Minister offers Borrisoleigh workers cold comfort – McGrath
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said workers at Gleesons Bottling Plant in Borrisoleigh will have been left frustrated and dissatisfied by the response of Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton to the shock announcement of the closure of the facility. Deputy McGrath was speaking after a Dáil Topical Issue debate in which he severely criticised the actions of parent company C&C toward the workers at the plant:
“The Minister might as well have sat on his hands for all the assistance or clarity he provided to the workers and their families.
His position was clearly one of sympathy for the market predicament of the company rather than any meaningful response to the workers.
He talked about the reduction of the operating capacity of the plant being down to 36% but omitted any acknowledgement that this is primarily due to the wishes of C&C to drive the business into an unsustainable position.
I think that what we were presented with today was a brutal fait accompli that was never going to be challenged by this government.
It only remains to be seen if the alleged support for the Bulmers plant in Clonmel will materialise or will it too be slowly dismantled, “ concluded Deputy McGrath.
