TALKS SCHEDULED to begin today in Dublin between the travel company Thomas Cook and its Irish staff have been postponed as management consider union proposals aimed at saving its Irish operation.
Jobs at the company are under threat because of a planned restructuring of its business. The company has been operating here for 125 years, making it the oldest travel agency in the State.
Thomas Cook is proposing to close its two branches in Dublin, at Grafton street and North Earl street and its Direct Holidays outlet on Talbot street.
A spokesman for the company told The Irish Timesyesterday the talks would get under way later this week although they may now be moved to London.
Five staff from the Dublin branches were flown to England at the weekend by their union, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), to protest with a camel outside the Catholic church attended by the company’s managing director, Manny Fontenla-Novoa. Although he was not there, they handed in a letter to his home appealing to him to attend talks that had been scheduled for today.
They also appealed to his Christian sensibilities, saying: “We are making this unusual demonstration to appeal to your conscience over your company’s plans to close down its Irish operation and sack 46 loyal staff at a time of record unemployment in the Republic.
“We would ask you to personally intervene in this dispute and look again at Thomas Cook’s decision to pull out of Ireland after more than 125 years service.
“Now is the time to forget Mammon for once and seriously think about doing the right thing for your loyal staff.”
Union steward in Dublin Antoinette Shevlin, who was among those who protested at the weekend, said staff were “very,very angry” at the way the company was treating them.
Ms Shevlin, who is an accounts administrator with the company and has been employed there for nine years, said four days after staff had volunteered to fore go the 3 per cent pay increase due under the national pay agreement, they were issued with letters giving them one month’s notice of the company’s “proposal” to shut the three Dublin outlets. The company is offering staff four weeks’ pay for every year served.
“Really and truly, when you think that the managing director got a £5 million bonus last year for slashing jobs, you’d think the least we could expect is consultation and a respectful redundancy package.”
TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty will be in Dublin today despite the postponement of the meeting with management.
“He will go through the proposals with staff and strategy going into the talks, which we have a feeling will not be until early next week now,” said TSSA media officer, Tom Condon. Mr Doherty said the company was treating its “loyal staff with contempt”.
