Vita Cortex workers in Cork today.
In a statement, the union said the move was an expression of solidarity with their campaign to secure redundancy entitlements following the facility's closure last week.
The workers, including 27 Siptu members, have been occupying the foam manufacturing plant on Kinsale Road since Friday, December 16th.
Siptu said they have expressed a "resolute desire to maintain the protest until company officials make adequate and definite provision to meet their obligations concerning the outstanding redundancy payments".
Siptu organiser Anne Egar, said; "The workers have completely rejected an offer by the company, which they describe as insulting, of €1,500 each. This amounts to less than 4 per cent of the over €1 million which is owed to the workers. The offer also comes in stark contrast to earlier claims by management that that had no funds whatsoever to meet the workers outstanding redundancy entitlements."
She added; "Spending the Christmas period maintaining a sit-in at your former workplace is not something people would do unless they saw no other option. However, this protest is built upon a real sense of solidarity among the workers and despite the challenges their spirits remain good."
In a statement yesterday, Vita Cortex management said its payment proposal was part of a deal being offered following meetings between management, employees and their union, Siptu. Management said the offer of €1,500, along with the payment to workers of their last week's wages plus an ex-gratia payment of another week's wages, was aimed at easing the financial difficulties for them at Christmas time.
The company said that in exchange, workers would cease their sit-in to allow the firm remove certain materials and tools so that jobs in their customers' factories would not be put under threat due to their inability to meet orders.
"If the employees wish to resume their sit-in after Christmas, the company guarantees that the doors will be open and no impediment will be put in their way," said the company.
Vita Cortex, which also has operations in Athlone and Belfast, announced on September 16th last that it was closing the Cork plant, saying it had been making substantial losses since 2009 and there was no prospect of a return to profitability.