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Worker awarded €20k for maternity discrimination at halal meat plant
Summary
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, Thayane Sousa, a meatpacking worker at Asba Meats Ltd in Shannon, was awarded €20,000 after she claimed maternity discrimination. Sousa, who had worked intermittently at the halal plant since 2022, told her line manager she was pregnant about two weeks after returning from a break in July 2024. She said the manager then reassigned her to tasks outside her job description that were "significantly more physically demanding," such as boning meat, and reduced her working hours from 35 to as few as two days a week. Sousa's contract stipulated a 40‑hour week for €508, but she was paid at the national minimum wage. The tribunal found the evidence of reassignment and reduced hours uncontested, and concluded that Asba Meats had discriminated against her on the basis of gender. The decision was published on 4 November 2025 and marked the third ruling against the company in 18 months.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Worker awarded €20k for maternity discrimination at halal meat plant. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- July 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-11-04 Publication
Why: She explained that she was reassigned to tasks outside her job description which were "significantly more physically demanding", including the boning of meat. CNI source report
Places mentioned
Topics
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