Diamond firm staff in roster dispute

STAFF AT Shannon-based Element Six, formerly De Beers Industrial Diamonds, turned up for work this week not knowing whether they would be allowed on to the premises.

Workers had warned of a possible mass walkout if colleagues who were not rostered to work were not allowed to enter the plant and carry out their duties.

Last month, management at Element Six, based in the Shannon Free Zone, confirmed plans to lay off 150 of its 600 workers. It later said it would introduce a three week on, one week off roster system, to begin this week.

However, there was no mention of this move in the company's official statement on its cost cutting plan which it said at the time, "was part of a group-wide cost saving programme in the company, not just in Ireland but across the world".

Element Six has since told workers' representatives this is an "interim measure" while a redundancy package is being negotiated.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times