SIPTU postpones strike action at Offaly meat plant

SIPTU members in Carroll’s Cuisine in Tullamore have decided to postpone scheduled industrial action following an agreement from management to begin talks on the workers’ outstanding issues, including collective bargaining rights, this Friday, October 31.

SIPTU Manufacturing Divisional Organiser, Neil McGowan, said: “Workers in Carroll’s Cuisine had balloted in support of industrial and strike action. The dispute results from the company’s refusal to recognise their union and agree a collective agreement that will deliver improved pay and terms and conditions of employment for the workers.

“Our members were due to implement work stoppages on Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November. Following the serving of notice to management of this industrial action, the company wrote to SIPTU accepting our request for a meeting.

“In light of this change of position by management, our members have decided to postpone the planned industrial action to allow direct talks to take place this week.

“This is the first time management has agreed to meet with the Union and has come about as a direct result of the overwhelming vote for industrial action by our members.

“The workers in Carroll’s Cuisine remain determined in their campaign but there is a real opportunity to make progress now that management has agreed to engage.

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“The fact that members were forced to ballot for action, and serve notice of work stoppages, before the company would sit down with their Union, further underlines the need to strengthen collective bargaining rights in Ireland.

“Ireland remains an outlier in Western Europe in terms of collective bargaining rights. Working people, like those in Carroll’s, should not be left with no other option other than taking industrial action to secure what should be a fundamental right.”

He added: “The mandate for industrial and strike action remains. The deferral of the planned industrial action is to allow for negotiations to take place in good faith; in the event that the outcome is not positive, we will then consider our options to progress their claim for fair pay and union recognition.”