SIPTU representatives have written to the US-based CEO of the medical devices manufacturer Stryker, expressing grave health and safety concerns after another fire at the company’s facilities in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, which are the centre of an ongoing union recognition struggle.
SIPTU Manufacturing Divisional Organiser, Neil McGowan, said: “We received reports from our members of a major fire incident at the plant last week. We have been informed that the alarm system failed to activate automatically. Thankfully, a worker raised the alarm and emergency services responded swiftly, with all employees safely evacuated.
“This latest fire highlights a deeply troubling pattern over a number of years at the Stryker plants in Carrigtwohill. Our members have consistently raised health and safety concerns. Unfortunately, even after the death of a contract worker following an accident at the plant in 2023, the company still refuses to work with us on improving safety.”
He added: “This intransigence by a highly profitable company has left SIPTU with no option but to directly write to its global CEO to ask for action by him on the recurring safety issues.”
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Andrea Cleere, said: “There is now a dangerous pattern of health and safety incidents which we believe are not unconnected to the company’s failure to respect its workers and allow them to be effectively represented by the union of their choice, SIPTU.
“Despite recommendations by the Labour Court and a report by the OECD National Contact Point that the management at the plant should engage in collective bargaining with our union, in line with how it conducts industrial relations at its two other plants in Ireland, the company refuses. Indeed, we have had reports of victimisation of workers at the plant for union activity. SIPTU is demanding an immediate independent safety audit at this plant and the implementation of modern, fail-safe alarm and safety systems.
“The situation in this plant is a vivid example of the problems with current Irish industrial relations law, where there is no effective sanction on employers who refuse workers their right to collective bargaining, often resulting in serious issues not being addressed.”
She added: “We are calling upon the Government to also live up to its commitments under the EU Directive of Adequate Minimum Wages and the Respect at Work pledge that Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Tourism, Peter Burke, signed in the run-up to the 2024 General Election. This should mean that Ireland moves to a situation where workers’ rights to union representation and collective bargaining are given legal protection.”