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The meat plant lobby says it will not engage with the sector’s main union to reach an agreement on sick pay conditions for workers.
Meat Industry Ireland says it has found common ground with Siptu following workplace safety talks today in the wake of a series of Covid-19 outbreaks at meat plants in the center of the region that led to the closure of three counties.
He says he agrees with Siptu on mass testing and keeping factories running, and plans to work more on a Code of Practice in two weeks.
But Siptu’s divisional organizer, Greg Ennis, said the meat-packing problems cannot be solved without addressing the lack of sick pay for workers.
“For someone who was at the meeting it was not that positive. I will say that both Meat Industry Ireland and Siptu have a common interest in keeping workers safe and continuing the business that protects workers.
“However, I would be extremely disappointed that Meat Industry Ireland has refused to pay workers sick.
Individual Employers
According to the Irish Times, after the meeting, Ennis said that progress had been made on other elements of a proposed statute or code of practice for the sector, including safety measures to protect workers against Covid-19, the tests for coronavirus and plant inspections. .
Talks on these issues are expected to resume between Siptu and employers in the meat processing sector later this month.
Meanwhile, Meat Industry Ireland said after the meeting that salary and conditions were not matters within its mandate, but were up to individual employers.
Ennis said he was disappointed that the organization was not prepared to participate in a process aimed at introducing a standardized blanket agreement on sick pay and pensions.
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