Agreement on new talks as second one day strike takes place at forklift manufacturer

The trade union Unite says it has accepted an invitation to enter talks facilitated by an independent third party with forklift manufacturer Cargotec, as a second one-day strike at the company’s Dundalk plant halted production in a dispute relating to the transfer of a portion of its workforce to a different company.

On Thursday afternoon, Cargotec said it was “very disappointed that strike action proceeded today”, but that “the company sought third party mediation talks and is pleased that they have now been confirmed for next week”.

In a statement, the union said its strike committee had met on Thursday morning and “decided to accept the invitation and explore options to resolve this dispute in good faith”. It said the actions of its members over the course of the two days of industrial action “should leave the company in no doubt regarding our members’ determination to be treated with respect and to defend the terms and conditions of everyone working at the facility going forward”.

About 200 members of the Unite trade union staged their second one-day strike at the company’s plant on Thursday. Production at the facility, which manufactures forklifts, is understood to have again been halted.

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The union is unhappy about the way in which about 40 of its members in the paint section of the operation are being transferred to For Surface Protection (FSP). It has described the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) process undertaken by the company to date as entirely inadequate.

“It is not even that we are necessarily that we are opposed to the transfer but we need to ensure it is done on a voluntary basis and the interests of our members are protected,” said Unite’s regional coordinating officer, Tom FitzGerald.

The company has previously said the process was carried out properly and that the terms and conditions of the affected workers are fully protected.

Both sides had accused the other of failing to engage properly.

Cargotec, previously known as Moffett, had said the strike action could jeopardise a €50 million investment in a new plant announced last year.

The firm, which is Finnish-owned, opened the Dundalk plant in 1986 and puts the total number of employees there at about 400. Of those, 220 are members of United and are involved in the dispute.