Plumbers, fitters and welders take strike action
Construction projects by major companies including Intel, Diageo and Eli Lilly are being hit by industrial action today. Plumbers, fitters, welders and apprentices, who are members of the Unite trade union, are taking strike action in a dispute over travel allowances. A full-day work stoppage began at midnight and involves pickets being placed on selected large construction sites where members of the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors' Association (MEBSCA) are carrying out works. The sites involved are in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Kildare. The workers are seeking the restoration of a payment for the first hour of their travel time. Last month Unite members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in pursuit of restoration of the first hour of 'travel time'. The decision to ballot for industrial action came after initial talks with MEBSCA broke down at the beginning of July. Further talks were held last month but ended without agreement. Unite said that the payment of the first hour of ‘travel time’ was originally cut as a temporary measure following the 2008 financial crash and that it was meant to be reviewed after a year. The union said that in the absence of a meaningful offer from MEBSCA, further strike action will follow, with pickets being placed on additional sites. "Unless MEBSCA returns to the table and engages meaningfully with Unite regarding restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’, industrial action will escalate," said Unite regional officer James McCabe. "Resolution of this dispute is in the employers’ hands," Mr McCabe said. MEBSCA has said that the first hour of 'travel time' has been incorporated into hourly rates since 2011 as part of an agreement reached with Unite. "An agreement was entered into with Unite in 2011, which incorporated the first hour of travel into hourly rates," a MEBSCA spokesperson said. "This agreement had the effect of increasing the hourly rate which also resulted in a higher rate being paid for overtime and holidays." "Unite is now seeking to maintain the higher rate of pay while also seeking to reverse the agreement that was freely entered into by Unite at that time," MEBSCA said.
