SIPTU members employed in the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) are calling on the urgent intervention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, due to the threatened denial of protections for workers and services arising from the proposed closure of the organisation’s rehabilitation centre in Ballyare, County Donegal.
Our members believe the threatened closure of ISPCA services in Donegal and associated forced redundancies has been deliberately orchestrated to deny the workers effected their statutory employment protections provided under transfer of employment regulations ‘TUPE’, ahead of a forthcoming merger between the ISPCA and DSPCA.
SIPTU Organiser, Peter O’Brien, said: “The ISPCA has entered into talks with our members regarding redundancies but has consistently refused to provide the financial information needed to properly assess the situation. Management have also refused to provide this information to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and has now withdrawn from that process leaving workers in the dark about their futures. This is completely unacceptable.
“Already, some workers have been issued redundancy letters. In Donegal, management is planning to close the centre without any negotiation and without providing criteria for any redundancies. Workers have no clarity on what will happen to the important services provided in the Donegal centre. They are deeply concerned that the services and the animals they care for will be moved to other parts of the country without the necessary planning.”
He added: “This is the behaviour of a rogue employer, which is completely wrong particularly when it is considered that it is largely funded by the Department of Agriculture and through charitable donations. The ISPCA has a duty of transparency to its employees, service users and the public.
“The ISPCA is refusing to provide all the financial details requested in the WRC. Workers have sought this information in order to protect their jobs and the vital services they provide. The Minister cannot allow an organisation in receipt of public funds to behave in this manner, which is a blatant attempt to deny those workers their basic rights and protections. Intervention is needed now to safeguard employment, transparency and the state supported services they provide in Donegal.”
SIPTU has confirmed it is prepared to re-enter the WRC and is calling on the Department of Agriculture to ensure the ISPCA show accountability and proper engagement with staff representatives.