Five and a half months after occupying their workplace, the staff at Vita Cortex finally got their lives back on Thursday 24 May.
The details of the case have been well publicised.
After duping the staff into working to dismantle the moribund plant, owner Jack Ronan suddenly pleaded poverty and refused to give staff members any more than the minimum statutory redundancy.
Outraged, the workers immediately decided to occupy and after 25 hard weeks their heroic stand has finally paid off.
Although the final settlement cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, Jim Power, one of the original occupiers, told Socialist Worker that it was “fair to say that it was a very good offer that was close to the original terms that the workers had been looking for”.

He also wished to thank all those workers and families, who had stood in solidarity with the staff over the long and difficult winter -

“At first this case was obviously about the money, but as it went on it became much more important than this. If we had worked the five and a half months the money would have probably been higher, but we were actually fighting for a hell of a lot more by the end. Our stand became linked with our pride our dignity and our responsibility to all those workers who looked to us for inspiration. We got support from them and we owed to ourselves and our supporters to see it through to the bitter end”.
“If we had listened to the politicians we would have packed up months ago. Luckily we listened to the ordinary people of Cork and our fellow workers across the country. These people gave us strength and we just hope that our stand gives people confidence and puts real pressure on employers not to throw workers on the scrap heap. Better still the government should legislate to make sure it doesn’t happen”.
Jim and his fellow workers will reunite on 16 June in the Friar Wall Tavern on what promises to be a night to remember.
Until then the workers can get back to their families and friends safe in the knowledge that they have made a real advance for workers across the country.
Socialist Worker congratulates their heroic actions and wishes the staff well for the future.