Up to 10,000 meat-processing workers have been laid off so far this week because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
On Monday, workers at slaughterhouses were sent home because work was suspended while the Government's permit system for the transport of livestock was put in place.
Yesterday the layoffs spread to boning plants, as there were no supplies from the abattoirs. However, normal production is expected to resume before the end of the week. The SIPTU vice-president, Mr Jack O'Connor, whose union represents the bulk of the laid-off workers, is demanding compensation from meat factories for lost earnings.
Meanwhile, IMPACT has welcomed the Government's decision to give new search-and-seize powers to agricultural inspectors. The powers would increase inspectors' ability to monitor and control livestock movements, as well as to check baggage, vehicles and containers entering the State.
In contrast, Mr O'Connor of SIPTU wrote to the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, yesterday complaining at the poor planning and "frantic" way in which the permit system was introduced. He said this was the second time within a week he had to write to Mr Walsh about flaws in the system. On February 27th, he wrote complaining that tighter export controls were needed after discovering pigs were being exported to slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland and the trucks were allowed to return to the Republic. The practice was banned two days later.
Mr O'Connor said the vast majority of employees in meat plants should be working normally again, but most of them would lose at least a day's pay through no fault of their own.
SIPTU would seek compensation initially from meat plants. If this was not forthcoming, the issue would be raised with the Government. "As I pointed out in my latest letter to Mr Walsh, if the new measures had been introduced earlier, they could have been structured to avoid any interruption in production, and consequent loss of earnings for workers," Mr O'Connor said.
"It is ironic that again, as always, notwithstanding the extensive publicity afforded the threat to the industry, to the producers and so on, the group which is least culpable and can least afford it is the only one which is actually losing money."
However, the chief executive of the Irish Meat Association, Mr John Smith, said factory owners were also out of pocket and many beef plants were already in difficulty because of BSE.
The closures were solely due to the Government decision to introduce permits. He praised the new system and said the Department deserved great credit.
There is no centralised bargaining structure for the meat-processing industry. If SIPTU does pursue the issue of compensation for lost earnings it will have to do so on a company-by-company basis.