Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The US medical devices company Stryker employs 1,500 people in Carrigtwohill, County Cork. A significant minority of this workforce has chosen to join the trade union SIPTU. The company refused to recognise the union, in contrast to the position at its other plants in Macroom and Limerick, where it purchased companies with pre-existing union recognition arrangements. Stryker states that it is adhering to Irish law, but union members in Carrigtwohill believe the company is hiding behind it. SIPTU took the issue to the national contact point, NCP, for the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises on responsible business conduct. The NCP ruled on 3 May that Stryker should be prepared to engage in collective bargaining with worker representatives and that Stryker should consider how pre-existing collective bargaining arrangements at two other Irish facilities acquired by the company can be replicated so as its entire Irish workforce has the same representational arrangements in place. Will the Taoiseach encourage this company to observe and implement the recommendations from this important OECD body?

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