Cork plant staff end sit-in over wages after agreement reached

STAFF AT a Cork-based ready-meal supplier have ended a sit-in after an agreement was reached yesterday that they would be paid all wages owed to them.

More than 150 workers at Swissco in Little Island were told on Tuesday that they were to be made redundant.

They held a sit-in at the facility in protest at suggestions that they would not be paid any wages for this week or last week.

However, the protest ended following discussions between unions and the liquidator appointed to the company by the High Court on payments due to the workers.

Alan O'Leary of Siptu in Cork said: "Progress was made through these direct discussions and we secured agreement that our members would receive payment of wages owed to them."

The union representative said he planned to continue discussions with the liquidator on the remaining statutory entitlements of his members.

"We are also planning to meet with Government officials over the coming days to discuss re-employment options and training needs support.

"We are calling on the Government to provide as much support as possible to these unfortunate workers," he said.

Mr O'Leary said the union also intended to raise the issue of lack of worker consultation directly with the Minister of State for Labour Affairs and Cork TD Billy Kelleher.

"The decision to close this company through a liquidation was a devastating blow to the 150-strong workforce, many of whom now face the prospect of a very uncomfortable Christmas and an uncertain employment future in 2009," he said.

The company had hoped to find a new investor to secure the future of the business, but on Monday they confirmed that all 154 staff had all been made redundant.

Swissco, which opened in Little Island in 1974, employed 154 full- and part-time employees.

Swissco is a subsidiary of International Cuisine, a UK-based ready-meal supplier.