Employee protest at Kells' Abec plant

SEAMUS ENRIGHT

Staff at Kells-based company Abec Technologies Europe Ltd have this morning staged a sit-down protest at what they consider to be “unacceptable” demands over employment terms and conditions at the local plant. Further concern has been expressed over a perceived failure by management to engage with union representatives on these matters.

It's understood that the staff decided to protest after the company demanded they make themselves available for substantial periods of time to work in other sites both in Ireland and abroad.

 

 

Formerly Kells Stainless prior to its takeover by American-owned Abec in 2015, the IDA-sponsored company is a leader in delivering integrated process solutions and services for manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Kells Stainless has had a presence in the town since its foundation in 1988, when initially it started out as a fabricator of high quality stainless steel pressure vessels and associated equipment for the pharmaceutical, biotech, food and beverage industries.


One employee described the current situation within the Oldcastle Road plant as veering towards “critical” since the suspension of three members of the workforce last week, each with long-standing service with the company.
“Due to the seriousness of this we urgently need our union to speak to the company management on our behalf, which is something never denied to us prior to Abec's takeover of the company.

The company have already set in motion changes to our terms and conditions of employment.”
Abec have been contacted by this newspaper for a statement, but none was provided at the time of this article being published.
Unite union has also been contacted for a statement.