K Club staff set to picket over pay, lay-offs

Greenkeepers at the K Club say they will picket the famous Co Kildare golf resort unless management grant better pay and redundancy…

Greenkeepers at the K Club say they will picket the famous Co Kildare golf resort unless management grant better pay and redundancy deals.

The 12 full-time greenkeepers at the resort say they are not getting the full pay increases recommended by the Labour Court last year, and they are upset at the terms of forced redundancy.

The union representing the staff, Unite, says it will hold a leaflet drop outside the club's main gates this Saturday, on the first anniversary of the hosting of the Ryder Cup last year.

Staff are receiving about €14 per week less than was recommended by the Labour Court, said Colm Quinlan, regional officer for the Amicus section of Unite. The greenkeepers earn about €14 per hour, up from the €10 paid before the Labour Court recommendations but still lower than the €14.56 they were entitled to, said Mr Quinlan.

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He said the K Club wanted to shed full-time staff and replace them with casuals, but was offering inadequate redundancy deals to the two full-time staff being forced to leave their jobs.

The K Club had hired extra greenkeepers after the Ryder Cup but soon realised that there was no need for them in winter, said Mr Quinlan.

"Europe was victorious in the Ryder Cup and the Ryder Cup was a success for Ireland, but the Ryder Cup doesn't appear to be a success for the K Club," said Mr Quinlan.

The K Club's initial offer to workers of four weeks' pay for every year of service was inadequate, he said.

Mr Quinlan said a picket was planned for September 29th unless better redundancy terms are offered.

A spokeswoman for the K Club declined to comment.