Concerns about the redundancy that may be offered to PayPal workers facing redundancy was raised in the Dáil last week by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú who also said he has asked the multinational company to ensure their Northern workers are treated fairly.
The Sinn Féin deputy was speaking during a debate on the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman and said that while he was aware that there is still an ongoing process happening in PayPal with regard to the redundancies and what might be offered, he had spoken to Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney about the situation.
Deputy Ó Murchú said: ‘The 205 jobs affected will be split between a Dublin facility and what was formerly the Dundalk facility. The total number of jobs is 1,800, which is a considerable number.
‘I would like there to be some governmental interaction on this. The word coming out of the 30-day consultation process is that those who got redundancies last year may have been offered a better package than what is being offered now.
‘It might only be statutory redundancy plus two whereas the previous package was statutory plus six. I would like to think that conversations will be had where necessary.
‘All Louth Oireachtas Members will have got word about Glen Dimplex. There has been investment and reorientation, but there are 230 jobs or thereabouts in Dunleer and there could be approximately 70 job changes. I would like to think that as few of those as possible will be job losses.
‘I would like to think there will be governmental interaction to ensure we have as few job losses as possible. Some of the news is positive – that having to do with future jobs – and 100 new jobs at Pentagon in Dundalk – but there are families and so on that have received very bad news’.
He also said that he had contacted PayPal about the situation with Northern-based remote workers, who were formerly employed by the firm at their Xerox Technology Park site in Dundalk.
In an email to PayPal, Deputy Ó Murchú said: ‘The Northern statutory redundancy system is very different to the one here, where, in the North, people’s statutory redundancy is calculated on a max of 1.5 weeks per year of service, depending on their age. There is also a significantly different tax treatment of redundancy payments in the North compared to the South, as I am sure you are aware.
‘I wonder if you can let me know how PayPal is to address this anomaly to ensure that colleagues, who formerly worked together at the site in Dundalk, are treated equally and fairly when in a redundancy situation’.
In response, PayPal told him: ‘While both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s statutory redundancy system and tax system are beyond the control of PayPal, I can assure you that we are committed to ensuring that all colleagues who leave under the proposed changes are respected for their contributions and treated in accordance with our company values.
As part of the consultation process, we will consult on any proposed enhanced severance packages.
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 