Sir, – The Government should immediately lodge an application to the EU for European Globalisation Fund (EGF) assistance for the 575 soon-to-be redundant workforce in TalkTalk.
The EGF fund, if used innovatively and in a progressive way, can be a big help to the workforce. It can be used to fund third-level fees, upskilling programmes or to fund workers who wish to set up their own business, etc.
However, the application needs to be well thought out and innovative approaches used, unlike the experience in Waterford Crystal, Dell and SR Technics. These applications were rushed, particularly the Waterford Crystal one, without any thinking outside the box, and as such the benefits to the redundant Crystal workers were limited, when so much more could have been done.
EGF applications have been made in a number of EU countries including Germany and Spain and in these applications much wider thinking was applied by their governments and the widest interpretations of what is allowed under EU rules were applied rather than the very narrow interpretations used in Ireland. A lot can be learned from an examination of these and other applications and a similar one must now be made to assist the Talk Talk workers.
Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton announcing the setting up of a task group or saying that everything will be done to help the workers I’m afraid will be of little comfort to those faced with losing their jobs. Much more positive steps are needed.
At least one positive step can quickly be taken if the Government announces that they will apply for EGF support for these workers as soon as they are made redundant. The next four weeks should be used to develop the application.
The Waterford Crystal workers EGF committee are willing to lend our help and advise to the Government and the Talk Talk workforce on what could formulate a very strong application. Having gone through the complete process at this stage, the Waterford Crystal workers and the committee are in the best position to know what worked and what didn’t.
If our Government is really serious about helping the Talk Talk workforce then decisive action is needed now – not just words. – Yours, etc,