A protest takes place at the Talbot car assembly plant in Santry over plans to close the factory.
Workers occupied the Talbot factory and organised a picket to oppose the decision to close the plant.
Pat Casey who is on the picket line, says the workers have taken the industrial action to try and save their jobs at the Santry facility.
The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (APGWU), is backing the action of the workers. Mattie Merrigan, ATGWU district secretary, says the company has not investigated any form of diversification in the workplace to help keep jobs. He believes that the company plans to phase out Talbot as a manufacturer and instead manufacture all the car models in France.
We think that a big international organisation like Peugeot Talbot Citreon could in effect find a component to keep approximately 120 people employed.
The Irish car industry was created in 1934 when the government introduced quotas on imports. This closed off the Irish market to foreign made cars and created a home assembly industry. With the introduction of free trade from 1984, these quotas will disappear and the Irish car industry will have increased competition from imports.
Tom Ronayne, managing director at the Talbot plant, confirms that there is no future in the assembly of cars in Santry as the business and is no longer viable.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 March 1981. The reporter is Feargus O'Raghallaigh.
