Carpenters strike challenges PPF
BY MICHAEL PIERSE
The Building and Allied Trades Union (BATU) has been accused of
breaching the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), as an
unnoficial strike by carpenters in Dublin enters its second week.
The carpenters downed tools to picket nine building sites across
Dublin last Thursday, 8 February, calling for a rise in their
basic rate of pay. Dennis Farrelly, Dublin Regional Organiser for
BATU, says that ideally he wants everybody off the sites in
support.
Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has reacted
angrily to the dispute, warning that they will pull out of
scheduled talks tomorrow, Friday 16 Febuary, and advising their
members to lay off striking workers.
They also wrote a letter to Bertie Ahern, claiming that BATU is
in breach of the PPF deal and calling on its National
Implementation Body to intervene. BATU has been the driving force
behind trade union action in the construction industry for some
time. Dennis Farrelly admits, however, that in terms of numbers,
his union would be weaker on the carpentry front.
``An English based union, UCAT (the Union of Contruction, Allied
Trades and Technicians) holds something around 60 per cent of
carpenters, while we would have about 40 per cent. While we would
certainly have no problem with where they're from, it is
questionable whether they are a bit removed from the industry
over here.''
Carpenters generally work with small employers and subcontactors,
leaving them ``fragmented'', Farrelly says. With nine carpenters to
every bricklayer in Dublin, their potential for unionised clout
would be greatly increased if they were directly employed, he
believes.
This is probably the reason SISK, a large Dublin-based
construction company that employs a lot of carpenters directly,
was chosen as a target for the unofficial action.
Farrelly says that claims by the CIF that BATU were seeking a
£1,000 per week pay claim for a basic of 39 hours for carpenters,
were derived from SISK and not from BATU members. SISK's new
Managing Director, Tom Costelloe, had ``done more damage to his
own argument'' when he released a press statement making this
claim, said Farrelly.
Farrelly says that a resolution to the immediate dispute with
SISK is feasible, and that ``common sense will prevail''. But the
underlying problem of insecurity for construction workers is
something his trade union plans to tackle head on.
At present, carpenters and bricklayers in the 26 Counties,
normally receive wages in excess of the nationally agreed £9.72
per hour legal minimum. Bricklayers in Dublin currently receive
up to £25 per hour. The problem isn't so much the wages they are
currently receiving, but that the £9.72 safety net will prove too
low if the current economic boom turns to bust.
Farrelly says that solidarity amongst union leaders is needed if
a reasonable hike in the basic rate is to be achieved. This will
be difficult, he believes: ``Workers on the ground are generally
fairly focused, but generally the trade union leaderships aren't
the best. The grassroots are ahead of the leadership.''
According to Farrelly, the spreading of rumours about BATU's
negotiating licence being in danger of being revoked is a sure
sign that the uncoming battle with the CIF will be tough.
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