Abtran workers vote in favour of industrial action

Workers at Cork-based outsourcing company Abtran have voted in favour of industrial action up to and including strike following a pay claim from their union being ignored.

Since February, the Independent Workers Union (IWU) has run an organising campaign at the call centre. 

The union estimates there is a workforce of around 1,100 to 1,200, excluding supervisors and management, and say just under 10% of this workforce has signed up to the union in the last few months. 

The IWU compiled and lodged a pay claim it said would address some of the issues raised by their members, but this was not responded to, leading to the union balloting for industrial action in pursuit of their pay claim.

An IWU spokesperson yesterday told The Echo: “Abtran IWU members balloted for industrial action in the last two weeks.

“The outcome of the secret ballot is a super majority in favour of taking industrial action up to and including strike action in pursuit of the pay claim with Abtran.”

An Abtran spokesperson said: “We are aware of recent activities by the IWU who have engaged in an unwarranted campaign to target our company and our workforce in order to advance their own objectives.

“The process that IWU claims was conducted is based on a context that they themselves have contrived and is outside recognised frameworks for employee representation within our company.”