MEMBERS OF THE engineering union Connect will tomorrow begin strike action over a dispute concerning redundancy payments in Enerveo after the street lighting company withdrew its operations from Ireland.

In March, energy corporation SEE reacquired Enerveo from the German asset management firm Aurelius after the company struggled to maintain its operations as an independent entity.

Enerveo, in June, notified multiple local authorities in Ireland that it would not be renewing its maintenance contracts for public lighting and was withdrawing from the Irish market – leaving many at risk of redundancy.

According to Connect General Secretary, Paddy Kavanagh the company is “refusing to provide its workforce with redundancy payments in line with those previously provided in the sector”.

Enerveo held contracts for public lighting maintenance in Dublin City Council, Fingal, Cork, Limerick, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Tipperary and in many other areas of the country.

It will not be renewing these contracts and some will conclude later this summer.

Connect members last month voted in favour of strike action but resumed talks between the workforce and the company resumed, stalling any industrial action.

According to Connect, these talks have since broken down and members will now commence their indefinite strike tomorrow morning.

Kavanagh said union members will be conducting pickets at Enerveo depots, local authorities and at the sites of some construction projects. 

“Their industrial action will continue until the company respects their right to be paid redundancy in line with that previously paid in the sector,” he added.