GAMA Workers Picket Dublin Sites to a Standstill
dublin |
worker & community struggles and protests |
press release 
Thursday April 28, 2005 15:50
by TWAG
Today, GAMA workers mounted mass pickets on GAMA sites in Ballymun and Balgaddy.
Reacting to GAMA management’s attempt to break their protest by cutting off their food and removing them from the payroll, workers on stoppage mounted a very effective picket.
Among those who couldn’t get access to sites were East European sub-contractors who have been hired as scab labour to do the work of GAMA workers on stoppage.
It is widely suspected that the East European workers hired by these subcontractors are not getting their proper trade union rates of pay.
GAMA workers are demanding payment for the huge amount of overtime they worked over the last three years without pay.
The mass picketing will resume tomorrow, Friday April 29th.
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2Joe Higgins issues call to trade union movement on use of under-paid sub contractors to undercut trade union rates of pay and conditions
For two weeks now, the GAMA Construction company has engaged East European sub contractors to break the strike by GAMA workers.
Dozens of workers from Eastern Europe have been drafted into sites to do the work of the Turkish workers.
This should be a wake up call to the entire trade union movement in Ireland.
If construction bosses were allowed to import cheap labour at will, and use them to undermine legitimate struggles by trade union workers, it would destroy trade union organisation and see a drastic erosion of pay and working conditions.
I am appealing to all trade unionists, especially those in construction, to come to the support of the GAMA workers.
Today marks the second day of an escaleted picketing out of GAMA sites in responce to their hiring of sub contracted scab labour.
The only people working in Ballymun today are ten Turks who had to sleep overnight on the site in order to avoid the picket.
Irish SIPTU labourers have stayed out with the GAMA workers and have generally been supportive. They understand the significance of subcontracted scabs being used to break industrial action.
Seamus Brennan, the minisiter for Social and Family Affairs was interviewed on RTE radio this morning. He was asked if he would respond to ICTU's request that the GAMA workers be given emergency payments in light of GAMA suspending the workers from the payroll, cutting their food supply and telling them to vacate the company provided accomodation.
Brennan was non-commital, mainly blaming the company for the situation and saying he didn't want to create precedents. However twenty minutes later the RTE announcer said that GAMA were in touch with them and they have decided to lift the threat regarding evication and food. No mention was made of their pay and the other more substantial issues of exploitation we have covered.
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