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SIPTU has called for a ‘uniform’ approach in the agriculture industry to dealing with enforced staff time-off during Storm Emma, as it has come to light that Dawn Meats has asked staff to count the two days off work as part of their annual leave entitlement.
If staff choose to not use their leave entitlements, the days will be counted as unpaid time off work and staff will have the option of working additional hours to make up loss of wages.
In contrast, it is understood that Kepak has decided to pay their staff as normal for the two days of the weather warning.
A spokesperson for Dawn Meats stated: “Following the advice of the National Emergency Coordination Group, production was suspended across all Dawn Meats sites in Ireland from Thursday afternoon and through Friday of last week.
“In respect of this downtime - enforced by weather events outside our control - team members have access to normal annual leave arrangements and scope to work additional hours as we replenish supplies for our customers in the coming days and weeks. These arrangements are in line with norms in the food processing sector.”
However, SIPTU sector organiser Michael Browne has said that the Union intends to raise the issue with employers and their representatives in the coming days to insist on the introduction of uniform approach across the agriculture sector.
"Our view is that it is unacceptable that people are required to use their annual leave," Browne told the Irish Farmers Journal.
"That’s not the purpose of annual leave, it should be used for specific purposes. Other employers have simply paid people for the losses incurred over the two days.
"We want to engage with employers now to facilitate staff payment in similar future circumstances."
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