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TRADE UNION UNITE has announced that its Virgin Media members have unanimously decided to ballot for industrial action.
The company, which provides TV, mobile and broadband services, currently employs around 1,600 people.
It was reported in recent weeks that the company may cut up to 65 jobs in the next month.
In a statement on 1 November, a Virgin Media Ireland spokesperson said the company had entered a 30-day consultation period with employees.
Unite said today that the ballot follows the company’s decision to issue redundancy notices “without having consulted the unions involved either before or after the announcement of a proposed collective redundancy”.
However, the company said that roles impacted did not fall under “collective bargaining groups” and that “consultation period with its staff members”.
“Employee representatives have been nominated in the business,” the company aid.
Unite said itself and Siptu had previously written to Virgin Media “reminding them of their obligation to engage in a 30-day information and consultation period before issuing notices of redundancy in order to minimise job losses”.
Unite claims Virgin Media has to date failed to respond to the unions’ letter.
Members of Unite have now held a general meeting at which they unanimously agreed to ballot for industrial action, up to and including strike action.
Unite said it understands that Siptu will be “adopting a similar approach”.
“No redundancies should be imposed before a full consultation process has been carried with a view to minimising job losses, as required by law,” Unite regional officer Brendan Byrne said.
“Furthermore, any redundancy packages following this process must be in line with the agreement reached between unions and the company in 2015,” Byrne said.
He added that “the resolution of this dispute lies in the hands of Virgin Media”, as he called on Communications Minister Richard Bruton to intervene in the situation.
“If this matter is not resolved we will be moving swiftly to ballot for industrial action,” Byrne said.
In its statement, Virgin Media said: “As stated recently, we are entering a transformation and efficiency programme to ensure continued revenue growth in a highly competitive market”.
“This involves making some difficult decisions which will impact a number of roles in the Virgin Media Ireland business.”
The company said that “it is envisaged that up to 65 roles may potentially be affected and we have entered a 30-day consultation period with staff members. This is being conducted in a sensitive and appropriate manner”.
“We are aware of and are adhering to our legal obligations,” it said.
In 2015, UPC Ireland rebranded as Virgin Media.
The company bought TV3 the same year and the TV station rebranded as Virgin Media Television in 2018.
Siptu has been contacted for comment.
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If you have no idea what the cause is how can you rule out terrorism?
@Walt Jabsco: Because, as I’ve read from other sources, no traces of explosives have been found so far, and the pilot had refused to undergo the deicing procedure, as well as the aircraft maintenance company is under investigation for not following procedure in regards to oil change and air filter replacement.
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus:
Terrorism might be unlikely, but until such time as the precise cause has been established (which it hasn’t yet) how can anything be ruled out?
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: “oil change and air filter replacemenr”? Are you having a laugh?
@Walt Jabsco: In that case you can’t rule out exploding mutant gerbils either.
@Dazz: There little ba***rds them gerbils .They get everywhere
@Ger Healy: Why, do you think airplanes magically maintain themselves, and don’t require oil, or air filters?
The Russian prosecutor’s office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. They found reports that the airliner had been banned from operating international routes in 2015 and had resumed operation after it changed its policy in 2016. Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during their examination on the accident aircraft, the airliner had violated the procedure of the oil change in the gearboxes and the washing of the air starter filter.
from: “СК возбудил дело после крушения Ан-148 в Подмосковье”. РИА Новости (in Russian). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
Does terrorism have to be mentioned now with every tragedy
@Shaun Gallagher: Unfortunately it’s indicative of the world we live in that it must be considered. To dismiss it and refuse to consider it as a possibility smacks of political interference and indicates it may be the real cause.
@Shaun Gallagher: Only in western countries….the phony war of terrorism.
Interesting name in the passanger manifest. Vyacheslav Ivanov.
@PutinBot 5000:
Doubt it’s the same one that died last october though…
@Walt Jabsco: Vyacheslav Ivanov-Rosatom-Clinton-Uranium.
@PutinBot 5000: Fake news. The Rosatom lad’s name is Vyacheslav Pershukov Alexandrovich (b. 1958).
https://rosatom.ru/en/about-us/governance/management-board/pershukov/
The guy on the plane, Ivanov, was born in ‘86.
You’ll need better sources than /r/TheDonald, brother.
@Malachi: Thanks bro. You’re like a Qi elf :-)
@PutinBot 5000: Lol
I do hope the de-icing was carried out correctly pre flight.
Unfortunately many Russian pilots have a terrible reputation for skipping this vital procedure.
https://youtu.be/5GIU94dg1ek
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