Congress has urged the employer's body, IBEC and Meat Industry Ireland, the group which represents processors in the sector, to urgently resolve the beef dispute which has put thousands of jobs at risk.
General Secretary Patricia King this morning urged IBEC leaders to ensure that industry representatives return to the negotiating table and seek to resolve the crisis.
Patricia King said, "up to 3,000 workers have been laid-off at meat processing plants and the situation is now impacting on the livelihoods of union members who are caught up in a dispute that is not of their making".
She added that union members had endured lay-offs and loss of earnings since the start of the dispute, which had caused real hardship to workers and their families. Patricia King said, "workers need to know that these temporary lay-offs will come to an end, I am asking IBEC leaders to take urgent action to ensure that talks commence immediately".
