The decision to introduce a three-day week for Iralco workers was taken in order to prevent job losses, and is merely a temporary measure, according to a trade union spokesperson.
Last Friday the 300-plus employees of the Iralco plant in Collinstown were informed that the reduced working week was to be introduced. The move follows the month-long closure of the plant over the Christmas period in response to the downturn in the car industry.
However Peter Kenny of the Unite Trade Union is keen to emphasise that the introduction of the three-day week is only temporary, and the positive news that the company is still operating after a turbulent 2008.
“The view is that hopefully this is a short-term situation. As everyone knows, the factory closed for a month over Christmas. When the workers returned, a couple of the customers Iralco supply were cutting down. The company faced a decision between laying people off or sharing the burden between all the employees.
“Iralco is still in business. We don’t want a totally negative view going out, particularly for our customers and suppliers. We are still here and still doing business,” said Mr Kenny.
The regional officer for Unite says the decision to move workers to a three-day week was a difficult one for management, but the best possible one under the circumstances. “It’s not easy on the staff, or indeed the management, to have to make this decision. Every morning we wake up and are faced with a different set of circumstances.
“Last April Iralco closed, and now we are into the next year and still operating. This is a positive story. The workers are hanging in there and the place is still operating and producing. We hope that the workers will be back to a full week’s work soon.”
The Iralco car manufacturing plant was purchased by Athenry-based C&F Tooling last August after a period of liquidation, and over 300 of the original 420 jobs were saved.
