Vita Cortex announced it was closing its Cork plant in September 2011. When the workers finally got issued their notice in December they discovered that the bosses had screwed them out of their redundancy payments. The workers occupied the factory, and have remained there since. Their occupation has now reached 60 days. They are refusing to leave until the bosses cough up what they owe.
Since December last year, thirty two workers have occupied a foam packing factory in Cork, Ireland. They are demanding redundancy payments that they were promised.
Workers at the plant were promised 1.2 million Euro’s in September when it was announced the plant would be closing, and production transferred elsewhere.
Staff were given their redundancy notices on December 16th (merry Christmas) yet there was no sign of the money they were owed.
In response, the workers occupied the factory and have remained there ever since. They have since rejected a derisory offer from the bosses of 1,500 Euro’s each to leave.
For many of the workers Vita Cortex is all they have known. The 32 occupiers have worked for the company for a combined total of 847 years. They now face little chance of finding alternative work as there are over 25,000 unemployed people currently living in and around Cork.
In a typical bosses trick, Vita Cortex has shifted money here, there, and everywhere, passing assets between companies making it difficult for anyone to get at it.
In a show of solidarity, the local fire brigade has been delivering food to the occupiers, and a taxi firm has been offering their services free of charge.
Yesterday, over 5,000 people marched through Cork in support of the occupation. It was the biggest demonstration that Cork has seen in years.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-the-Vita-Cortex-Workers/212225242192914
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