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2 May, 2012
Some 100 workers are now in their fifth week of strike action against Irish Cement Ltd., wholly owned by giant Dublin-based construction company, the CRH Group. The Irish Cement Group of Unions, composed of the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), the Technical Engineers and Electrical Union (TEEU) and Unite the Union, began the strike at two Irish production sites on 3 April.
The dispute is over the company’s non-adherence over a Labour Court recommendation from early this year that it owes workers between €5,500 and €9,500 each in unpaid compensation. The company instead is trying to gouge a 15-18% pay cut from workers.
The two plants are located at Castlemungret in County Limerick and Platin in County Meath.
Last week, cement workers received a boost when a Limerick-based Assembly delegate to the Dáil Éail – Ireland’s lower House of Parliament – tabled a question to Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise on the company’s recalcitrance. Willie O’Dea called the company’s labour behaviour “belligerent” in refusing to accept the Labour Court recommendation.
“The company is trying to beat the workers into submission by refusing to honour its obligations unless the staff agree to a massive pay cut,” said O’Dea, adding total fees paid last year to non-executive board members of the company is more than what is owed workers.
“I am calling on this profitable company to honour its obligations to staff,” he said.