CEO Update on Fuel blockades
As we enter day four of the nationwide fuel blockades, we continue to gather feedback from across our membership regarding the operational impact of what we have witnessed over the last few days and are in ongoing contact with Government on members’ concerns.
Since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting instability in the global energy market, we have been engaged with Government on ways to support vulnerable businesses and employees most impacted by the energy crisis. This engagement continues today, as a number of our agri-food trade associations will join the much publicised meeting with Government to discuss cost pressures facing the wider sector.
The decision by the protesters to create a supply issue out of what has, until now, been a cost issue seems illogical, with many businesses and their staff ultimately paying the price. This is why Ibec felt it necessary to take a very strong public stance in condemning the protests across a number of platforms, including RTÉ’s Drivetime, The Irish Times, and the Irish Examiner.
As stated in our communication yesterday, these protests are counterproductive and have caused absolute chaos across many sectors of our economy. This includes causing production lines to cease, creating health and safety risks, and causing widespread supply issues- all at a considerable cost to businesses at a time when many simply cannot afford it. The extent of this damage was outlined in a letter Ibec sent to An Taoiseach yesterday, in which we reiterated our support for a strong Government response to these damaging, dangerous, and illegal blockades.
Today is critical for many sectors. Any prospect of this situation spilling over into next week would further compound the damage, especially as schools return, our roads become busier and supply chains become more vulnerable.
Our ER team has been supporting members on a range of related employee issues resulting from the protests, including cases where critical workers have been unable to access their workplace or purchase fuel to commute. Our Knowledge Centre team remains on standby to support your organisation today. You can also view supporting employer guidelines here.
Finally, we will continue our efforts throughout the day to support a rapid de-escalation of the blockades and help business operations return to normal.
Regards,
Danny McCoy
CEO
Ibec
