My father is unemployed already, with no prospects of getting a job. Try to look at it this way – at least the company provided your father with a job for decades. I understand, it is not easy. You should be asking the question about what actually motivated the company to lay off those workers? Maybe it was the ever increasing cost of doing business in this country which wouldn’t be the company’s fault, it would be the government, yet again. You have to understand that a government can “protect” the workers so much that the result of it is – the workers are “protected” from getting the job all together.

The greed brought you the media communications device that you are now using to bash greed. Greed is only dangerous when it involves government because government can use force. Greedy businesses pose no danger to anyone. If you deem some business being overly greedy then simply stop buying their products.

And how do I stop buying the products of a company that deals in something I don’t buy in the first place. Methinks you blow a lot of hot air.

So what, you are not supporting them to begin with, so where is your problem? If there are other people out there who choose to support a given company then they have all rights to do so. That is call personal choice.

The problem lies in the fact that there are people due what is rightfully theirs and who are being denied it by a man who is still in business makilng a healthy profit. Some of these workers have been with the company for over 40 yrs and Mr Ronan would have them walk away without a cent. That is something no one should have to endure and these men and women are not taking it lightly and I say good on them.

Exactly, he provided them with jobs and paid their wages for over 40 years. But I guess that doesn’t count at all.

Dave, are you having a laugh? These people are supposed to be grateful that they were “provided” with jobs? No one provided them with anything. It wasn’t charity. They worked in exchange for a wage. If you expect them to be grateful simply that the company abided by its legal obligation to pay them for their work, then how about the company showing a little gratitude too? For decades of tireless, high quality labour. For the chance to grow and increase profits, thanks to that labour.

But of course he can. The thing you need to understand is that his money is not the company’s money. Those are 2 separate entities

Do you think It’s easy to run a profitable, successful business where you can afford to pay wages and keep the business afloat? If you think It’s so easy then I suggest you give it a shot and see how easy it is to keep those wages paid, stay competitive, comply with all the nonsense regulation etc.

@David McCarthy
Running a profitable business is one thing and no-one is arguing with that, what this topic is about is the fact that Vita Cortex workers are being left high and dry without much recourse to saving their jobs. there wasnt anything about relocation of workers, nothing about any type of severance pay or pensions entitlements, and importantly nothing about this business conducting itself within proper business principles. Suggesting here that someone whos father is one of the affected worker to go out and give it a shot, frankly misses the point completely.

Factually you cannot say for certain that the various business entities are separate from his personal wealth, unless he is a limited company of which it doesnt state in any documentation.
If you have an axe to grind with the state, then take it up with the state. If you dont want to support the workers then fine, but dont slag those who are directly / indirectly affected by this as it doesnt help or lend to any constructive argument.

Hold on, are those operational facilities that you are talking about the same company?

Much respect paraic ,I have to agree with you and Dave I would never set up a business whereby my employees were not seen as my greatest asset and where I was sure without a shadow of a doubt I was going to take good care of them,be it from company money or my own personal pocket.I was raised to treat people a lot more honourably than that.

Leah, you hit the nail on the head with one word, HONOURABLY. something lacking in all discourse today. Good luck to you, you dad and all the rest, they have more support than they really know.

I posted a reply to a comment from LEAH, what happened her comment Michael

Dave good to see you support those who are fighting for rights that were in law. Hope you dont ever have to sit in to get what you’re legally entitled to. If it can happen to a few then it can happen to the masses. As for a 1000 moaning, your comment doesnt seem to positive either in my opinion.

We could also pass a law to reverse the Gulf stream. Will it reverse it though? The point is – when there is no money there is no money.

That is not the point. he principle of having legislation for redundancy was to protect workers and ensure that companies weren’t just closing with huge profits for no reason. The point here is NAMA have the money and the employer has operations that still exist. The Labour relations would not have got involved if they thought there was no point or that no positive outcome could be reached.

Ok, so NAMA has the money, so where is the problem? Why can’t they simply pay it out and forget about this bs? Hmm, I think I know where the problem lies – bureaucracy :-)

Maybe thats what should happen, but dont agree with you saying that this is BS, try saying that to workers all over ireland that havent got their redundancy and say I think we should move on and forget about this bs. Cant see them welcoming you with open arms, but you never know.

Alan, please try to see beyond the 32 workers and you might have a chance identifying the actual problem.

Dave, its precisely that, that is the problem. If issues are allowed to escalate then we get into turmoil. The bigger picture will be influenced by the ramification from an increase in smaller ones. If you can outline what the bigger picture is and enlighten me as to what you have identified as the problem?

Alan, the state is the problem. The more you ask the government to do for you the less you will end up getting because government is inherently inefficient. If this genius country had a more business friendly environment we wouldn’t even be having this conversation and the 32 people would still be employed.

I dont disagree with your last comment Dave. So maybe you should turn your anger towards the powers that be and not come down hard on the workers that are trying to provide for their families and provide revenue for the economy. Im not adverse to a Free Market economy for business, however as with all rights comes responsibility and I think in the Vita Cortex instance the employer could have handled things better than to tell the in the mouth of xmas that he was closing oh and by the way “…yous aint getting a penny…” hardly a responsible attitude, in my opinion.