Construction workers should not have to protest publicly to secure safe conditions of employment. But an estimated 3,000 building workers marched through Dublin yesterday to draw attention to the fact that 22 of their colleagues lost their lives last year and hundreds more were seriously injured.
It is a totally unacceptable situation, especially when unscrupulous employers and sub-contractors sack those workers who complain about dangerous conditions.
The Construction Industry Federation is correct when it says that a great deal of progress has been made in raising awareness of safety issues amongst its members and their workforces. And it condemns the actions of rogue employers. An estimated €140 million has been devoted towards the implementation of new training and safety measures during the past two years in association with FÁS, the Health and Safety Authority and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. And about 1,000 specialist safety personnel are now working on site. In spite of that, however, the number of deaths on building sites increased by four last year, having remained static for 2000 and 2001.
Public protests by construction workers are not a new phenomenon. They occurred spontaneously last month, again last year and in the year before that. They reflect a deep level of anger by workers who see their colleagues die on unsafe sites. Trade unions have no option but to respond to such concerns.
Legislative failure has been spectacular. Eighteen months ago, the then Minister of State with responsibility for safety at work, Mr Tom Kitt, promised tough new legislation and on-the-spot fines. Nothing happened. The Government is still promising reforms. And a Bill may be published before the summer.
It is time this State followed the lead of other EU countries and, when workers are killed because of the deliberate negligence of their employers, manslaughter charges should follow. Mr Justice Kelly took a small step in that direction recently when he jailed a company director for contempt of court after he failed to fulfil safety undertakings given to the High Court. The site in question is still closed.
The Health and Safety Authority is over-stretched, with 17 inspectors responsible for thousands of construction sites. When it identifies chronically unsafe sites, the courts must come down hard on unscrupulous employers. Accidents, of their very nature, will continue to happen. But deliberate negligence and unsafe work practices must be rooted out.