Violent clashes broke out between scaffolders and gardai outside Dublin Castle yesterday, after the Dublin Scaffolders' Society mounted pickets to prevent equipment being brought into the upper castle yard for the Heineken "Green Energy" concerts.
Following the intervention of SIPTU officers, however, the scaffolders agreed to lift the picket. There were no arrests during the scuffles, although some scaffolders and gardai suffered minor injuries.
Afterwards SIPTU construction branch chairman Mr Mick Finnegan said the scaffolders had lifted the picket "as an act of good will and because they did not wish to spoil the fun for the city's young people". The chairman of the scaffolders' association, Mr Andrew McGuinness, cautioned employers against seeing the action as "a sign of weakness". Later, concert promoter MCD issued a statement thanking Mr Finnegan, the Scaffolders' Society and SIPTU construction branch secretary Mr Eric Fleming for their assistance. "I am very grateful to the scaffolders and their union for their understanding in what must be very difficult circumstances," the head of MCD, Mr Denis Desmond, said.
He accepted it was not the scaffolders' intention to stop the concert and MCD had agreed to use alternative structures to the scaffold rigging originally intended. The three concerts scheduled to begin tomorrow are almost sold out, with 13,500 of the 14,000 tickets gone.
Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Federation decided at a meeting yesterday evening not to consider any proposals from SIPTU for the settlement of the dispute until the unofficial action was called off.
A spokesman said if work was resumed normal negotiating procedures could be used to discuss the men's grievances.