# Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thinking



## Sunny (4 Aug 2009)

What the hell were these idiots thinking? They were offered 5 weeks pay for each year of service. There are plenty of people out there that would kill for the deal. It sounds like Thomas Cook dealt with the closure in a callous and unfair way but at least they offered a decent package. I heard some guy on the radio saying all they were looking for was a package that they could survive on for a year or two until they could get another travel agency job!! Hope they don't get a very ****ed off High Court Judge who asks them to explain why he had to order a major garda operation to get them in front of him. I see the trade union ran a mile from the dispute after getting legal advice!!


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## Purple (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

+1


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## Mpsox (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

From listening to some of what the workers said, they seem to have an issue with loosing their job whilst the CEO takes a €7m bonus and 34% pay rise. I can understand why that would annoy them.


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## dockingtrade (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



Mpsox said:


> From listening to some of what the workers said, they seem to have an issue with loosing their job whilst the CEO takes a €7m bonus and 34% pay rise. I can understand why that would annoy them.


 
but its still a good deal


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## TarfHead (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

I am not clear of the basis on which they are looking for more than 5 weeks severance per year of service.

The amount the CEO is paid is a red herring.


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## Purple (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



TarfHead said:


> The amount the CEO is paid is a red herring.


 I agree; if the board thinks he or she is adding value to the business then that pay level is justified. If the office in Dublin is losing money then it should be closed down. 5 weeks per year is a very good pay off.


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## DublinTexas (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

So the statutory redundancy payment is 2 weeks pay (maximum of €600 per week) for every year service and Thomas cook is offering 5 weeks?

While the Thomas Cook group is making money and hence can pay their CEO a bonus, the Irish Operation is not making money and hence closing. But they do it with a redundancy payment that is higher than what is required by law.

So I am fully behind the high court judge to order them out of the building. I really wonder where they finally found a high court judge that actually has some common sense.

I feel sorry for the workers that lost their job, everyone who loses his job faces bad challenges but doing an illegal sit in is just outrages.


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## csirl (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

Madness - only in Ireland would a bunch of redundant i.e. unemployed, people go on strike. What do they hope to achieve? Other than getting them out of the building so it can be handed back to the landlord, why would Thomas Cook even care about their strike?


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## DublinTexas (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

And now 100 people are protesting outside the Four Courts in support of the ex Thomas cook workers that were arrested for breaching a High Court Order.

This is madness as CSIRL says, only in Ireland a bunch of unemployed could go on strike.

If I were an employer I would really think hard of opening a business in Ireland these days, is this the signal our fearless leader and his Muppet show want to send out to the world?


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## Sunny (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

To be fair, its mild to what they have been getting up to in France!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/business/global/03labor.html


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## diarmuidc (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



DublinTexas said:


> While the Thomas Cook group is making money and hence can pay their CEO a bonus, the Irish Operation is not making money and hence closing. But they do it with a redundancy payment that is higher than what is required by law.



I wouldn't call a loss of 110m in the 6 months to July making money. I guess they are paying the CEO a bonus because the loss was reduced but I don't have any details on his remuneration..


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## Sunny (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

The bonus paid was obscene and there is no defence to it. Not when it is earned by slashing thousands of jobs following a merger. Anyone can reduce costs like that. It's not extraordinary management!


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## DublinTexas (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



diarmuidc said:


> I wouldn't call a loss of 110m in the 6 months to July making money. I guess they are paying the CEO a bonus because the loss was reduced but I don't have any details on his remuneration..


 
Thank you diarmuidc. 
Even if it’s not profit the CEO delivered, a 12.6% up on revenue in the middle of a depression with a dividend up by 15% is not bad. And as you can see UK & Ireland went down by 1.8% while everything else went up.
The discussion if he deserves his bonus is a different one from ex workers engaging in illegal action over a better than required package.


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## Ceist Beag (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



Mpsox said:


> <snip>they seem to have an issue with loosing their job</snip>


lol! http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=118779 Mpsox prepare to face the wrath of Diziet!


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## diarmuidc (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



DublinTexas said:


> Thank you diarmuidc.
> Even if it’s not profit the CEO delivered, a 12.6% up on revenue in the middle of a depression with a dividend up by 15% is not bad. And as you can see UK & Ireland went down by 1.8% while everything else went up.
> The discussion if he deserves his bonus is a different one from ex workers engaging in illegal action over a better than required package.


I agree.


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## Pique318 (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



> The company said it was offering five weeks per year of service as a redundancy package, which will drop to two weeks if the workers do not accept it.



Ha


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## cork (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

Why RTE were covering these people was laughable.

What a stunt.

Well padded RTE giving these people air time.


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## Purple (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



cork said:


> Why RTE were covering these people was laughable.
> 
> What a stunt.
> 
> Well padded RTE giving these people air time.


 RTE have a strong pro-union left wing agenda. That's why they covered it.


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## samanthajane (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*

Althought if i was working for thomas cook i wouldn't like the thought of losing my job, but 5 weeks is a very good redundancy package. I think it was just shock that made them react like that. Did i hear right that they turned up for work one morning and were just told to go home they were closed? Or am i thinking of something else? Sorry to say but there has been a lot of these stories lately, i could be getting it confused with something else. 

I'm not surprised they haven't been making money. In June I went on a 2 week holiday, it cost me €1200, from thomas cook in Newry. For the exact same holiday, ( flights, dates and hotel ) it would of cost me €2150 to book from thomas cook in Dublin.


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## Ciaraella (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



cork said:


> Why RTE were covering these people was laughable.
> 
> What a stunt.
> 
> Well padded RTE giving these people air time.


 

In fairness they aren't the only ones covering it, newstalk, irishtimes and independent have covered it today that i've seen


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## lightswitch (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



Purple said:


> RTE have a strong pro-union left wing agenda. That's why they covered it.


 

LOL, You're a gas man Purple. Next you'll be saying they are all members of the communist party. I suppose it makes a change from people refering to them all as "D4 heads".  Thanks for the laugh.


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## Purple (4 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



lightswitch said:


> LOL, You're a gas man Purple. Next you'll be saying they are all members of the communist party. I suppose it makes a change from people refering to them all as "D4 heads".  Thanks for the laugh.



They are nowhere near communist but RTE is a heavily unionised semi-state body. You figure it out.


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## redstar (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

5 weeks per year of service ? I heard a radio report which just said '5 weeks pay' redundancy and I though how miserly that was and they are right to protest. But protesting over 5 wks per year of service is crazy ! I got 5 wks per year of service for my redundancy and was happy enough with that.

Although, the image of young women being marched away by lots of Gardai, and 2 Gardai standing guard outside a maternity ward while a protester gave birth is in stark contrast to the treatment given to some former bank CEO's and developers defaulting on their bank loans.

I suppose it says a lot about how laws are applied in this country depending on the type of 'crime'.


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## bb12 (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



redstar said:


> I suppose it says a lot about how laws are applied in this country depending on the type of 'crime'.



+1.  just saw the picture of the line of gardai in today's indo. a total disgrace in this day and age considering the city is drenched in gangland crime. nice to see where the real priorities of the gardai are.

while i think the redundancy deal wasn't bad per se, i don't have a real problem with them protesting. everyone thinks it's a good deal compared to the statutory redundancy payment, but why hasn't anyone ever challenged this and had it increased over the years? i think it's interesting the way everyone seems to side with big business/corporations when it comes to disputing employees. 

i also think it's interesting that some commentators were indignant that these people were breaking the law etc...in my view, rules are made to be broken and from history, if people didn't break the law women wouldn't have the right to vote, we wouldn't be able to buy contraceptives over the counter and we'd all still be under british rule etc etc...


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## callybags (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



bb12 said:


> +1. just saw the picture of the line of gardai in today's indo. a total disgrace in this day and age considering the city is drenched in gangland crime. nice to see where the real priorities of the gardai are.
> 
> .


 
Are you suggesting the guards defy the instructions of the court to have the people arrested?


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## bb12 (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



callybags said:


> Are you suggesting the guards defy the instructions of the court to have the people arrested?



i think arresting rapists, drug dealers and murderers should be a higher priority than arresting 8 1/2 month pregnant women.


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## Sunny (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



bb12 said:


> i think arresting rapists, drug dealers and murderers should be a higher priority than arresting 8 1/2 month pregnant women.


 

I am sure the Gardai thought so too so why are you having a go at them?

The pregnant woman didn't see the inside of a Garda Station. Not one of the workers had one complaint about how they were treated about the Gardai. By all accounts, they had all had a great laugh.


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## Sunny (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

This is how it should have been handled

http://www.independent.ie/world-new...andos-storm-occupied-car-factory-1851832.html


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## bb12 (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



Sunny said:


> The pregnant woman didn't see the inside of a Garda Station. Not one of the workers had one complaint about how they were treated about the Gardai. By all accounts, they had all had a great laugh.



i'm not saying anything about the garda behaviour. i'm saying it's a complete waste of valuable resources sending so many garda to deal with this situation when they are badly needed elsewhere to tackle real crime...i wonder how many drug dealers/burglars/boy racers/drink drivers got away last night when all these gardai were caught up with the thomas cook staff?


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## Sunny (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



bb12 said:


> i'm not saying anything about the garda behaviour. i'm saying it's a complete waste of valuable resources sending so many garda to deal with this situation when they are badly needed elsewhere to tackle real crime...i wonder how many drug dealers/burglars/boy racers/drink drivers got away last night when all these gardai were caught up with the thomas cook staff?


 
But surely you then blame the workers for being in Contempt of Court. The Guards can't just ignore a High Court Judge when he says bring people before him at 2.30 the next day. I am not sure what you expected the Guards to do.


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## DerKaiser (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



Sunny said:


> This is how it should have been handled
> 
> http://www.independent.ie/world-new...andos-storm-occupied-car-factory-1851832.html


 
And this is how it's going to be handled



bottom line is that people respond to incentives, if the incentive to sit in is there (in the form of an enhanced package) it would be hypocritical to slate them for their actions


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## DublinTexas (5 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



DerKaiser said:


> And this is how it's going to be handled
> 
> 
> 
> bottom line is that people respond to incentives, if the incentive to sit in is there (in the form of an enhanced package) it would be hypocritical to slate them for their actions


 
We always did know that crime pays.


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## Deiseblue (10 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

What they were obviously thinking is that Thomas Cook were in a position to pay a larger redundancy package and it appears that they were right !


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## Caveat (10 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



Deiseblue said:


> What they were obviously thinking is that Thomas Cook were in a position to pay a larger redundancy package and it appears that they were right !


 
Well it depends exactly what you mean by 'in a position to'.

A lot of people - employers or otherwise - can find or afford money to pay whatever but it doesn't mean they should.  

I'm not defending the management's attitude at all in this but the package offered was fair IMO.  Just a case of 'I'm alright jackism' from the workers as far as I can see.


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## dewdrop (10 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

If some posters are suggesting Court Orders should be ignored then our future looks bleak indeed


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## bond-007 (10 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

The very same posters that would be up in arms if a person ever suggested not paying a debt.


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## Complainer (11 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



lightswitch said:


> LOL, You're a gas man Purple. Next you'll be saying they are all members of the communist party. I suppose it makes a change from people refering to them all as "D4 heads".  Thanks for the laugh.


Indeed. I suppose you could compare the actions of RTE in covering this to the actions of those notorious lefties Denis O´Brien and Tony O´Reilly at the Indo, and Geraldine Kennedy at the Times, and the good burghers of the real capital who run the Examiner etc etc. It´s back to the ould ´reds under the beds´ scares of the 60´s.


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## Deiseblue (13 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

Thomas Cook made an improved redundancy offer to unions representing the 70 workers last night - result !


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## Sunny (13 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



Deiseblue said:


> Thomas Cook made an improved redundancy offer to unions representing the 70 workers last night - result !


 
No they didn't. It was the same offer as before. 5 weeks pay per year of service plus the months pay because they decided to close a month early.


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## Deiseblue (13 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

Not according to RTE news , details of the improved offer have not been released however it is understood that the firm agreed to add ex gratia payments to staff on top of the original offer of 5 weeks pay per year of service .


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## Purple (13 Aug 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers*



Complainer said:


> Indeed. I suppose you could compare the actions of RTE in covering this to the actions of those notorious lefties Denis O´Brien and Tony O´Reilly at the Indo, and Geraldine Kennedy at the Times, and the good burghers of the real capital who run the Examiner etc etc. It´s back to the ould ´reds under the beds´ scares of the 60´s.


I'm on Complainers ignore list (for some reason) so he didn't see my response to the post he is referring to above. The Indo has a centre-right economic outlook (and a West-Brit political one). The Irish Times is now not as Leftwing as it used to be but it’s still the voice of the smoked salmon socialist and the urban public sector leftie. The Mass-going, GAA supporting rural dwelling farmer/shopkeeper/small business owner has no paper (unless he/she lives in Cork ).


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## Bronte (16 Sep 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*

If you are on his ignore list does that mean he can't see what you post in any thread?  That doesn't make sense?


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## Purple (16 Sep 2009)

*Re: Thomas Cook Workers-5 weeks pay for each year of service what are these guys thin*



Bronte said:


> If you are on his ignore list does that mean he can't see what you post in any thread?  That doesn't make sense?


 yes, and yes; I know.


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