The US multinational Fruit of the Loom has moved to dismiss three senior executives at its Donegal plant. The chief executive, Mr Willie McCarter, his brother, John, the company's sales director, and its finance director, Mr Seamus McEleney, yesterday applied to the High Court to block redundancy notices the company has served on them.
They are being made redundant as part of a major reorganisation of the company's Irish operations. Mr Justice Costello yesterday adjourned their application for two weeks.
A Fruit of the Loom spokesman said he was precluded from commenting on the matter before the courts.
When asked if he could assure the group's 3,500 Irish workers of Fruit of the Loom's continuing commitment to Ireland, he repeated that he was unable to comment.
Mr Willie McCarter is chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, the development fund set up by the British and Irish governments for the Border counties in 1986.
News of the dismissal has angered union officials. Yesterday Mr George Hunter, SIPTU's representative for Donegal, said the group's action was "deplorable".
Meanwhile, an IDA Ireland spokesman told the Fruit of the Loom workers in Donegal and Derry that the dispute would have no bearing on the continued success of these plants.
As reported by The Irish Times in June, the three directors have been in negotiation with senior US management, including its chief executive, Mr Bill Farley, about the impact the planned reorganisation would have on their positions. But at that time the group vehemently denied the discussions were taking place.
It is understood the executives first received an initial redundancy notice on May 29th. This has since been revoked and a fresh notice was issued yesterday.