SIPTU has condemned the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Darragh O’Brien, for seeking to sign off on the private sale of Bord na Móna Recycling without having met with the workers directly affected, despite repeated requests from the Union for such engagement.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Ted Kenny, said: “It is unacceptable that the Minister is preparing to approve the sale of Bord na Móna Recycling without meeting with the workers whose livelihoods will be directly impacted. SIPTU has consistently called for meaningful consultation with staff and their representatives. The Minister’s failure to even sit down with them is a blatant disregard for the principles of fair process and worker involvement in decisions that shape their future.
“SIPTU has reaffirmed its call for an urgent meeting between the Minister and worker representatives before any decision on the sale is finalised.”
He added: “Decisions of this magnitude cannot be made behind closed doors or without the voices of workers being heard. We demand immediate engagement and answers not only about the sale, but also about the questions of governance and accountability raised at the highest levels of the company.”
In addition, SIPTU has raised concerns following revelations reported in today’s Irish Times relating to monies connected to the Bord na Móna Chief Executive Officer.
Kenny said: “In light of the story published today, we believe it is essential that clarity is provided on whether the CEO intends to return the monies at the centre of this controversy. Workers deserve accountability and transparency at every level of the company, particularly at a time when their own future is being treated as an afterthought by both management and Government.”