Taoiseach agrees to meet Crystal workers

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has pressed the Taoiseach to meet with former Waterford Crystal workers. The Taoiseach has agreed to do so.

The issue relates to over 400 employees agreeing to a voluntary redundancy package with their employer in the early 1990s. However, as a result of accepting this package, they were excluded from a government compensation fund when the company became insolvent years later, and as a result were left without a pension.

Teachta McDonald commented, “I raised with the Taoiseach today an important issue affecting hundreds of former Waterford Crystal workers. The workers allege that Waterford Crystal Limited failed to properly inform them of their pension options when they were taking redundancy. This left them without an occupational pension and reliant on the State Pension. 

“They are very angry and feel they are not getting a fair hearing. It is important that the workers get a fair hearing, and they have their case independently examined.”