Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan has welcomed a united call from all members of the Seanad to Rehab Group management to honour a redundancy agreement from two years ago.

The agreement relates to 38 vulnerable workers who were made redundant from Rehab Enterprises in Limerick.

Senator Gavan said:

“In April of 2021, the workers concerned lost their jobs from the Rehab Enterprises plant in Raheen, Limerick.

“Instead of offering four weeks per year of service plus statutory uncapped, as per a longstanding agreement with SIPTU, Rehab offered just two weeks plus statutory capped at one year’s salary.

“The difference in financial terms was very significant, with one worker who had worked for the company for 30 years receiving €21,000 instead of €60,000.

“I proposed a motion on this at the Order Of Business on behalf in the Seanad, and explained how these vulnerable workers have fought valiantly for a just redundancy deal in line with their union agreement.

“Many of these workers include people with visual impairments, learning difficulties and downs syndrome. Some of these workers had given decades of service to Rehab.

“Rehab management have to date ignored a Labour Court Recommendation that carried out an independent financial analysis of Rehab’s books and established that they had over €20 million in cash/cash equivalents, as well as €54 million in assets.  

“The same financial analysis also highlighted expenditure of €813,000 in packages paid to senior management in 2018 and 2019.The Labour Court determined that Rehab could well afford to honour this redundancy agreement. 

“This week these workers held a lunchtime protest in Limerick. They stood in the pouring rain for an hour outside of Rehab’s office in Parnell Court. These workers have literally been left to twist in the wind by Rehab Management.”

“I have raised the plight of these workers on a number of occasions in the Seanad over the past two years. This motion calls on management to implement the recommendation made by the Labour Court and honour the redundancy agreement that Rehab has with SIPTU.”

“I hope the united voice of the Seanad will bring further pressure to bear on Rehab to finally do the right thing. These workers have already been left waiting far too long for justice.”