Just Transition Commitments Will Be Worthless Unless Government Support Threatened Workers At Bord Na Móna

Calls for state guarantee for Bord na Móna workers jobs

Bríd Smith says Just Transition commitments will be worthless unless Government support threatened workers at Bord na Móna

“Bord na Móna management must be held responsible for showing contempt for its workforce, there must be no forced layoffs” says TD

The Government must step into to stop the forced lay off of workers at Bord na Móna said People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith.

A possible appeal of an An Bord Pleanala decision to reject a biomass energy plant at Shannonbridge was not the real issue according to the TD and Climate Action committee member.

“An appeal against that decision will not address the real long term issue which is we have to stop using peat. Imported biomass has huge environmental questions over it. The long term solution is to guarantee the workers affected that they will be employed in a new renewable energy sector by the semi state and for the Government to commit to providing the funding and investment needed.”

The TD claimed that the inaction of the Government and the treatment of workers by management at both Bord na Móna and the ESB was jeopardising future climate action and risked alienating whole communities from taking the measures needed to cut CO2 emissions.

The TD reiterated her demand that Minister Bruton and the government make good of their rhetorical commitments to a Just Transition for workers and communities affected by the shift away from fossil fuel use.

“The joint committee report this year has an explicit priority recommendation proposed by me and accepted by the committee that workers at Bord na Móna and Moneypoint should have their wages condition and pensions underwritten by the state while we transition away from fossil fuel to renewable energy. This is the first test of that commitment and the Government are failing workers abysmally.”