Sit-in underway in Cootehill poultry plant

Up to 35 workers at the Cootehill-based Co-operative Poultry Products are staging a sit-in at the plant following the news that 90 jobs there are to go in a buyer is not found for the business quickly. The sit-in began last night as the workers embarked on the protest as they demand their statutory entitlements to be expedited to save them real hardship. A shop steward at the factory, Martin McCarney, who has been working there 36 years, told the Celt today that workers require their money immediately. He said some workers are now in a situation that they may lose their houses because they now are left with no money to pay rent or mortgages. Up to ninety people have lost their jobs, and some 25 suppliers locally are also affected by the closure with some of those claiming they are owed up to €15,000 for birds. "A lot of people all over town will be hit by this, including shops. But it is going to affect us more than anyone else because our job are gone," he said. "At the minute we are here looking for our entitlements up front - at the moment one week's wages is not going to do anything for any of us. We are out of a job now," said Mr McCarney. He added that there is no way they can't wait up to five months to get those statutory entitlements. He said there were workers in dire straits financially working from week to week on their wages. "Nobody has a big lump of money in the bank, to go to. If we did, we would not be standing here," said Mr McCarney. Yesterday, the management at Cootehill Co-operative released a statement thanking customers for their support and loyalty down through the years. It said that the company was left with "no alternative" other than to request Bank of Ireland to place their business into receivership. The management cited feed prices, rising energy costs and low quality imports as the main reason for the closure. Efforts are ongoing to identify a buyer for the business. Simon Coyle of Mazars is working with Cootehill Co-op, which has been in operation since 1949, to that effect.