Workers walk out at major poultry plant over coronavirus fears

Employees seek safer conditions at site during pandemic

Moy Park in Portadown, Co Armagh, where workers walked out during their shift on Wednesday due to concerns over coronavirus. ( Liam McBurney/PA Wire/PA Images)

A large number of employees have staged a walkout at a major poultry plant in Northern Ireland over coronavirus concerns, a union has said.

The mass walkout took place at Moy Park in Portadown, Co Armagh.

The company is one of the UK’s top 15 food companies and the region’s largest chicken producer.

Sean McKeever, Unite regional officer, said the walkout was caused by workers’ worries about health issues.

Mr McKeever said: “We need to see immediate movement ... to address the workers’ legitimate fears over coronavirus transmission.

Unite has called for Moy Park to ensure effective infection control at its site, including adequate social distancing between workers.

A spokesperson for Moy Park said: “The health and wellbeing of our team is our most important consideration and we have put new, robust measures in place to keep them safe.”

“Our teams are playing a vital role in keeping food production moving and feeding the nation. We are committed to ensuring they are safe and well to keep providing these essential food products,” the spokesperson added.

The company also claimed that 100 workers were involved in the walkout, and that they all returned to work after 15 minutes.

Elsewhere in Co Armagh, a small number of workers walked away from an ABP meat processing site in Lurgan.

Susan Fitzgerald, Unite regional co-ordinating officer, asked the government to protect workers.

She said: “Approximately 80 employees at ABP Meats in Lurgan who are deemed essential refused work today over fears for their safety.”

As well as social distancing, Ms Fitzgerald said employees wanted work-stations deep-cleaned, after some of their colleagues self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms.

John O’Dowd, a Sinn Fein Assembly member, said the safety of workers in essential services and their families was “paramount”.

“Statutory bodies with responsibility for health and safety need to take action to make sure those businesses which remain open are not placing any of their workers or their families at risk,” he added.

Additional reporting from PA