A COMPANY operating port facilitates at Dublin Port yesterday secured an interim ex-parte injunction to prevent picketers from obstructing vehicles entering or leaving its cargo terminal.
The trade union Siptu placed pickets at the premises of Marine Terminals Limited (MTL) yesterday morning. It said the dispute was over attempts by the company to impose compulsory redundancies as well as reductions in pay and conditions for members.
Siptu said it represented most of the 70 workers employed by Marine Terminals.
The union said that when the company decided to make 19 members of staff redundant earlier this year, it used its own selection criteria. Siptu said five workers were made redundant initially, and that on May 15th a further 13 were told by management that they were to be let go.
“On the same day, all other Siptu employees were written to telling them they must sign new contracts agreeing to pay cuts of between 14 and 18 per cent, or be sacked,” it said.
The union said that the company had placed the workforce on a 20-hour week and deployed new workers from Scotland and Northern Ireland to take up the slack.
Siptu group organiser Oliver McDonagh said the union remained available for talks. However, he maintained that since Peel Ports had taken over the Marine Terminal operations, it had shown “a consistent unwillingness to treat with the union or accept agreed procedures for dealing with problems”.
“This company has behaved appallingly and has avoided all our attempts to negotiate with it. I can tell them now that they will get the redundancies they are looking for, provided they negotiate normally and are willing to offer a decent package. But they will not achieve their objectives by bullyboy tactics,” he said.
Marine Terminals Limited said that it had offered “extremely generous” redundancy terms and that it was regrettable that the union had taken industrial action.
“MTL, like virtually every business worldwide, is facing major challenges due to the downturn in global trade, meaning there just isn’t enough work for all 40 crane operators – who are earning up to €75,000 a year plus benefits.
“We’ve offered salaries of up to €60,000, with redundancy payments of €75,000 – four times the statutory amount – but the union has simply refused this offer, demanding completely unrealistic redundancy payments of €150,000,” it said.
“Unfortunately, the union’s stance has left us with no option for reducing our costs than to introduce short-term working,” it continued.
A company spokesman said that it had sought the court injunction yesterday as the protests had “gone beyond local picketing”.
The interim ex-parte injunction, which restrains picketers from blocking the access to or exit from the cargo terminal, and from obstructing or interfering with the operation by the company of its cargo terminal, will remain in force until Monday.
The company said it had detailed and comprehensive plans in place to ensure that the port continued to run smoothly, and would encourage the union to reconsider its unfortunate strike action.
Marine Terminals Limited is one of a number of companies operating port facilities at Dublin Port.