Trade union members throughout the State were called on yesterday to support a day of protests next month over redundancy payment levels. Thousands of workers are expected to leave their posts on Friday, October 4th, to join rallies demanding an increase in statutory redundancy.
The planned protests were sparked by the refusal of a number of firms, including the Irish Glass Bottle Company in Dublin and Peerless Rugs in Athy, Co Kildare, to pay redundancy terms recommended by the Labour Court to workers who lost their jobs.
Unions claim jobs would be saved if statutory redundancy levels were increased, making it more expensive for companies to lay workers off.
The protest is being organised by unions representing 260,000 workers - SIPTU, the TEEU (Technical Engineering and Electrical Union), BATU (Building and Allied Trades Union) and UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians). The Dublin Council of Trade Unions, which represents 29 unions in the capital, has called on all workers to support the action.
Mr Eric Fleming of SIPTU said trade union councils throughout the State had expressed support for the plan and would be meeting to decide how to get involved.
The DCTU said the basic terms of the Redundancy Payments Act had not changed in 35 years.
