COCA-COLA HAS secured High Court injunctions restraining a number of striking workers at its plants in Dublin and Tipperary town obstructing operations.
Interim injunctions were granted yesterday by Mr Justice Liam McKechnie against Stephen Carberry, Oak Rise, Greenpark, Clondalkin; Albert Gannon, The Crescent Building, Park West; and Garry McCarthy, Palmerstown Avenue, Palmerstown.
They have been restrained from placing pickets at the entrance of Coca-Cola premises at Huntstown Business Park, Cappagh Road, Ballycoolin, Dublin, or from interfering with operations.
Brian Allen, Abbey Court, Fr Russell Road, Limerick; Peter Connolly, Deercourt, John Carew Park, Limerick; and Adrian Conlon, Leesdale, Model Farm Road, Cork, were similarly restrained regarding pickets and interference with the entry and exit of lorries at Kiely’s Distribution Ltd, Henry Street, Tipperary town.
Counsel for Coca-Cola HBC Ireland Marcus Dowling said the company was involved in a trade dispute with members of the trade union Siptu. He said Coca-Cola did not dispute the entitlement of the Siptu workers to picket the two premises provided it was in accordance with lawful picketing under the Industrial Relations Act.
He said the striking workers had placed pickets at both the Huntstown and Tipperary premises so as to obstruct access and egress from both places.
Eamonn O’Leary, a director of the company, said the picketers were interfering with the company’s ability to fulfil its contractual obligations and were acting in a manner to endanger their own health and safety and those of other workers.
He said the dispute had arisen out of company changes in the delivery of its product by engaging outside transportation – this entailed closing Coca-Cola’s warehousing and distribution centres in the Republic. The new plan would involve the loss of 50 jobs this month, with a further 37 going in the next six to nine months. Forty-three drivers, helpers and support staff would be retained on a permanent basis.
Yesterday, Siptu said one of its members had been taken to hospital after being hit by a car while on the picket line at the distribution centre on Ballycoolin Road, Finglas. It said the man was treated in the Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown for arm injuries.
Siptu said yesterday the dispute would be escalated with the union “engaging in an ongoing campaign across the island of Ireland to seek the support of the general public for the workers of Coca-Cola HBC in their fight for justice”.
“Coca-Cola HBC has refused to attend the Labour Relations Commission to discuss alternatives to the sacking of 130 employees or the outsourcing of their jobs. The strike committee restated its willingness to attend at any third-party forum including the Labour Relations Commission in an effort to bring this dispute to an amicable conclusion,” the union said.
A spokesman for the company said that while it was willing to discuss redundancy terms, the time for considering alternatives to its proposals had passed.