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Over 150 workers at a north Dublin pharmaceutical plant face being put on unpaid leave just six weeks before Christmas in a row over working terms and conditions.

Shift workers at SK Bioteck in Swords will be put on protective notice from tomorrow.

The group, which includes manufacturing, warehouse and testing staff, have been picketing outside the plant ahead of the lay offs.

Connect trade union shop steward Ruth Russell told Dublin Live that SK Biotek bought the plant from Bristol-Meyers Squibb and signed an agreement protecting staff terms and conditions of employment.

But six months later, the new company issued a 22 page document detailing a raft of changes which Ruth claims the company have refused to negotiate.

She said: "We were willing and we still are willing to negotiate on these changes but the company won't budge an inch.

"We went into the WRC and were looking for mediation and we were saying: 'Meet us in the middle. This is what we're proposing, what are you proposing?' But there was no negotiation."

Between 150 and 160 members of the 365-strong workforce face being out of work less than two months before Christmas.

Ruth continued: "I'm lucky that my husband is working. He's going in and doing overtime and doing whatever hours he can because we still have a mortgage at the end of the day to pay and it will be very tight.

"But there's lads in there who will genuinely have their hands in their head saying because it's six weeks before Christmas and their wife doesn't work or they have a mortgage to pay and they're living month to month as it is anyway."

Local Councillor Duncan Smith has visited the picketing workers and urged management to come to the negotiating table.

After attending the picket on Saturday, he tweeted: "The situation is escalating with workers now being put on Protective Notice & face losing their jobs.

"I'm calling Management to call a halt to this process and get around a table fast!"

A spokesman for SK Bioteck told Dublin Live the company had been working through a significant change programme to enable it to compete in the global market and it was "disappointed" the unions had engaged in industrial action.

He added: "Due to the complexity of our manufacturing processes and requirement to ensure the safety of all people on site as well as the safety and stability of processes, this industrial action has caused the company to effectively close down its core manufacturing operations.

"As a result of these developments, the company had no option but to issue Protective Notice to employees in the impacted areas, with temporary layoffs set to commence from Wednesday, 13 November.

"Today’s increased industrial action and further disruption is counterproductive and not in the best interests of employees.

"The company has written formally to both trade unions and have requested they respond urgently and to re-engage in appropriate discussions through the Workplace Relations Commission as a matter of urgency.

"In this case, and with a cessation of industrial action, manufacturing could recommence, and layoffs reversed."