Over 300 employees of Loctite Ireland are continuing their pickets at two of the company's plants in Tallaght and Ballyfermot in a dispute over pension schemes.
The workers, who are represented by SIPTU, MSF and the TEEU unions, began industrial action on Friday in an effort to secure improvements in existing pension schemes.
According to SIPTU, the dispute came to a head when employees discovered that the company had transferred £4.6 million from the main pension scheme to a newly established "Senior Executive Scheme" for 15 senior executives of the company.
In a statement, representatives of the three unions said that despite exhausting all industrial relations procedures, some workers with over 20 years' experience will only get pensions of £26 per week at present rates.
Staff are expected to return to work tomorrow but will resume industrial action next week with a three-day picket which, they say, by September 17th will escalate to an all-out strike if the issue is not resolved.
A Loctite spokesperson said talks cannot be scheduled until employees return to work.
There are over 500 staff between the two plants, including 40 chemists and engineers.
However, management at Loctite says that over the past year, Loctite Ireland has undertaken a consultative process with its employees to discuss and explore all aspects of the Company's Defined Benefits Pension Scheme.
In July 2000,it says, the Labour Court ruled that The Employee Pension Scheme was not substantially out of line with comparable employments and, therefore, did not recommend concession of the Unions' claims. In a statement on Saturday, Loctite Ireland warned it will have to review its position and take necessary action, which could include placing all staff on protective notice.