SIPTU members at the Kerry Group have called on management to attend at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to seek a resolution to a dispute concerning redundancies. Following an announcement by the Kerry Group in March to outsource 150 jobs to Malaysia and Mexico from its business centers in Naas and Charleville, SIPTU representatives engaged with the company to try and secure an acceptable agreement on behalf of union members. The jobs affected are primarily in the finance, human resource, data management and regulatory functions. SIPTU Organiser, Terry Bryan said: “The proposed job losses could not come at a worse time for the workers involved and their families. Many of these workers face the prospect of unemployment with the potential of an economic recession following the devastating effects of Covid-19 on employment levels. “In discussions with the company, agreement could not be reached on the proposed job losses, the redundancy terms, the selection criteria and the transition arrangements. In line with accepted State resolution procedures, we referred the matter to the WRC. However, the company has declined the invitation from the WRC to enter talks. “We are calling on the Kerry Group to reverse its decision and engage at the WRC with the Union with a view to finding a resolution. Failure on the company’s part to do so will leave SIPTU with no other alternative other than to consider a ballot of its members for industrial and/or strike action.”
SIPTU calls on Kerry Group to attend WRC to avoid industrial dispute
