No response on letter amid fears over jobs at Limerick firm
Potential EU sanctions and Government investigation are twin concerns for jobs at Aughinish Alumina
MAYOR John Moran says he has yet to receive a response to his call on Government to ensure Limerick is supported, as uncertainty hangs over the future of hundreds of local jobs.
The directly elected mayor wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Enterprise Minister Peter Burke across the weekend proposing the establishment of a co-ordinated forum to support workers, management, unions and suppliers at Aughinish Alumina.
West Limerick’s largest employer, the firm owned by Russian energy giant Rusal employs more than 430 – with hundreds more reliant on the firm for an income.
Government is examining claims from a consortium of journalists that alumina from the factory was being shipped from the Shannon Estuary to Russian smelters, where it was allegedly converted into aluminium supplied to manufacturers of missiles, tanks and aircraft used in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The outcome of this is expected in the coming days.
On top of this, the prospect of European Union sanctions hangs over the shipments of alumini from the factory.
It’s a move Rusal bosses have previously warned may lead to the closure of the vast factory in West Limerick, an area still reeling from job cuts in Nestle two years ago, and Kostal in Abbeyfeale.
European Parliament members last week backed a call for a ban on alumina exports in a move designed to pile the pressure on the European Commission when it announces its next round of sanctions.
Asked how long it may take before workers have clarity on their future, Tanaiste Simon Harris said: “The truth is, it's hard to know.”
Mayor Moran said: “I know the uncertainty is weighing heavily on employees, their families, suppliers and the wider community. They deserve clear communication and to know every level of Government is preparing responsibly for every eventuality.”