Managerial grades seeking union protection following breach of redundancy agreement

In advance of the strike by Unite members at the Bulmers Clonmel brewery, scheduled for Wednesday July 15^th, the union has received a number of membership applications from workers concerned at the company’s decision to renege on a 2009 agreement governing redundancy terms.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer Tony Kelly said: “It is not surprising that workers are seeking the protection offered by Unite. Despite a clear agreement concluded in 2009 between Bulmers and the unions, the company has informed the managerial grades represented by our union that they are not covered by that agreement.   This leaves every managerial grade worker in Bulmers exposed.

“Since last August, Unite had been seeking to engage with the company at the LRC to resolve this issue. In the interim, one of our members was made redundant and offered terms amounting to around half of what had been agreed. It is on foot of that clear breach of a collective agreement between Bulmers and the unions that our members unanimously voted for industrial action.

“The company has now belatedly agreed to engage at the LRC tomorrow (Monday July 13^th). They still have an opportunity to avert industrial action.

“However, if Bulmers does not honour the 2009 agreement, our members – including those who have joined Unite during the past week – will be taking strike action of indefinite duration starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday July 15^th.

“While this dispute only affects the managerial grades represented by Unite, I would like to thank the other unions at Bulmers for their solidarity and support”, Tony Kelly concluded.