The Irish cement industry is on the verge of full scale industrial action
after the majority union representing workers at Platin Cement in Drogheda
voted unanimously to strike at the end of the week over pay and conditions
at the plant.
The ongoing dispute - which began 15 months ago - is also affecting workers
at the Limerick plant although no notice of strike action has been filed at
the facility where SIPTU is the main union.
Meanwhile, the Irish Independent News has learned that the dispute, which
has been going on for the past fifteen months, was heard in the Labour Court
in July. The court ruled in favour of the company, ruling that the workers’
demands represented a cost increase that was outside the terms of the
Sustaining Progress partnership agreement.
According to an ATGWU spokesperson the 250 to 300 workers at the plants had
requested improvements in the areas of pension related overtime, VHI and
bonuses.
