15 April 1999 Edition
SIPTU accuses building employers of declaring war
Twelve Dublin sites were affected by industrial action taken by scaffolders this week. There were also work stoppages in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Kildare, Carlow and Kerry. The stoppages are part of campaign by scaffolders to secure substantial wage increases.
They are also seeking to have their skill recognised as a full building profession and have raised a number of health and safety concerns with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), which represents the building employers.
The increases sought by the scaffolders, who currently have an official hourly wage rate of £6.69, would put them on a par with other professions. They are seeking new rates ranging from £9.50 to £18 an hour.
SIPTU represents the scaffolders. The strike action, which is unofficial, has prompted the CIF to call for employers to issue protective notice to all building workers on sites affected by the strike. SIPTU construction branch secretary Eric Fleming described the CIF action as a ``declaration of war''.
A CIF spokesperson, Eddie Keenan, spoke to An Phoblacht. He said that the employers were willing to conduct talks at the Labour Relations Commission but this could not happen while strike action continued. He said that scaffolders were already earning up to £10 an hour and though they were prepared to discuss the wage demands they ``will not concede a 200% wage increase''.
On the question of health and safety issues, Keenan said that ``any accident on a building site was unacceptable'' and that both sides were working to improve the situation.
An Phoblacht raised with Keenan the issue of the substantial profits being made throughout Ireland by builders and property developers in the present climate. We asked was it not reasonable for workers to look for a bigger slice of the cake?
Eddie Keenan said that though there were profits to be made in house building, the sites being picketed by the scaffolders were operating in a very competitive environment with contractors continually cutting costs to secure contracts.
As An Phoblacht goes to print it seems unlikely that the conditions for talks between the CIF and the SIPTU scaffolders have been created and the scaffolders strike action will continue.
They are also seeking to have their skill recognised as a full building profession and have raised a number of health and safety concerns with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), which represents the building employers.
The increases sought by the scaffolders, who currently have an official hourly wage rate of £6.69, would put them on a par with other professions. They are seeking new rates ranging from £9.50 to £18 an hour.
SIPTU represents the scaffolders. The strike action, which is unofficial, has prompted the CIF to call for employers to issue protective notice to all building workers on sites affected by the strike. SIPTU construction branch secretary Eric Fleming described the CIF action as a ``declaration of war''.
A CIF spokesperson, Eddie Keenan, spoke to An Phoblacht. He said that the employers were willing to conduct talks at the Labour Relations Commission but this could not happen while strike action continued. He said that scaffolders were already earning up to £10 an hour and though they were prepared to discuss the wage demands they ``will not concede a 200% wage increase''.
On the question of health and safety issues, Keenan said that ``any accident on a building site was unacceptable'' and that both sides were working to improve the situation.
An Phoblacht raised with Keenan the issue of the substantial profits being made throughout Ireland by builders and property developers in the present climate. We asked was it not reasonable for workers to look for a bigger slice of the cake?
Eddie Keenan said that though there were profits to be made in house building, the sites being picketed by the scaffolders were operating in a very competitive environment with contractors continually cutting costs to secure contracts.
As An Phoblacht goes to print it seems unlikely that the conditions for talks between the CIF and the SIPTU scaffolders have been created and the scaffolders strike action will continue.