SIPTU says meat industry has been mismanaged

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The economies of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are paying the price for mismanagement in the meat industry, according to SIPTU.

The union is meeting representatives from Meat Industry Ireland to discuss Covid 19 outbreaks in factories across the three counties.

Over 300 workers in four plants have tested positive in recent weeks.

However, Tipperary journalist with the Irish Farmers’ Journal, Caitríona Morrissey says there are other issues facing those workers.

“You also have the scenario where a lot of their workers may be actually living and travelling to work together – that could a factor in some places.”

“And then there’s also been a suggestion that because it’s quite a loud environment that people have to shout – you know there’s machinery, in some of the plants there would be live animals so there’s a lot of noise going on and the workers actually have to shout to be heard. And that obviously then increases the risk of an aerosol spreading of the virus.”