A HEATED row has broken out in Killarney between the tourism industry and workers and union representatives at the town’s biggest factory and employer, a German-owned crane factory, over a decision to protest during the Irish Open golf event.
The dispute centres on the decision to force workers to take two days’ holidays to facilitate parking for the public at the event which begins later this month.
The Chamber of Commerce in Killarney has strongly criticised a planned protest by workers at the town’s biggest employer, Liebherr Ireland Container Cranes, to coincide with the Irish Open. It is being held in the town between July 29th and August 1st.
Siptu and TEEU workers at the plant, which employs 500 people, voted on Monday to hold the protest because they are being forced to take two days’ holidays to facilitate public parking for the event at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club opposite the factory.
The chamber has appealed to staff and unions to call off the protest.
The event, sponsored by telecoms company 3, is forecast to bring in €30 million for the hard-pressed tourism sector, Killarney’s main industry.
In a strongly worded statement yesterday on behalf of the chamber of commerce in Killarney, chief executive Jerry O’Grady said the reasons for the disagreement were “insignificant” and they risked the reputation of the town and put the tourism industry at risk.
“Killarney is fortunate in that we have one of Ireland’s most successful and finest large-scale industrial employers in Liebherr Container Cranes.
“Killarney is equally fortunate to have at its core, a strong tourism product serviced by the highest quality hospitality providers and a fine national and international reputation.
“Given the apparently insignificant reasons for the current disagreement that exists between some staff, their union and Liebherr management, it appears that the protection and promotion of Killarney’s tourism and non-tourism industries is certainly not on the agenda,” Mr O’Grady said.
“There are towns throughout the length and breadth of Ireland that would do anything asked of them if they thought they could attract a valued employer like Liebherr,” the statement continued.
A spokeswoman for Liebherr in Killarney said the company would be making no comment at this stage.
After the ballot on Monday, Donal Tobin, branch organiser with Siptu in Killarney, said: “The decision by the company will result in loss of income and major inconvenience for our members in planning for holidays in 2010.
“Members were willing to participate in using shuttle buses from a designated car park.
“As the number of holidays available to employees are limited, the overwhelming majority of members would have already planned their holiday year, as a number of days are committed to public holiday weekends and the Christmas period,” Mr Tobin added.
“These two days closedown will now be deducted from the employees’ holiday entitlement.”