February 28th, 2010 - TEEU calls on Green Isle Foods to engage in meaningful negotiations and end negative campaign against employees The General Secretary Designate of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, Eamon Devoy, has called on Green Isle Foods and its parent company Northern Foods to engage in meaningful negotiations when talks resume tomorrow over the unfair dismissal of three union members. He said it was time to end its negative campaigning against its own employees. Two of the strikers, neither of whom was among those dismissed, are on hunger strike after the company refused to engage in talks for six months. They are shop steward Jim Wyse, now in his twelth day on hunger strike and John Guinan, now in his fifth day on hunger strike. “We have made serious proposals to end this dispute and indicated to the mediators areas where we believe progress can be made”, Mr Devoy said. “It is now up to the company to do likewise rather than continue making exaggerated allegations against employees. “The fact that the Labour Court found the men were unfairly dismissed speaks for itself. So does the award of €180,000 they should be paid if they were not reinstated. “We cannot have a constructive dialogue while Green Isle Foods and Northern Foods remain wedded to their black propaganda campaign. We need to sit down and talk honestly and realistically about a negotiated settlement now.”