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Connect engineers to strike at Meta data centre in Meath

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Connect engineers to strike at Meta data centre in Meath.

Engineers, who are members of the Connect trade union, are to engage in a one-day strike next week at Meta’s data centre in Clonee, Co Meath.

The union is accusing the company of imposing unilateral changes to its members’ terms and conditions by introducing new shift patterns.

Connect said that its members employed as Critical Facility Engineers (CFEs) at the data centre will conduct a 24-hour work stoppage beginning at 7am on Monday, 7 October.

The union said that a move from a six-week shift cycle to a new four-week shift cycle will see its members working more weekends and night shifts.

Brian McAvinue, Connect Official, said:

This new four-week shift cycle has been introduced since 16 September, despite our members not agreeing, nor were counter proposals from our members considered.

Connect is accusing Meta of refusing to engage with the union, the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court.

“We also must make it very clear to Meta that any attempt to cover our members’ work with non-union members would be a major escalation of this dispute which would require a response from our union,” Mr McAvinue said.

Meta said the industrial action will not affect its data centre operations and that it involves a small group of employees who were asked to implement a new shift pattern in May.

A Meta spokesperson said:

While we respect the right to take industrial action, we have been consulting directly with these employees over the past six months to discuss the change and agree ways in which their existing highly competitive compensation and benefits package would be adjusted to reflect the change.

Meta said it operates a direct model of engagement whereby it engages directly with employees.

“We find this direct engagement model to be most effective and beneficial for Meta and its employees,” Meta said.

“While we respect our employee’s right of association, we do not engage with third party representative bodies,” the company added.

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Connect engineers to strike at Meta data centre in Meath. source

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