Budget retailer Aldi warned the beef dispute is leading to “industry-wide availability issues” in stores.
The supermarket chain said all of its Irish beef and pork products will be on the shelves – but many will have been processed in the UK.
And from today it is understood some of those items will be relabelled in a move which is a sign of the impact being caused by the ongoing beef dispute.
An Aldi spokesperson told RTE News: “In light of industry-wide availability issues, to ensure we have a full range of fresh beef and pork products for our customers some of our Irish beef and pork suppliers have processed Irish beef and pork at their UK-based processing facilities, all of which are quality assured by Bord Bia.
“This is clearly reflected on our products’ packaging. We have also placed notices in our stores to ensure our customers are fully aware of the situation.” Agriculture Minister Michael Creed liaised with meat processors and farming organisations yesterday, but attempts to reconvene talks did not prove successful.
Meanwhile, Siptu called on the Government to provide extra income supports for the
workers now laid off due to the ongoing crisis.
The union’s organiser Terry Bryan said: “We currently have thousands of workers laid off and this is causing massive hardship for their
families across the country.
“These are families with bills to pay, children to feed and rent now due. Not all the workers who have been laid off will have automatic entitlement to social welfare payments because of the work permit system.
“We are calling on the Government to develop a fund that will provide income support to these workers and we insist the beef processors, as a group, should contribute to this fund to offset the real hardship their employees are now facing.”
