December 01, 2022 [Reuters] – Site provides over 1.4m cubic metres of storage of crude oil, petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Members of Siptu, Ireland’s largest trade union, have notified Zenith Terminals that they will take strike action next month.

The strike, which is set to take place on December 13 at the facility on Whiddy Island in Cork, is over a dispute concerning compulsory redundancies at the energy company.

“This action results from the decision of the company to dismiss workers with long service on Wednesday, November 30, while planning to employ contractors on an ongoing basis to do their work,” said Siptu sector organiser Willie Noone.

There are 31 permanent employees at the terminal and the company is implementing five redundancies as part of the restructuring process.

“Attempts were made to reach a solution to effect cost savings that management believes are necessary,” said Mr Noone. “Strike action is always a last resort, but it is now obvious that the compulsory redundancies that Zenith Energy are seeking are not necessary.”

Zenith is a global company that owns and operates a large oil storage terminal in Cork that provides over 1.4m cubic metres of storage of crude oil, petrol, diesel and kerosene. The strike action notice follows Siptu’s rejection of a Workplace Relations Commission proposal to restructure Zenith Energy operations at its Cork facility.

Siptu said the company remains “insistent that contractors are used to cover the work which was previously done by the workers being made redundant”.

“The proposals by Zenith Energy and Siptu followed lengthy negotiations setting out the challenges facing the oil storage industry,” said Zenith Energy.

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