The issuing of statutory redundancy cheques to a number of staff by management at Morris Builders Providers was proof that the company had ‘sunk to the very bottom of employee relations’, according to trade union UNITE.
Union regional organiser Walter Cullen has condemned the manner in which the workers were issued with redundancy notices this week, describing it as a ‘despicable way to treat employees’. Ten notices are believed to have been issued by post but, as we went to press, not all had been received by the recipients. Strike action continues at the Cork Road depot in protest over the implementation of what workers say is a selective redundancy scheme by management. UNITE has warned that the dispute could escalate further in the coming days.
The row arose over the announcement of 18 redundancies by the long-established company, with UNITE claiming the job cuts would be of a forced rather than voluntary nature. However a spokesperson for Morris’s said the company was acting totally within a Labour Court recommendation that clearly stated the method of how redundancies needed to be carried out.
