Production remains shut down this Wednesday at Roadstone, Bunratty following the continuation of a nationwide strike against cuts to general operatives’ wages.
An official SIPTU picket was placed on the Bunratty plant on Monday by its employees, as part of a nationwide dispute affecting 20 of the firm’s facilities across the country.
General operatives and truck drivers have been protesting outside the Bunratty plant with official SIPTU placards
According to SIPTU, workers will lose almost €20,000 in their wages over the next five years if a new cost-cutting plan is introduced against the wishes of workers.
The union claims that the parent company, Cement Roadstone Holdings Limited are trying to implement unsustainable cost savings for Roadstone totalling €10 million over the next five years.
The company has been in talks with union officials in recent times. Both parties were also involved in a Labour Court recommendation that urged both sides to resume negotiations. However, these negotiations broke down over the weekend.
Management at the Bunratty plant referred a request for a Clare Champion interview outside the plant on Tuesday morning to Roadstone Wood’s headquarters in Dublin, who in turn passed it on to a public relations company, Drury Communications.
A spokesman for Drury Communications said the company would not be commenting at this time
By Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.