This article is from page 14 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
STRIKE actions at Clare’s most popular tourist destination will not take place this week following an agreement by both staff and management at the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Centre to return to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) in an effort to resolve the ongoing dispute.
The dispute centres around the work conditions and status of the staff employed at the flagship tourism hotspot.
Union leaders claiming that staff at the cliffs should have same right and entitlements of Clare County Council employees, while the management of the facility claim that they are a separate company, owned by Clare County Council.
According to the Company Registrations Office (CRO), the Cliffs of Moher Centre Limited is a company, owned by Clare County Council, which lists Clare County Council’s director of services Ger Dollard and Clare County Council senior executive officer Carmel Greene as its directors.
In a statement to The Clare People , Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, said they were looking to find an “agreed resolution” to the dispute.
“Management at Cliffs of Moher Centre met with union representa- tives following SIPTU’s notification of industrial action. A productive meeting took place on Wednesday [June 1],” she said.
“Both sides have agreed to enter a process with the Labour Relations Commission to seek an agreed resolution to the dispute.”
According to local SIPTU spokesperson Tony Kenny, the dispute had resurfaced after management failed to uphold a Labour Court recommendation to grant parity of pay for workers in the centre with other local authority employees.
“Following three years of local discussion, three Labour Relations Commission (LRC) conciliation conferences and a Labour Court hearing that found in favour of our members, the employer has refused to honour its findings,” he said.
The Cliffs of Moher Centre employs 24 people in the North Clare area, 17 of which are members of SIPTU.