Progress at Element Six as unions agree to talk

SOME progress was made on the Element Six dispute on Wednesday, with SIPTU opting to engage in exploratory talks at the LRC, following a two-hour meeting of members.

A spokesman for the TEEU, the other main union at Element Six, also said it was extremely likely that they would enter talks with the LRC.

“We’ll be going for exploratory talks, we’ve had an invitation from Kevin Foley,” said a SIPTU spokesperson. “We’ll go and listen to what the company has to say. The situation was in stalemate.” The spokesman said that while a few members had been against going to the LRC there was “overwhelming” support for engagement.

The SIPTU meeting took place after a flurry of communication between management and the union on Monday.

In a letter to HR manager, Tadhg O’Halloran, SIPTU branch organiser Mary O’Donnell stated, “We remain available for further discussion in the appropriate forum as soon as the company indicates that it is in a position to negotiate/conciliate on our claim, in good faith.”

Responding, Mr O’Halloran wrote, “We are delighted that you have confirmed your willingness to take part in further discussions and as the company has always sought to negotiate in good faith, we again confirm our position in this regard.

“As a result of the position now being taken by the union, we are again, by copy of this letter, requesting the Labour Relations Commission to facilitate such discussions by way of a conciliation conference as the most appropriate forum and to do so as a matter of urgency.”

In a subsequent email to the union, Mr O’Halloran indicated some room for negotiation on the redundancy issue, which is at the heart of the impasse. “The issue of redundancy is, as we all know, an integral part of the Shannon Sustainability Plan, which provides for saving an additional 163 high value jobs, in addition to the 80 previously announced. This must clearly be a key objective for everyone as the viability and success of the plan is contingent on agreement on all of its parts. This company has never and does not now seek to place any conditions on entering into conciliation.

“We are committed through meaningful engagement under the auspices of the LRC, through its conciliation service, to achieve an agreement on the redundancy issue and also the critical issue of saving 163 jobs. The sequence by which we deal with these matters is not an issue for the company.”

Relations between employees and management were at a low ebb the previous Thursday, as workers staged a protest march outside the premises.

Protective notice letters which were issued to staff were gathered by union leaders who said they would be returned to management.

One worker said that company had been seeking to intimidate employees. “A threatening letter is being sent out by the company on a weekly basis.”

Workers were also angry about a direction issued that shop stewards not be given time away from work for union related activities unless express permission was given by human resources section.