Management at aircraft maintenance company SR Technics has told unions that up to 600 of its 1,135 strong workforce will lose their jobs on April 3.
Sources said that at the meeting, union representatives were told that from that date, 600 workers would have nothing to do. A further 100 could be kept on until the middle of April, while the balance of around 400 would hold their jobs until August 31.
After a lengthy meeting this afternoon, SIPTU branch organiser Pat Ward said that there had been no progress on the issue of a €26m pension shortfall which SRT says it will not be funding. There has also been no progress on the redundancy package which unions have described as 'paltry'.
The two sides have decided to refer the row jointly to the Labour Relations Commission which will meet them on Tuesday.
Union meets IDA on SRT approaches
Earlier, representatives of SIPTU met senior executives of IDA Ireland this morning to discuss the closure.
SIPTU's Pat Ward said that according to IDA Ireland, there have been up to 30 expressions of interest in acquiring the facility, including some from major players in the aviation sector.
He said that each interested party has been asked to submit a business plan including employment, financial and sustainability projections.
Unions had previously complained that they have not been involved in assessing bidders, who have been referred directly to SR Technics.
However, Mr Ward said they were told that unions would be brought into the process once a shortlist is established.
It is understood that IDA representatives acknowledged the urgency of the situation, given that the facility is due to close at the end of the month.
However, the IDA warned that problems regarding a €26m shortfall in the company's pension fund - and what workers see as an inadequate redundancy package - are not part of the IDA/Enterprise Ireland remit.
