An unofficial strike over pay and conditions at the Ballygowan mineral water production plant at Newcastle West, Co Limerick, began yesterday.
A spokesman for the workers, who wished to remain unnamed, said a picket began at 7 a.m. at the C & C-owned plant over conditions whereby about half the workers continue to be classed as temporary despite having been employed for up to five years.
He said the entire workforce of about 60 was on strike as management, which is based at the Showerings cider-producing plant in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, failed to live up to a commitment made last July to address staffing levels by the end of February.
It had introduced a new production plan without agreement on relating this to pay. He added that the SIPTU shop stewards had resigned "en bloc" in sympathy with the strikers. "There is a lot of distrust in the company," he said.
Nobody was available from the C & C or Showerings management for comment, but a statement was issued, saying that employees being paid on an hourly rate were seeking a pay increase.
"Existing rates have been the subject of a recent Labour Relations Commission recommendation which was accepted by all parties and fully implemented," according to the statement.
Mr Ger Kennedy, a SIPTU branch assistant, said the 5 per cent pay recommendation dated from the Programme for Competitiveness and Work agreement. He said full-time factory workers were receiving a basic £220 wage, with temporary workers getting about £20 less than that.
"They would not be entitled to join the sick pay or the pension schemes," he added.
A stalemate is likely to arise if workers continue their strike. Mr Kennedy said that under the 1990 Industrial Relations Act the union was precluded from entering into negotiations while the strike persisted.