Politicians campaign for alternative industry for Carrick-on-Suir's Corman Miloko plant

Public representatives are seeking meetings with  Tirlán and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment to press for an alternative use to be sourced  for the  Corman Miloko plant that employs 31 people near Carrick-on-Suir  and  is to close in June. 

The redeployment of some staff to other Tirlán operations is also being sought by TDs, councillors and the trade union Unite, which represents workers at the factory that manufactures dairy spreads and butterfat products. 

Unite expressed shock at the decision by management to close  the factory  and described it as “devastating news” for staff.   

Also read: Carrick-on-Suir dairy processing plant employing 31 people to close" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carrick-on-Suir dairy processing plant employing 31 people to close

Unite Regional Officer Eoin Drummey said the union  will engage with the company at the earliest opportunity to explore redeployment opportunities while also working to maximise redundancy packages for those workers let go.  The closure of the factory, located off the N24 Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel Road at Deerpark, has been greeted with shock and disappointment in Carrick-on-Suir where  it has been a  long-standing employer for decades.  

Corman Miloko, which is a joint venture between Tirlán and Belgian company Corman, announced its decision to staff last Friday. 

In a statement, the company said:  “This difficult decision was as a result of a reduction in the volume of business contracted at the facility in recent years and follows significant restructuring efforts to enable it to operate in a highly competitive marketplace.”

The company said production at the plant will continue until the end of June and it will now liaise with employees and their representatives through this process.

In relation to politicians lobbying for an alternative industry for the plant,  Corman Miloko spokesman said options for the future of the  Carrick-on-Suir site are currently being explored by the board of Corman Miloko. 

In relation to whether employees will be offered an opportunity to redeploy to other Tirlan operations, he said staff were employees of a stand alone company. 

They will be provided with redundancy packages by Corman Miloko and are free to seek any alternative employment opportunities outside of Corman Miloko that arise. 

  Mr Drummy, meanwhile,  said Unite will commence engagement with the company later this week. 

“Corman-Miloko also operates a site in Ballyragget, Kilkenny, while Tirlán employs around 2,000 people at locations around the country. Unite will be using the consultation period to explore redeployment opportunities for our members, in addition to negotiating the best possible redundancy packages for workers being let go,” he said. 

“Given that Corman-Miloko is part of a joint venture involving Tirlán, which has its roots in Ireland’s cooperative movement, we hope  management will engage constructively with Unite to minimise the impact of the announcement on individual workers and the local community.”  

He added that Unite expected company management to recognise the dedication and contribution of its members to the success of the plant during their long service there and take into account that these workers are   seriously burdened by the ongoing financial  pressures due to what he described as the “unprecedented cost of living emergency”.

   Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill, who chairs the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, said he has contacted Tirlán CEO, Jim Bergin, and Enterprise, Trade & Employment Minister  Simon Coveney, seeking meetings to find a solution that would see the Corman Miloko reinvented to continue playing an important role in the local economy. He is  working closely with Carrick-on-Suir Cllr Kieran Bourke in this regard.

He said the decision to close the plant was “extremely regretful” as it was a significant employer in the Carrick area.  

 “It is important that any employees who will now find themselves out of work receive the appropriate compensation, and I believe a solution must be found to repurpose the facility.

Cllr Bourke said he was shocked and saddened at the news which came as  a “bolt out of the sky”.   

He recounted  the plant was originally built in the late 1940s/early 50s and produced chocolate crumb for many years, employing up to 200 people at one stage. It later produced mozzarella cheese before turning to the manufacture of dairy spreads and butterfat products under the joint Tirlán/Corman venture  that began in 2005.  

Cllr Bourke said  Corman Miloko was the last of the traditional  factories in Carrick that once were the back bone of the town’s  employment.  

But he pointed out the plant has a lot going for it for an alternative operation to open there. Its dairy effluent cleaning system, in particular, made it a very attractive facility. 

Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne and his party colleague Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District  Cathaoirleach David Dunne said they have also contacted Minister Coveney and requested that he engage with the company and its workers to see if there is  a way to save their jobs or secure redeployment. 

Cllr Dunne said the closure  was “devastating news” for his hometown and pointed out that entire families will be impacted.  

“We  requested Minister Coveney take action to address this before Carrick becomes an unemployment blackspot again.   

“We told  him if this is to include  a taskforce to examine job creation potential in the area, then I would be supportive of such a move.”