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Representatives of employers in the meat processing sector refuse to participate in an industry-wide agreement on sick pay and pensions for staff, Siptu said.
Trade unions and opposition politicians have argued that the absence of sick pay may have contributed to the high number of Covid-19 cases associated with meat plants.
Speaking after a meeting with Meat Industry Ireland, Siptu’s divisional organizer Greg Ennis said that progress had been made on other elements of a proposed statute or code of practice for the sector, including security measures to protect fish. workers against Covid-19, 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.
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.
He said the union would now engage with individual employers where sick pay arrangements are not in effect.
Meat Industry Ireland Senior Director Cormac Healy said his organization and Siptu agreed “on the importance of ensuring measures are in place to protect workers from Covid-19 and business continuity, which also protects the livelihoods of workers “.
He said the differences between the Meat Industry Ireland and Siptu proposals relate to the suggested measures on salary and conditions put forward by Siptu. “Pay and conditions are not matters that are within the mandate of Meat Industry Ireland and are up to the individual employers, which must be agreed in accordance with their normal policies and procedures.”
Labor law project
The meeting between Siptu and Meat Industry Ireland took place just hours after the Labor Party published a new bill to incorporate paid sick leave and cover parents when their children’s school or childcare provider is closed. due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
The Labor Party proposed that the new legislation should grant the right to paid sick leave of up to six weeks at the same rate as annual leave.
“There is no right to paid sick leave in Ireland and there is a huge gap in the protections that workers need to prevent them from being forced to go to work when they are sick,” said party leader Alan Kelly. .
“Ireland is an outlier in Europe as it has no paid sick leave, and has been highlighted by [the National Public Health Emergency Team] and the acting medical director as a problem controlling outbreaks, “he said.” The pandemic has exposed many injustices and inequalities in our society for all to see. The Covid outbreaks in meat processing plants have highlighted working conditions in many sectors, especially among low-paid and non-union workers. “
“Current rules on sick pay and benefits act as a disincentive for workers to comply with public health guidelines, as they may be left with little or no income. This bill would create a level playing field. “
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