MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson has contacted a group of Cork workers who have been staging a sit-in at the Vita Cortex plant since mid-December to show his support for their protest.

The Vita Cortex workers have been protesting since 16 December in a dispute over redundancy pay. Management closed the Kinsale Road plant, laying off the workers, and said that the company could not afford to pay any statutory redundancy.

Today, workers said they got an unexpected boost and show of support for their efforts when they were contacted by Ferguson.

The soccer manager told the strikers that he understood their circumstances after taking part in an apprentice strike in Glasgow in 1961, according to a tweet the group posted afterwards:

A spokesperson for the 32 workers told TheJournal.ie that Ferguson’s call was basically an expression of his admiration and support for the stand they are taking in the ongoing dispute.

The protesters say that they remain focused on their objectives and are fully committed to the reasons they began the sit-in two months ago. They also said this afternoon that they are prepared to escalate their protest, if necessary.

The spokesperson said that – regardless of which team they support – Ferguson’s call was a real boost for the protesters.