Irish meat firm ABP Food Group has announced 100 more temporary lay-offs at its plant at Cahir, Co. Tipperary, as a result of the ongoing dispute between beef farmers and the meat industry.
ABP said today (20 September) the lay-offs are in addition to the 355 employees who were temporarily laid off earlier this week and claimed the blockade at its site is “illegal”.
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“This regrettable action is a direct result of the ongoing illegal blockades at the site by seven protestors,” it said. “The protestors’ illegal actions are now putting all jobs at ABP Cahir at risk, as well as the livelihoods of 1,300 farmers who supply cattle to the site. The illegal blockade has cost these local suppliers in the region of EUR6m (US$6.6m).”
ABP also suggested the blockade is having an impact on the wider local economy and that “hard-won international contracts are being jeopardised as these valued customers are forced to source beef elsewhere”.
The processor expressed its dismay that after an agreement was reached, blockades remain in place at Cahir and other processing sites across the country.
Since the start of the blockades, ABP has temporarily laid off 1,463 staff across the country. Fellow Irish meat firm Kepak has laid off 1,400 staff as a result of the same dispute.
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By GlobalDataIreland’s beef farming community is campaigning for beef processors and retailers to pay a higher price for its produce.
The Beef Plan Movement, set up by farmers to argue their case, says in its mission statement “for years farmers profits have been eaten into by beef processors and retailers and as a result beef farming in Ireland is on its knees”.
Following talks last weekend between Irish meat processors and the country’s main farming organisations it appeared an agreement to resolve the dispute had been reached. However, at least one of seven groups representing beef farmers, Independent Farmers of Ireland (IFI), said reports that all parties had signed off on the deal were not true.
