Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan and European Parliament candidate for Midlands-North-West Brendan Smith has called on the government to intervene to avert five days of strike action by CE supervisors. Strikes are to begin next week.

Deputy Smith explained, “Throughout every town and village across the country CE Supervisors and CE schemes deliver for our communities. I have met with local groups across the Midlands-North-West and CE Supervisors feel let down by Fine Gael. They are now being forced to engage in five days of strike action due to Fine Gael’s failure to engage with them and act on a 2008 Labour Court recommendation regarding an entitlement to an occupational pension.

“It has been a year since a Fianna Fáil motion my Party colleagues and I worked to pass in the Dáil called on the government to engage with CE Supervisors and to find a satisfactory pathway to address the pension issue for the 1,250 CE Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors based on the 2008 Labour Court Recommendation.

 “Fine Gael has been in government for eight years and has neglected to respect CE Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors.

“If this strike action goes ahead it will cause serious disruption for thousands of people in the Midlands-North-West who depend on the services carried out under CE schemes.

“The Ministers for Social Protection and Finance must come together and meet with representatives of the CE Supervisors. They deserve respect and to be heard. The government must not keep ignoring them,” concluded Deputy Smith.