Sir, - Once again we have an example of workers disregarding agreed procedures for dispute resolution while still securing the support of their union. The unions claim that building contractors are gaining spectacularly from the economic boom while the workers are underpaid and forced to work in "dangerous conditions".
There is a distinction between contractors and developers. Developers are profiting because the demand for new housing far outruns the supply of building land. However, contractors are suffering because of the misconception that everybody involved in construction is earning huge profits. Contractors and sub-contractors are facing exorbitant wage demands which cannot be met - except by those developers who are effectively setting the labour rates for the whole industry.
There is provision for claiming increased labour costs in building contracts, but this is limited to increases under the registered agreement. Increases above this, such as the recent increase to crane drivers, come out of the contractor's profit. The contractor's problem is that tender prices are as competitive as ever, profit margins are extremely tight and, due to the boom in speculative building, labour is in short supply. Making ends meet is harder now than five years ago when the construction industry was in depression.
The union's contention that pay is a minor issue in this dispute is laughable. Construction is a dangerous occupation but safety issues need to be addressed by the unions with more emphasis on the role of the employee in minimising risks on site. - Yours, etc.,
Dermod O'Donovan, Shankill, Co Dublin.