Budget Travel Company News

BUDGET TRAVEL MUST GET BACK TO TALKS

Statement by Willie Penrose TD - Labour Party Spokesperson on Enterprise Trade and Employment

The conduct of Budget Travel in relation to their negotiations with staff who are to be made redundant, is absolutely reprehensible.

The process of layoffs will get under way later this week, with those facing redundancy, predominantly young, low-paid women.

I understand that talks broke down as a result of the company's insistence that many of the workers would receive no redundancy payments whatsoever, and that they have now refused to re-engage with the LRC.

Representatives of the workers have asked for a minimum redundancy payment of 6,000 Euros for those 20 staff who have been with the company for less than two years. That does not seem extravagant to me.

In addition, the company is insisting that those who are to be paid, will receive payment on a staged basis. This belligerent attitude on the part of the company serves nobody's purposes, and they should cop themselves on.

There is no excuse for Budget Travel refusing to engage with the workers through the industrial relations apparatus. It is time for them to sit down and get this sorted out once and for all.

Registered Office: Nerney's Court, Off Temple Street, Dublin 1