The Department of Social and Family Affairs has refused to pay unemployment benefit to workers who have been laid off by a chemical plant in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.
The ruling will affect 80 of the ADM Ringaskiddy employees, who were locked out after the company imposed shift changes with just 10 days' notice and no negotiation.
The Labour Cork North Central TD, Ms Kathleen Lynch, left the Dáil in protest after she was refused permission to raise the hardship now being suffered by the workers.
Unemployment payments are not made to people involved in strike action, but this condition does not apply to those "who are not participating, or directly interested" in a dispute.
A social welfare inspector said the company had told the Department that it had "welcomed" all workers into the plant on March 5th following the introduction of the work practices.
Forty-four employees did not have any changes to their work pattern but did not report for work. Thirty more who reported at their old starting times were told to return at the new ones.
Pickets were placed on the plant and ADM then laid off the workers on March 14th after it decided to cease the manufacture of citric acid at the plant.
Ms Lynch said ADM had been "intransigent and unreasonable".
