Plumbers, pipefitters and welders stage third strike day

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

A 24-hour work stoppage began at midnight and pickets were placed on a number of major construction sites in Dublin and Athlone where members of the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors' Association (MEBSCA) are carrying out works.

Construction projects for companies including Pfizer, Diageo and the ESB were impacted by the strike.

Unite said its members were also holding a protest in London as part of the dispute.

Work stoppages were held last Friday and the Friday before, with Unite vowing to continue the action unless there is meaningful engagement from employers.

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.

Unite said it has heard concerns that some contractors may be including the first hour of travel time for mechanical workers when pricing and invoicing for works, despite the fact that this money is not actually being paid to the workers concerned.

"MEBSCA employers have enjoyed massive increases in turnover and they can well afford to reverse this outrageous austerity-era cut," said Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham.

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.