Meat processors are facing an “indefinite cessation of cattle slaughtering” throughout the country due to the ongoing illegal blockades across most beef processing businesses, according to Meat Industry Ireland (MII).
In a statement on the matter, the Ibec meat processors representative group noted that the vast majority of slaughtering has already been stopped and “additional ‘wildcat’ disruptions are putting the balance of facilities under threat of closure”.
The statement said: “The forced closure of affected sites is resulting in the temporary lay-off of thousands of employees.
It will also mean that supplier farmers are unable to sell their animals and vital customer relationships are being damaged.
“The ongoing intimidation – including verbal and physical abuses, blackmail and vandalism – of staff, farmer suppliers and hauliers by the illegal protesters has led us to this juncture.”
MII added that its members, ahead of yesterday’s talks, showed “good faith” by deferring legal actions against protesters following a request from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed.
It added: “The escalation of illegal blockades over the weekend has been a huge disappointment to MII members.
“Negotiating whilst illegal and threatening behaviour is ongoing is not compatible with negotiation in good faith.
The damage being done to the Irish beef sector is significant; hard won markets are being lost.
“The processing industry is not in a position to continue operating in an environment where it cannot be sure whether staff, farmer suppliers and product can safely enter and leave the factories.
“While MII members have no objection to normal peaceful protests, illegal blockades are entirely counter-productive to the interests of all involved in the Irish beef industry, particularly the disruption and losses to farmers who want to sell their animals and employees who want to work,” MII concluded.