Workers at O'Reilly Bookbinders have settled their three-week-old dispute at the Co Wicklow company and ended their sit-in
The 14 workers were presented with a settlement agreement this afternoon that included being paid for the past three weeks' occupation at the site along with minimum notice effective from today and holiday-leave entitlements.
The workers, all but one of whom have worked at O'Reillys for at least 15 years, were presented with the proposal after over three hours of talks at the Labour Relations Commission in Dublin yesterday afternoon.
Employees began the sit-in at the company in Murrough Industrial Estate when it refused to pay statutory redundancy to the workers after announcing plans to relocate to the Czech Republic.
A spokesman for the workers said most of them would have gained about 10 weeks' pay from the action. "Tactically it was a good result. In the longer term it means they still don't have jobs," he said.
Shane McKean of Siptu said the workers had not received respect nor consultation. "It's a credit to these people for making the stance," he said.
The company has been in Co Wicklow for 30 years and was taken over by Dunne and Wilson (Ireland) in 2003. The firm restores books for customers like the Department of the Taoiseach, the Courts Service, and the Labour Court.