A SPOKESMAN for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has strongly criticised a demonstration by striking Montupet workers outside ICTU's head office in Belfast as the action of "an unruly mob".

The demonstration was the latest development in the 10-week dispute over pay and working conditions at the French-owned plant in Dunmurry, south of Belfast.

An ICTU official, Mr Terry Carlin, who has been involved in negotiations between the company and the strikers, described the protest as "wholly unjustified and a total negation of trade union democracy".

The strikers, and some workers who have been sacked from the factory, were protesting at what they claim is an attempt by management to "buy" its way out of the dispute by offering the sacked workers £3,000 each, payable in two instalments, but only on condition that all industrial action ceased, along with the picketing of the factory. In return, the company would undertake to drop any legal action against the men for loss of revenue as a result of the disruption.

The company says that only around 50 of the 270 workers who originally walked out of the factory are still on strike, including 20 who have been dismissed, and who the managing director, Mr Georges Senninger, has said wilt not be allowed back. Mr Senninger said the threatening and intimidatory behaviour of some of those on the picket line had been such that workers at the factory would be outraged if the sacked men were allowed back.

He said that £20 million sterling was being invested by Montupet at the Dunmurry factory this year on the installation of two new production lines, which would be likely to lead to the creation of around 200 new jobs.

Montupet makes aluminium cylinder heads and wheel hubs for a number of European car manufacturers. It started production in west Belfast in 1989 on the site of the old De Lorean car plant, with the promise to create around 1,000 jobs. In 1995 it announced a further investment of £142 million, to which the IDB is contributing £57 million. Montupet says this will create another 1,300 jobs by the end of the decade.

In spite of the losses caused by the dispute, it is predicted that turnover will reach around £25 million this year, and it could rise to more than £60 million over the next three years.