THE Rehab Group has been asked to pay 38 former workers at the Group’s Logistics Centre in Raheen the redundancy package they are owed.
Acting on a motion from Labour Party councillor Conor Sheehan, Limerick City and County Council is to write to Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys asking her to instruct the Rehab Group to respect the recommendation from the Labour Court and pay the 38 workers what they are owed.
Proposing the motion, Cllr Sheehan said the Labour Court recommendation was “as clear as day and completely vindicates the 38 workers who were made redundant from Rehab Logistics in Raheen in early 2021.
“In its judgement, the court determined that it ‘could find no clear and undisputed basis not to uphold the existing collective agreement and consequently recommended that it be respected’.
“The Rehab Group receives significant funding each year from the State. It has been demonstrated that it can afford to honour the redundancy agreement for these workers, who are among the most vulnerable in the State,” Cllr Sheehan told the council executive.
The City North representative now wants the Minister for Social Protection to give a clear call on the management of Rehab to honour the existing redundancy agreement, as endorsed by the Labour Court.
“The way these people have been treated by their former employer is despicable. What we are talking about here is an ageing workforce of people with disabilities who just want the redundancy package they have earned.
“These workers have only received a basic statutory redundancy package of approximately one third of what they are owed and in most cases they have given decades of service to the company.”
Cllr Sheehan continued: “Rehab receive significant funding from the Department of Social Protection and Minister Humphreys needs to ask them to respect the industrial relations mechanism of the State and to pay these workers the money Rehab owe them.
“Rehab need to stop stringing these workers along and fulfil their obligations and pay the workers the redundancy they have earned now. This is a disgusting way to treat people with disabilities.”
