Workers at SR Technics have voted to accept a Labour Court recommendation on redundancies at the aviation firm’s north Dublin plant.
Following a mass meeting of staff in Dublin this morning, Sitpu said today more than 1,000 workers voted in favour of the court’s recommendation which calls on the firm to double the level of funding for its redundancy programme and to address any deficit in its pension scheme.
The company, which plans to close its plant at Dublin airport with the loss of more than 1,100 jobs, has already rejected the recommendation on the grounds that it is unable to provide additional funds for redundancies, or to finance any pension fund deficit.
Siptu branch organiser Pat Ward said today: “The ballot followed a long meeting at which workers vented their anger and disappointment at the company’s failure so far to accept the Labour Court recommendation”.
Mr Ward said workers expressed their frustration at the failure of the Government to provide an alternative plan to save the plant.
“Now that the workers have accepted the Labour Court proposal we are seeking one last meeting with the company to ask them to reconsider their position. If they fail to do so we will be entering into an industrial dispute situation,” he added.
Yesterday, more than 200 SR Technics workers blocked the main entrance to Dublin airport for a period as part of a protest against the planned closure. Some 600 staff are due to be made redundant tomorrow as part of the company's phased winding down of the plant.
Three proposals are being evaluated by the IDA for the acquisition of the SR Technics plant, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan said yesterday.
“I believe that one in particular, which is perceived as a management buy-out in consultation with the unions, is the proposal that everyone is discussing," she said.
The company yesterday rejected a Labour Court recommendation calling on it to double the level of funding for its redundancy programme and to address any deficit in its pension scheme.
Unions have argued that the current redundancy package is “paltry and inadequate”. They have also expressed concern about a deficit in the pension fund which has been estimated at €26 million.
Unions said they would be recommending to members that they accept the Labour Court proposals.