Smurfit workers in Cork begin strike over sick pay
Workers at the Smurfit Kappa firm in Cork are staging a one-day strike today in protest at the company's sick-pay scheme.
The 130 SIPTU workers say they are paid as little as €127-a-week when out on sick leave, half of which they have contributed themselves.
Talks on the issue recently broke down at the Labour Court and the employees are planning further one-day strikes in the coming weeks if there is no resolution to the dispute.
SIPTU says the company could easily introduce a more generous sick-pay scheme given the fact that Smurfit had a turnover of more than €7bn last year and the Cork plant alone had a turnover of €30m.
"One would expect a company of that magnitude to be giving a proper sick-pay scheme to their workers," spokesman Bill Mulcahy said today.
