Unite disappointed at lack of contact from company

November 9th: Trade union Unite today said that its membership in Irish Life is growing steadily in advance of the second stoppage, scheduled for this coming Thursday (November 12^th) from 12 to 2 pm. The union said it was disappointed at the company’s ongoing silence despite Unite last week agreeing to attend the LRC in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer Maeve Brehony said:

“The daily influx of new applications to join Unite is testament to workers’ frustration at the way they are being treated by the company. Notwithstanding Unite’s statement during last week’s conciliation meeting that we were prepared to attend the LRC today, the sole response from the company has been a deafening silence.

“Resolution of this dispute is in the company’s hands, but so far they appear unwilling to engage meaningfully with all their employees.

“If they continue refusing to avail of the state’s industrial relations mechanisms in order to talk to all of their workers, they must be prepared not only for the disruption attendant on three more work stoppages, but also for the inevitable reputational damage as their treatment of workers – from poverty pay in Dundalk to their attempt to unilaterally impose a new pay model which deprives staff of pay security – becomes more widely known”, Ms Brehony said.