The Dairy Executives’ Association (DEA) has said that it has been contacted by members who report that current mileage and subsistence rates are not covering the rising cost of fuel, particularly for those who are required to travel extensively.

The Dairy Executives’ Association is a trade union representing professional, managerial, and technical staff across the dairy, food, and wider agribusiness sectors.

“Our members are feeling the impact of this crisis directly. For many the cost of doing their job has increased substantially and this is not being adequately reflected in current mileage rates,” DEA general secretary Niall Sherlock said.

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The DEA has said that it will be speaking with management of affected co-operatives to review mileage and other allowances to ensure they are fair and sufficient to cover current fuel prices.

Road Transporters Support Scheme

Additionally, the DEA has raised concerns surrounding the Road Transporters Support Scheme as it currently does not include cover co-operatives that operate their own transport fleets.

“We fully support the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) in its call for the scheme to be revised so that all transporters involved in milk collection and feed delivery, whether directly employed or contracted, are treated equally,” Sherlock stated.

“The scheme currently risks incentivising the outsourcing of haulage operations.

“We support ICOS calls for this scheme to be revised in order to protect permanent employment and ensuring that short-term policy decisions do not drive long-term structural change that ultimately harms workers,” he said.