INDUSTRY PROTEST:WORKERS IN the pigmeat industry who have been laid off as a result of the health scare surrounding pork are to hold a lunchtime protest at Leinster House today.
The union Siptu said it was organising the demonstration because of delays in resuming production. It said many workers were in "dire straits" financially as a result of the continuing suspension of production in factories around the State.
The union also said some workers affected by the halting of production were unable to claim social welfare payments.
Siptu said members from plants in Edenderry, Waterford and Kilkenny were among those due to attend the protest.
The union said about 1,800 of its members in the pigmeat industry had been laid off as a result of the controversy surrounding pork products.
It also said that when non-union members were taken into account the number of workers affected by the suspension of production was more than 2,000.
Production has been halted as talks between producers and the Government over a compensation package continued without agreement.
Siptu national industry secretary Gerry McCormack said while the union appreciated that consumers, farmers and processors had legitimate concerns, it believed workers were facing "the most immediate and drastic consequences of the current crisis".
He said Siptu was also inviting workers in non-union plants - who he said had no voice in the current crisis - to join the protest at Leinster House.
Siptu official Frank Jones, who represents workers at Offaly-based Rosderra Meats, said the union had decided to take the protest to the Dáil as it was ultimately the Government that had to sort out the problem.
"Many of our members are in dire straits, some of them are unable to claim social welfare benefits and all are facing into a very dismal Christmas," he said.
