THREE former Killarney social welfare office staff, with more than 60 years experience between them, have made a direct appeal to Social Welfare Minister, Mary Hanafin, to help save their jobs.
And they are hoping that she may yet step in to get them back to work.
Mary Cronin, Eileen Moriarty and Siobhan Dwyer were laid off from their jobs on July 25 when the department took control of the Killarney social welfare office. It had been run on a contract basis by the women’s employer, Lil Fleming, prior to her retirement last month.
SIPTU has intervened in the case and has lodged industrial relations procedures against the Department of Social and Family Affairs in relation to its treatment of the three women.
“The department declined our request that the three women be kept on in their jobs,” SIPTU official, Andrew McCarthy, told The Kingdom.
“We are currently awaiting a response from the minster responsible, Mary Hanafin, in relation to the request,” he added.
According to Mr McCarthy, SIPTU will also take a case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal on behalf of the three Killarney workers.
“We are of the opinion that the department is in breach of regulations relating to the transfer of undertakings,” Mr McCarthy stated.
Regulations are in place to protect staff in any transfer of an under-taking, business or part of a business from one employer to another and, according to the SIPTU official, it would apply to the jobs affected by the transfer of the social welfare office from contract ownership to the department.
“I don’t think this case will be solved overnight but we hope that something can be done,” Mr McCarthy said.
The longest serving member of staff affected by the transfer is Mary Cronin who started work in the Killarney branch office in July 1973.
Eileen Moriarty had been employed at the Killarney branch since the early 1980s and Siobhan Dwyer has been working there for five years.
The three women were devastated in May when they discovered that they were to lose their jobs.
