An open letter to the people of Ireland, politicians and employers, from the Vita Cortex workers

Today marks the 42nd day of our sit-in. When we began this protest we really didn’t believe that we would still be here in late January. We honestly believed that Jack Ronan would see the light and pay us a just redundancy given the 847 years of service that we have given to Vita Cortex. Sadly, following the collapse of LRC talks on Friday, it is clear that he remains determined to cling to an intransigent position. Some of the moves made on his part, over the course of the negotiations, have left us feeling disgusted. The situation is disappointing and we look forward to the day when Mr. Ronan realises the gravity of the injustice that he is perpetuating against us. We hope that he will find the decency to turn away from his current path. It is time for him to meet his responsibilities, not only a businessman but also as a human being.

The Irish public have been amazing in their support of our struggle. However, we are aware that life moves on. But life cannot move on for us until we secure an equitable resolution. We never asked to be seen as heroes or role models but we are grateful to those who have described us in such glowing terms. We also realised, some time ago, that this is not just about us. It is fight that must be won in order to ensure that this cannot and does not happen to anybody ever again.

The media have rallied to our cause and this is something that should be recognised.  But we call on all media outlets not to forget us in the absence of talks or negotiations. The struggle is here on the factory floor. The media has done a great job in bringing our story to you all and we hope that they will continue to do so.

We also ask everybody to get behind us online through Facebook and Twitter. The online campaign has done wonders in terms of internationalising our situation. It continues to gain momentum by the minute.

We call on all politicians to intensify their representations on our behalf. We particularly call on government ministers to take action and use their influence to ensure that we end up with a fair deal.

We also ask all the employers of Ireland to treat their workers with respect and dignity during these difficult times. There a great many honest and hardworking business owners in Ireland. Many of you are our friends. Indeed, many of you have supported our fight for a fair settlement. Unfortunately, in times of economic hardship communications can become strained and conflict can arise. However, nobody should have to go through what we are going through.

One way of working towards economic recovery would be the development of a real and genuine departure from old thinking and tired ideas. The emergence of a values-based relationship between employers and workers can become a reality but only if the will exists to work towards it. However, such a departure cannot carry with it the weight of injustices such as the one being carried-out against us over the last six weeks.

So here we remain folks: sitting-in for justice, asking for support.

Sincerely,

The Workers of Vita Cortex

26 January 2012

[By way of the ‘Support the Vita Cortex Workers Online Campaign’]

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