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Unemployment at 11.9% in 26 Counties

The estimated rate of unemployment in the 26 Counties rose to 11.9 per cent in June as the number of unemployment benefit claimants grew by 11,400.
The latest seasonally adjusted live register shows that 413,500 people claimed jobseekers’ benefit or assistance payments last month, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Meanwhile Sinn Féin has welcomed the announcement of an R&D taskforce by Brian Cowen, but called on the Taoiseach to come forward with a jobs plan. Arthur Morgan TD said the taskforce, headed by a senior civil servant from the Taoiseach’s office could prove worthwhile, but that the 400,000 people on social welfare wanted to see an immediate jobs plan from the government and not more talk.

200 job losses threatened at Waterford plant

WORKERS at Waterford’s biggest employer Bausch and Lomb met with company management on Tuesday following local speculation that the company would be seeking more than 100 redundancies at the plant.
Bausch and Lomb makes contact lenses and other eye healthcare products. It is the biggest employer in Waterford.
A series of meetings have taken place at the plant, four months after the company announced it was seeking 195 voluntary redundancies from its 1,400-strong workforce.
The Waterford plant opened in 1981.
Workers at the company were placed on short-time work in February and while this was expected to remain in place for six months, it was cancelled in May.

Bus Éireann agrees to make probationary drivers permanent

Bus Éireann this week agreed to regularise the position of 46 drivers who successfully completed their probationary period after initially moving towards laying off the workers. The drivers will be made permanent from this week.
SIPTU, which is representing the workers, is seeking to have the remaining 58 probationary drivers appointed to permanent positions when they complete their training. The union will be attending talks at the Labour Relations Commission on this issue at the end of this week.

Strike notice at Dublin Port

SIPTU has served strike notice on Marine Terminals for this Friday, July 3 as a result of an attempt by the company to impose compulsory redundancies and cuts in pay and conditions on the workforce. Marine Terminals handles at least 25 per cent of the traffic in Dublin Port. The Labour Court issued an opinion last week, in favour of the union under the Protection of Employment Act, 2007, over an attempt by the company to make most of the workforce redundant.
SIPTU Group Organiser Oliver McDonagh said: “This company has behaved appallingly and has avoided all our attempts to negotiate with it. We remain available to talk about change, including redundancies. I can tell them now that they will get the redundancies they are looking for provided they negotiate and are willing to offer a decent package. They should realise by now they will not achieve their objectives by bullyboy tactics.”

Thomas Cook to close Irish operations

The travel company Thomas Cook has announced plans to close its operations in Ireland and let all staff go, despite the company still operating at a massive profit. Thomas Cook received record profits six months ago and predicts that this year’s profits will be something in the region of €4million. The company CEO, Manny Fontenla-Novoa received a 34% pay rise and a €7million bonus on top of his wages as a reward for boosting company profits by laying off 2,000 Thomas Cook workers across Britain. Thomas Cook workers are encouraging people to sign a petition in support of keeping their jobs in Ireland http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ savethomascookjobsinireland/

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