Greencore should 'settle'

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern agreed that Greencore should settle a €4.4 million redundancy deal with its former workforce.

He said that the State always honoured Labour Court decisions. "And I would expect any company, particularly large public companies, to do likewise. And I would expect Greencore to do likewise."

He was replying to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who said the money was owed to the workers under a Labour Court recommendation. But the company had come up with an interpretation leaving the Carlow workers each €25,000 short on average.

"The company has refused to attend the national implementation body, and has left the workers hanging," he said.

Mr Rabbitte asked if it was acceptable that a major public company, which did proportionately very well out of the compensation fund compared to growers and workers, should plan a €1.1 billion development at its Carlow site while owing millions to manual workers.

He hoped, in principle, that appropriate development would take place there and would contribute to the regeneration of Carlow and employment at the site.

However, Mr Rabbitte said last night that he had met the former Greencore workers, who explained that the company was refusing to implement the Labour Court recommendation relating to their redundancies.

"They went back three times to the Labour Court for clarification and, on three occasions, Greencore refused to implement the recommendation. The court has unequivocally set out that the interpretation of the workers is the correct interpretation."

Mr Ahern said it would be a small price for the company to pay up fortwith.

"I do not think it is a big deal for them. They are in a good position. They are doing well outside this country. They are doing well in this country. They have done well under the EU rules. This Government has dealt with them."

He knew there were legal issues, which the Attorney General had been asked to look at. "Whatever they are, I do not think it takes away from the fact that the workers have a Labour Court decision which is quite clear. I think the company should deal with it."

Mr Rabbitte said the site had tremendous development potential for the company, but not necessarily for the generation of wealth.