Builders are considering legal action to combat pickets on sites as a crane drivers’ dispute escalates, industry representatives warn.
Crane drivers belonging to trade union Unite resumed their strike over pay on Thursday and picketed nine building sites in Dublin, effectively halting work there.
A Construction Industry Federation (CIF) spokesman said that some of the employers affected were considering legal action to stop the industrial action as they believed proper procedures had not been followed.
“Unite have stepped outside the normal procedures and every possible option will have to be considered,” he said.
The spokesman pointed out that delays could result in contractors paying tens of thousands of euro in penalties if they missed agreed deadlines with clients.
Earlier on Thursday, CIF director general, Tom Parlon, called the dispute unlawful and irresponsible.
However, Unite regional organiser Tom Fitzgerald said that the union was happy that it had followed correct procedures.
He suggested that the CIF was raising the possibility of legal action in an effort to get its own members to resort to it.
“It would be counterproductive to go down that road,” he said. “It’s not a good idea for the CIF to goad its own members into legal action.”
Mr Fitzgerald also said that contractors on the affected sites had indicated that they were willing to talk directly to the union to find a resolution.
High-profile sites
The sites hit included the high-profile Capital Dock on Dublin’s south quays, where Sisk is the main contractor, two locations operated by Rhatigans and five by Bennett’s.
Unite wants a 10 per cent increase for crane drivers, who earn about €20 an hour, which it says recognises their skills and qualifications.
A row between Unite and fellow trade union Siptu over which has the right to represent the drivers has complicated the dispute.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions recently upheld a complaint against Unite by Siptu, which the organisation said had undisputed sole negotiating rights for the drivers.
Siptu insists that it represents crane drivers. The union called for immediate payment of a 10 per cent increase recommended by the Labour Court last week.
The proposal is meant to form the basis of a new sectoral employment order that will replace the registered employment agreements that regulated builders’ pay until the courts declared them unconstitutional.
Mr Parlon accused Unite of holding the industry to ransom for the sake of 91 cent an hour.
“We’ve offered an increase of 25 per cent and that combined with a 10 per cent increase the Labour Court have offered will see crane drivers’ wages come with a euro of the amount Unite are holding the industry and Ireland Inc to ransom for,” he said.
