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2008

SIPTU seeks urgent meeting with Minister for Agriculture

Date Released: 08 Dec 2008

SIPTU National Industrial Secretary Gerry McCormack has written to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, seeking an urgent meeting over the jobs crisis confronting the pig industry. “We only have a very short window of opportunity to deal with the problem before the damage becomes irreparable”, Mr. McCormack said.

“The prospect of losing 6,000 jobs has already been devastating for the communities involved but also has serious implications for the wider economy in terms of lost revenue and social welfare costs to the Exchequer. Already Irish product, 50 per cent of which is exported, has been banned from some of our main markets such as Germany, Japan, Russia, the USA and UK.

“When a similar problem arose in Belgium the government there worked with the European Commission to help rebuild the industry as quickly as possible. I understand a meeting has been arranged for tomorrow with the Commission and that is to be welcomed.

“We are seeking a meeting with the Minister to impress upon him our concerns for employees in the industry, who are the largest group of people most directly affected by the crisis. It would be a terrible injustice if thousands of workers were to lose their livelihoods and their families face hardship because of a something that was no fault of their own and over which they had no control.”





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