Former BCD Travel workers intend to protest outside the Rose of Tralee Festival to highlight the failure of the event’s sponsor, Kerry Group, to ensure its contractor pays them redundancy payments they are owed. The Festival begins on Wednesday, 14th August, in Tralee, County Kerry. The workers, who began a third week of protests with a demonstration outside Kerry Group offices in Tralee yesterday (Thursday 8th August), were made redundant in April. Following a Labour Court hearing they were awarded an additional two weeks per year of service redundancy payment. BCD Travel has refused to honour the Labour Court recommendation.SIPTU Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin, said: “The seven women affected worked solely in the Kerry Group offices on a contract arranging corporate travel arrangements for that company. Despite this the management of Kerry Group has refused to request that its contractor respect the workers' rights and honour a ruling of the Labour Court.” She added: “The Kerry Group’s commitment to the local community and the concept of fair employment practices is being called into question by its approach to this issue. It is regrettable that the women concerned have to bring their protest to the Rose of Tralee Festival but there is no other alternative for them. The Kerry Group have some culpability for their situation and should certainly form part of the solution.”