A local poultry producer says Covid-19 PPE is provided for by the company.
It was reported this morning that staff at Manor Farm were paying for their own personal protection equipment during the pandemic.
Today's Irish Examiner said new staff at Manor Farm and Carton Brothers had a €50 deduction taken out of their wages for PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Spokesperson for the company says the facts in the article were out of context, and applied to PPE that is used in the normal course of the business.
He continued that the €50 is a one-off deduction that is refunded to employees after 12 weeks, or in the case of seasonal and students, when they finish at the end of the summer.
In a Statement to Shannonside Northern Sound News, Manor Farm confirmed that any face masks, shields or other Covid-19 PPE is provided for by the company, and that no employee deductions were used for preparing the workplace environment for coronavirus prevention protocols.
The producer says the policy was introduced in 2014 and was discussed with SIPTU, and the PPE includes steel toe boots, a helmet, a body warmer, padded trousers and wellington boots.
It added that Personal Protective Equipment has "different connotations now in a Covid world".
Shannonside Northern Sound News understands the deduction was brought in after the company had an issue with new entrants being given PPE and leaving shortly after.
