A protest at Dublin Port broadened this afternoon after Marine Terminals Limited (MTL) was granted a court injunction against workers picketing its premises over plans to introduce compulsory redundancies and cuts in terms and conditions.
Siptu members working for MTL, one of nine competing terminals operating at Dublin Port, placed pickets at the company's premises at 6am today.
Siptu group organiser Oliver McDonagh said this morning that the union remains available for talks but that since Peel Ports took over the Marine Terminal operations it has shown “a consistent unwillingness to treat with the union or accept agreed procedures for dealing with problems.”
An MTL spokesman said this afternoon: “This injunction has been displayed on the gates, and makes it illegal for any named person or any other person on the picket line to prevent a vehicle or individual from entering or leaving the terminal."
He added: “It is regrettable, given the extremely generous redundancy terms on offer, that the union has taken this action. However, we have detailed and comprehensive plans in place to ensure that the port . . . continues to run smoothly and would encourage the union to reconsider their unfortunate strike action."
Marine Terminals made 19 Siptu staff out of its 70-strong workforce redundant earlier this year. Remaining employees were told that they would have to sign new contracts and take 14 per cent to 18 per cent pay cuts. Siptu says staff were informed they would have to agree to the cuts or face losing their jobs.
The Labour Court last week issued an opinion in relation to Marine Terminals under the Protection of Employment Act, 2007, after the company threatened significant redundancies within its workforce.
In its opinion, the court found that company redundancies that were due to go through on May 29th "do not constitute an exceptional collective redundancy" and said there was no evidence that those who employment was to be terminated would be replaced by workers directly employed by the company.
The company has placed its workforce on a 20-hour week, and Siptu claims it has brought in workers from Scotland and Northern Ireland to provide cover.
“This company has behaved appallingly”, Mr McDonagh said, “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.”