Beef factories across the country face an “indefinite cessation of cattle slaughtering”, due to ongoing illegal blockading.
Meat Industry Ireland has said that the beef industry is being forced into shutdown.
“The vast majority of slaughtering has already been stopped and additional ‘wildcat’ disruptions are putting the balance of facilities under threat of closure,” it said on Tuesday morning.
“The forced closure of affected sites is resulting in the temporary lay-off of thousands of employees. It will also mean that supplier farmers are unable to sell their animals and vital customer relationships are being damaged.”
Intimidation
Meat Industry Ireland said that ongoing intimidation – which it said includes verbal and physical abuses, blackmail and vandalism - of staff, farmer suppliers and hauliers by the illegal protestors has led to this.
The escalation of illegal blockades over the weekend has been a huge disappointment
“In advance of Monday’s talks, MII members showed good faith by deferring legal actions against protestors at the request of the Minister for Agriculture. The escalation of illegal blockades over the weekend has been a huge disappointment to MII members,” a statement on behalf of factories read.
“Negotiating whilst illegal and threatening behaviour is ongoing is not compatible with negotiation in good faith.”
Damage
It warned that the damage being done to the Irish beef sector is significant and that hard won markets are being lost.
However it added that factories cannot continue operating “in an environment where it cannot be sure whether staff, farmer suppliers and product can safely enter and leave the factories”.
MII said that its members have no objection to normal peaceful protests but added: “illegal blockades are entirely counter-productive to the interests of all involved in the Irish beef industry, particularly the disruption and losses to farmers who want to sell their animals and employees who want to work.”
Read more
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Live: the beef talks as they happen - talks suspended Monday evening
Breaking: knackeries nationwide to strike on Tuesday
Beef factories across the country face an “indefinite cessation of cattle slaughtering”, due to ongoing illegal blockading.
Meat Industry Ireland has said that the beef industry is being forced into shutdown.
“The vast majority of slaughtering has already been stopped and additional ‘wildcat’ disruptions are putting the balance of facilities under threat of closure,” it said on Tuesday morning.
“The forced closure of affected sites is resulting in the temporary lay-off of thousands of employees. It will also mean that supplier farmers are unable to sell their animals and vital customer relationships are being damaged.”
Intimidation
Meat Industry Ireland said that ongoing intimidation – which it said includes verbal and physical abuses, blackmail and vandalism - of staff, farmer suppliers and hauliers by the illegal protestors has led to this.
The escalation of illegal blockades over the weekend has been a huge disappointment
“In advance of Monday’s talks, MII members showed good faith by deferring legal actions against protestors at the request of the Minister for Agriculture. The escalation of illegal blockades over the weekend has been a huge disappointment to MII members,” a statement on behalf of factories read.
“Negotiating whilst illegal and threatening behaviour is ongoing is not compatible with negotiation in good faith.”
Damage
It warned that the damage being done to the Irish beef sector is significant and that hard won markets are being lost.
However it added that factories cannot continue operating “in an environment where it cannot be sure whether staff, farmer suppliers and product can safely enter and leave the factories”.
MII said that its members have no objection to normal peaceful protests but added: “illegal blockades are entirely counter-productive to the interests of all involved in the Irish beef industry, particularly the disruption and losses to farmers who want to sell their animals and employees who want to work.”
Read more
Beef prices update: limited outlets to get stock killed
Live: the beef talks as they happen - talks suspended Monday evening
Breaking: knackeries nationwide to strike on Tuesday
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