Deputy O’Dea prepared to join picket

DEPUTY Willie O’Dea has vowed to join former workers of the St. Enda’s Sports Complex on the picket line outside Leinster House if a redundancy payment is not made.
Seven former employees of the complex, members of the SIPTU trade union, who were among the 28 staff to lose their jobs when the facility closed in January 2011, have been awaiting the payment of a Labour Court ruling for 13 months.
“A promise was made that this matter would be sorted and its reprehensible that this has yet to happen,” said Deputy O’Dea.

“If they decide to protest outside the Dail, I’d be happy to join them”.
The delay in payment has represented a significant financial burden for those involved.
Said a spokesperson: “Unfortunately, the Labour Court ruling isn’t binding and the department of education are denying that we fall under their sector, yet we have correspondence from that department going back to 1982”.
The group also claim that three members are owend an additional sum in back pay for benchmarking and which wasn’t applied.
Earlier, minister Brendan Howlin stated that the payment could not be provided as it would have “significant cost implications for the Exchequer, having regard to the myriad of non-public service community organisations funded or part funded from public monies”.
SIPTU representative Louise O’Reilly said the union was “extremely disappointed the matter was still unresolved; This can’t be nobody’s problem”.
It is intended to hold a protest outside the Dail on June 6.