Siptu have accused a Co Kildare company of union bashing after it today announced its intention to close part of its business.
The union said management at Steelite/Doyle Concrete in Rathangan had ignored a Labour Court recommendation that a redundancy package should entail five weeks pay per year of service and be voluntary.
The recommendation was made ten days ago after a bitter six-week dispute at Doyle Concrete over the use of low-wage labour which ended last November.
The company denied the union's claim and said a reduced starting rate of pay had been introduced for all new employees, irrespective of nationality.
Siptu branch organiser Adrian Kane said the company was also supposed to lay people off on a last-in-first-out basis. However, it was instead transferring eleven non-union, foreign nationals to sister company Steelite, and ceasing operations at Doyle Concrete.
Steelite is wholly-owned by Doyle Concrete and Mr Kane said accounts for 2004 showed the company made a €2.2 million profit.
"We now have a situation where 16 Siptu members are being made compulsorily redundant while workers who broke an official strike and who have less than 12 months service remain in the company," Mr Kane said.
It is understood six worker who are not Siptu members are also to be made redundant.
The workers are due to be laid off of Friday and a general meeting of workers has been called for that evening to consider a response. Mr Kane told ireland.comthat all-out strike would be an option discussed.
He said the company's actions were an echo of the Irish Ferries dispute over the displacement of Irish workers with lower paid non-nationals.
A spokesperson for Doyle Concrete could not be contacted.