Former BCD Travel workers will protest outside Croke Park on Sunday, 1st September, the day of the Dublin and Kerry All Ireland Championship Football Semi-Final, to highlight the failure of the Kerry Football Team sponsor, Kerry Group, to ensure its contractor pays them redundancy payments they are owed.
The workers, who have protested outside Kerry Group offices in Tralee for several weeks, 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 Croke Park but there is no other alternative for them. The Kerry Group has some culpability for their situation and should certainly form part of the solution.”