Strike action at Mayo garage is set to continue

NINE workers at Tim Hastings Garage in Westport have completed their first day of strike action over the firm's failure to implement a Labour Court recommendation in relation to redundancies imposed by the company.

They will return to the picket line at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow in their bid to secure redundancy payments and, according to Ashling Dunne, SIPTU assistant industrial organsiation, the action will continue on a daily basis.

She said the workers have not received any payments since losing their jobs last August.

In a statement, Tim Hastings Limited said following a review of its business operations by independent motor industry management consultants, the company implemented a number of redundancies in accordance with the company's restructuring plan.

“In considering SIPTU's objection to redundancies, the Labour Court make a recommendation that the company faciliate an inspector of the external consultant's report by the union's high profile financial expert, Ms. Marie Sherlock.

“The company complied fully with this request and Ms. Sherlock validated the external management consultants' report in writing.

“The company was not in a position to implement a second recommendation by the Labour Court to make additional ex-gratia payments to the statutory redundancy payments made to the former employees in 2016.”

In response to the statement, Ms. Dunne said the workers have not yet received their statutory redundancy payments.