3 Romanian Builders Win €30,000 for Unfair Dismissal After Intel Plant Protest

Three Romanian builders, Stefan Puscasu, Valeriu Buscan, and Catalin Mihai, have been awarded €30,000 collectively for unfair dismissal by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). They were terminated by their employer, Rigotec International Ltd., four days after participating in a work stoppage at Intel's €17 billion Fab 34 facility in Leixlip in January 2024. The protest was against alleged «racist behaviour» by colleagues.

Rigotec claimed the men were made redundant due to a downturn in work and that they had to be removed immediately from the Intel site without warning over fears they would sabotage production, potentially costing Intel millions. The WRC adjudicator rejected these arguments, citing an «appalling lack of transparent procedures» in their dismissal. Rigotec's barrister acknowledged that two employees engaged in racist behaviour towards the complainants on January 27, 2024. One worker received a written warning for a racist remark, and another was dismissed for aggressive behaviour after throwing a bolt that struck a worker.

Site manager Alan Jennings testified that 10 to 16 people were made redundant on February 2, 2024, including the worker who made the racist remark. He also stated that Rigotec, Intel's sole contractor in Ireland, had significantly reduced its workforce from 120 in January 2024 to 30 within 12 months. Adjudication officer Monica Brennan awarded €10,000 to each of the three men.