Republican News · Thursday 30 January 2003

17 arrested fighting against subbie system

Last Wednesday, 22 January, 17 working men were arrested at Collen's building site on the North Circular Road, Dublin, and dragged to court on grounds that they had broken an injunction Collen Construction Ltd had obtained from the High Court last November to bar pickets and protests from the site.

Building workers have been in dispute with Collens as part of the long struggle they have waged against building companies that employ subcontractors in place of direct labour.

The system of sub-contracting is well known to be the source of appalling abuse of workers' rights on the sites. Workers say the system is similar to the bonded labour of at least a century ago. Building workers, especially the brickies and plasterers, over recent years have tried to bring this practice on the sites to an end, by flying pickets at the sites. The building companies have responded by going to the courts to get injunctions against unnamed picketers, to make the picketing illegal.

Last week, the workers were fined §250 each by Mr Justice Smyth in the High Court on Wednesday, and each apologised in the court. They were then released. The matter of costs was left hanging over their heads. Should the workers not end their protest, in docile fashion, then costs against the 17 could always be imposed at the discretion of the court at any subsequent stage.

Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Nicky Kehoe has offered to mediate to help bring an end to the dispute.

Nicky said, "This dispute is now going on for 18 months and shows little sign of coming to an end. Last week's arrests have exacerbated the situation and could do long term damage to the future of labour relations in the city. Rather than engage in dialogue, we have seen this company engage in megaphone diplomacy and resort to the courts.

"I am calling on the Labour Relations Commission to appoint a mediator. If they are not in a position to do this I am willing to put myself forward as an honest broker to bring this dispute to a successful conclusion."

On Friday, Collen's agreed to meet with workers on Wednesday of this week, and on Monday, work resumed pending the outcome of talks.