Workers at the Lagan Brick manufacturing plant were informed it was closing only hours before it ceased operation on Friday, 15th December.
Since then 25 SIPTU members employed at the plant have been in dispute with the management of Lagan Brick over its failure to pay established redundancy terms.
SIPTU Organiser, John Regan, said: "This dispute has dragged on too long. The management of Lagan Brick should commit to meaningful engagement aimed at reaching a just conclusion to this dispute rather than merely paying lip service to such a process.
"Despite the length of the dispute the workers remain totally committed to maintaining their strike action until they achieve a just settlement. In recent days the workers brought their protest from county Cavan to the headquarters of the Lagan Group in Belfast and in the days to come will continue to intensify the campaign. The owners of this company are among the richest people in Ireland and must accept their obligation to honour long established redundancy terms for these workers."
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On 6th February SIPTU stated that it would be seeking the intervention of the Labour Court in the Lagan Brick dispute following the break down of talks at the Labour Relations Commission.
On 29th February the employers representative organisation, IBEC, confirmed that Lagan Brick had refused to attend the Labour Court.
In a ballot conducted on 1st March, SIPTU members in Lagan Brick voted almost unanimously to take strike action in response to the company’s decision to ignore standard industrial dispute resolution procedures.
On 4th April the workers and their supporters protested outside the Lagan Group Headquarters in Belfast. During the protest a letter was delivered to the company’s management demanding immediate talks aimed at a just resolution to the dispute.
Prior to the protest the workers had met with the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Niall Ó Donnghaile, and several other Sinn Féin elected representatives.
(CD/GK)
