The Workers’ Party has expressed total support for the staff at Galway Airport who are staging a sit-in protest until they receive assurances they will be paid their statutory redundancy entitlements.  The party has also condemned the Bank of Ireland which effectively hijacked the money set aside for the redundancy payments by the company”.

Workers’ Party President Michael Finnegan stated: “There are almost half a million people unemployed in this state.  Anybody who loses their job at this time confronts a very uncertain future and the least they deserve is to promptly receive their redundancy payments from their employer before they face into life on the dole”.

“We have had too many instances where unscrupulous employers like Vita Cortex, La Senza and Lagan Brick, have refused to pay even statutory redundancy and have attempted to walk away from their legal responsibilities and foist the bill on the already hard-pressed taxpayer”.

“Now we see that the 14 remaining employees in Galway Airport have been told by the company that it could no longer guarantee they would be paid the minimum statutory redundancy when the company ceases to trade. This possible inability to pay is the complete responsibility of Bank of Ireland which like a thief in the night hijacked over €1 million from the Airport’s bank account.”

“Gross mismanagement at BoI during the so-called Celtic Tiger years has cost this state billions of Euro in bailouts and has destroyed the lives and hopes of thousands of citizens. However all the senior management at the bank who caused this disaster are either still in situ or have walked away with a golden handshake and a generous pension. Now this very sane bank has targeted a small group of innocent and defenceless workers and robbed them of their basis and statutory entitlements”.

Mr Finnegan concluded: “The Workers Party demands that the Ministers for Finance and Transport get together immediately to sort out this mess and ensure that these unfortunate workers get their statutory redundancy.”

Issued 7th February 2012