SIPTU has said that IBEC has put an offer of partial redundancy compensation to the workers involved in the Vita Cortex dispute in Cork.
SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser Gerry McCormack said that in the course of ongoing contacts, IBEC had made an offer to the staff.
It is understood the offer was made by IBEC on behalf of Jack Ronan, who owns most of the company, and that the offer involved around €180,000, about half the €372,000 sought by the workers.
They are seeking 0.9 of a week ex gratia redundancy per year of service which they say they were promised when redundancies were announced.
The two weeks of statutory redundancy entitlement has already been paid by the State.
Mr McCormack described the offer as "derisory" and said the 32 workers who have been occupying the Vita Cortex plant since mid-December would not settle for anything less than their full entitlement.
The workers legal employer, the Vita Cortex Industries company, has no money to pay additional redundancy.
