Plumbers, pipefitters, welders engaging in further strike

Plumbers, pipefitters, welders and apprentices, who are members of the Unite trade union, are engaging in another day of strike action in a dispute over travel allowances.

The latest in a series of 24-hour work stoppages began at midnight and will see pickets placed at the Intel site in Co Kildare, where several members of the employers group the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors' Association (MEBSCA) are carrying out works.

The workers are seeking the restoration of a payment for the first hour of their travel time, which Unite said was cut as a temporary measure following the 2008 financial crash.

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, which resulted in higher rates of pay.

The association has accused Unite of seeking to maintain those higher rates while also seeking to reverse an agreement that was freely entered into at that time.

Unite said it is waiting for the employers to follow up on an initial approach made last week.

The union has warned that in the absence of meaningful engagement, its disputes committee has decided to escalate the action, and pickets will be placed on selected large construction sites around the country on further dates in October.

"Employers should be in no doubt regarding our members' determination to secure a reversal of the shameful cut to travel time," said Unite Regional Officer James McCabe

"Our members have their union’s unwavering support," Mr McCabe said.