VITA CORTEX workers, who have been sitting in at their former Cork workplace for the past 60 days, received a boost yesterday when Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson phoned the factory to offer his support.
Sir Alex contacted employee and lifelong Manchester United fan Jim Power to express his admiration and support for the stand being taken by the workers.
He told Mr Power he had been involved in the apprentice strikes in Glasgow in 1961, and that he understood their plight.
Mr Power said even rival Liverpool fans among the workers in the sit-in were excited by the call.
“Dave O’Connell from Suit Distributors, who supplies some of Fergie’s suits, was going over to Manchester at the weekend and he told him about us. Dave rang me at 12 today to say Fergie would be calling at two o’clock. I am a lifetime Manchester United fan. Even the Liverpool fans in the factory were saying it was good of him to call . . . He told me about the strike he was on in Glasgow years ago. It was amazing of him to ring.”
Mr Power said workers had received incredible support from such diverse public figures as former president Mary Robinson, linguist Noam Chomsky and Chernobyl Children’s International founder Adi Roche.
The 32 workers at the former foam plant have continued their protest over redundancy payments in spite of the breakdown of talks between the Labour Relations Commission and Vita Cortex management. Owner of the company in Cork Jack Ronan has said his financial position does not allow him to make funds available to pay redundancies.
The State has stepped in to pay statutory entitlements but the company has claimed inability to pay a further €372,000.
A concert by Christy Moore to show solidarity with the workers in the Triskel Arts Centre this Friday has sold out. The singer dedicated the song Ordinary Manto workers during a recent concert. Moore will be joined by Declan Sinnott and singer Mick "Tana" O'Brien. All proceeds will go to the workers' fund.