Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The dispute in Premier Periclase is not about extra money. The workers are not looking for extra money. The company's proposal is to lay off workers and put them on reduced hours while transferring work to non-union labour and retaining contractors on site. When the proposals were first put to the workers, management continuously refused point blank to engage with them. The workers had no option, therefore, but to serve notice of strike action. The workers then suspended the notice of strike action to allow for talks to take place at the WRC. Management once again refused to engage in any meaningful way in talks at the WRC and hence the talks collapsed. Workers then had no option but to reissue a notice of strike action. That strike commenced on Monday, 17 August. Four days into the strike action, the company issued a letter, by taxi, to the homes of the workers. With regard to the long-standing collective agreement that had been in place, the company said it would no longer operate as a closed shop, that employees would no longer have their union dues deducted through payroll by the company, that the collective agreement with SIPTU and Unite the Union would no longer form part of workers' terms and conditions of employment and that the collective agreement is no longer valid. Management took a decision unilaterally to render the long-standing collective agreement null and void. That should not happen in this State because workers' rights have been long and hard fought for in this State.

Talks resumed last week at the WRC. Once again, the intransigence of management at Premier Periclase was such that its representatives refused to sit around the table and engage with the unions. As a result, there is still a stand-off, the result being the nullification of the long-standing collective agreement and an attempt at union-busting. Will the Minister of State engage with management to encourage it to take part in the industrial relations process?

See this speech in context