THE Government has been asked to use its influence to secure redundancy payments for 38 former workers at the Rehab Ireland Logistics Centre in Raheen.
Speaking in the Dáil, Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea said that Rehab Logistics, which provided sheltered employment for vulnerable people, went out of business and made its 38 staff members redundant almost two years ago.
“At the time, a redundancy package was agreed between the workers and Rehab Ireland and both parties signed off on that. That agreement was subsequently endorsed by the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
“Now, unfortunately, Rehab Ireland has decided to renege on that agreement and is proposing to offer much less,” the Limerick politician explained.
“Many of those people have worked for this company for a very long period of time, and most of them are suffering from profound disability and will need care into the future.
“In view of the fact that Rehab Ireland is a publicly funded body, can the Government use its powers of persuasion or influence to ask Rehab Ireland to honour its commitment to these vulnerable workers? It is an appalling way to treat them. The amount of money involved is only a couple of hundred thousand euro.”
In response, Tánaiste Micheal Martin said he would pursue the issue.
“It would be very regrettable if an organisation that receives substantial funding from the State would renege on a WRC agreement, which seems to have materialised here, and it is an agreement reached some years back in respect of redundancy. I will certainly follow that up,”he added.
