AgriLand has learned the details of Bord na Mona’s (BNM’s) voluntary redundancy deal, which comes after several weeks of discussion over the issue.
In a BNM document, seen by AgriLand, the company outlines its plan for those employees who are soon to be without jobs as a result of BNM’s intention to cease peat harvesting by 2025 – under its decarbonisation agenda.
Speculation is now mounting of other potential job losses due to the restructuring of the company towards renewable energy, with suggestions of up to 400-450 peat-based jobs being lost at the company over the next 12 months.
Currently there are 2,000 workers in BNM, with approximately 1,000 people working on the peat side.
‘Lump sum’
According to the company’s voluntary redundancy scheme, those who take redundancy will receive two weeks of pay per year of reckonable service – plus a further one weeks pay.
The document – which was shared with the BNM Group of Unions last night (November 14) but has not been agreed on – outlines that they will also receive an ‘ex-gratia’ lump sum, based on four weeks pay per year of reckonable service – this will be capped at 104 weeks‘ worth of pay.
The overall cap on payments to workers is half of what they otherwise would earn if they worked until retirement.
Bord na Mona will also pay outplacement allowances, in the following pay grades:
- 0-10 years of service: €1,000;
- 10-15 years of service: €1,500;
- 16-20 years of service: €2,000;
- 21-25 years of service: €2,500;
- 26-30 years of service: €3,000;
- 31+ years of service: €0.
It is understood that any employee wishing to avail of voluntary redundancy has until January 31, 2019 to apply.
The document states that: “The voluntary redundancy scheme will be open to all employees in the new Bord na Mona Energy Business Unit and those employees in the existing central support group.”
It is understood that in order for you to apply, the voluntary redundancy application form needs to be filled in, which can be found on the Transition Communications site.
The form can then be submitted to the email address: [email protected].