SIPTU has rejected a statement by the management of Roscommon Precision Castings Ltd which blamed the closure of the plant on a three-week strike and the refusal of the union to accept a Labour Court recommendation.
The factory closed on Wednesday after 25 years in Roscommon and with the loss of 42 jobs after a long and bitter pay dispute. In a statement issued yesterday, SIPTU outlined its side of the argument. Branch secretary Mr John McCarrick said he believed the factory closed because management was "not prepared to negotiate".
On Wednesday, managing director Mr P.J. Naughton said the union's £60 a week pay claim in addition to PPF increases was "excessive" and was rejected by the Labour Court. Workers voted against the Labour Court recommendation, which called for a gain-sharing scheme.
In its statement SIPTU quoted from the Labour Court recommendation: "The need to establish trust with the workers is paramount and therefore the Court recommends that the company must immediately and clearly set down where gains can be made, how they will be shared and how the workers will benefit."
Mr McCarrick said that before the ballot was taken, SIPTU sought these proposals from the company so workers could "fully understand" what the recommendation would mean.
He said the company refused to put any proposals in advance of SIPTU's acceptance of the recommendation.
The union then went back to the Labour Court which said the parties should discuss "where gains can be made and how they will be shared out".
Mr McCarrick said the company again refused to put forward proposals, while saying it accepted the recommendation.
"The members, seeing no move from the management, couldn't have any faith in what proposals might emanate from them after the acceptance of the recommendation," Mr McCarrick said.
He said that despite protective notice being issued in March, new employees were taken on in April. Wage levels, he said, at £5.89 an hour for skilled workers, were "too low for anyone".
Mr Naughton said yesterday the company could not have discussed gain-sharing with the union because it was making losses and it needed to invest in lifting equipment at a cost of £200,000 to restore productivity levels. "Talking about gainsharing when you are making losses is a nonsense." He said he had asked the union to give the company a chance to invest in this equipment and then he would have gladly discussed gain-sharing.
Mr Naughton said the union wanted a fixed sum under gain-sharing but this was not possible. He maintained that negotiations reached stalemate on this issue.
Meanwhile, SIPTU has joined with the local chamber of commerce in calling for a task force to be set up to bring more jobs to Roscommon and to attract industry which would pay "decent wages".