Three hundred workers and workers' representatives of the Irish Fertiliser Industries (IFI) group of unions protested in Dublin this morning at the circumstances of their dismissal from the company.
The workers who travelled from Belfast, Cork and Arklow, met with Cork Fianna Fáil TDs Mr Noel O'Flynn and Mr Ned O'Keefe who were reportedly threatened with expulsion from the parliamentary party if they participated in the protest.
However, Fianna Fáil's chief whip Ms Mary Hanafin TD told ireland.comthat "at no time were Noel O'Flynn or Ned O'Keefe told they would be expelled."
The workers accuse the shareholders of IFI, of which the Government is the majority stakeholder (51 per cent), of placing the company in Creditors' Liquidation in order to avoid their financial responsibilities.
They say the shareholders are in contravention of employment legislation and have rejected an offer tabled by the company of 2.5 weeks redundancy payment per year worked as "derisory".
Union representatives called on the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, to sit down with them in order to agree a fair settlement. They estimate the overall cost would be around €55 million.
The workers also indicated their intention to challenge the legality of the dismissals under the 1977 Protection of Employment Act and are threatening industrial action to prevent the removal of €50 million worth of stock from the company's factories.
The unions are hoping to re-institute an original agreement of 5 weeks redundancy plus ten per cent of wages per year worked, which was in place before the company went into liquidation.
