SIPTU has announced today it was serving notice of industrial action on Kingspan Building Products in Kingscourt, Cavan, after the company implemented a Labour Court ruling.

According to SIPTU Cavan Branch Organiser, Declan Ferry, the company has implemented a complete change to the terms and conditions of employment agreed under its original contract and have replaced them with "significantly poorer ones".

He said there had already been 200 redundancies at the plant which has been on short time working, of two or three days, for the past two years.

"Our members have suffered already as a result of mass redundancies, have been reduced from a 4-shift production cycle to day work only and have been on short time working over the last 24 months," Mr Ferry said.

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He added: "This is the final straw that broke the camels back. Our members have been left with no choice but to undertake strike/industrial Action as a result of the company drastically reducing their terms and conditions of employment. It must be noted that this is the same workforce which has contributed so much to the stunning success and profits achieved at Kingscourt over the past decade."

In its 2008 financial statements the company reported an operating profit of €157.1 million. SIPTU has served notice of two weeks on the employer and said it will commence industrial action from the 8th February next.

Ironically, the Kingspan Group plc won the 2009 Britain's Most Admired Company award in the 'Building Materials & Merchants' category, the second consecutive year that the Irish company has won the award.

The award was made on the basis of criteria including quality of management, financial soundness, and ability to attract, develop & retain top talent.

(DW/GK)