Hundreds of plumbers, welders, and apprentices, who are members of the Unite trade union, will stage another round of strike action this Friday as part of an ongoing dispute over travel allowances.
The planned strike is the latest development in a series of actions aimed at securing better compensation for workers’ travel time.
Last week, a 24-hour work stoppage disrupted construction projects for major companies such as Intel, Diageo, Eli Lilly, Analog, and the ESB.
These companies saw significant delays as pickets were placed at selected large construction sites where work is being carried out by members of the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA).
At the heart of the dispute is a demand for the restoration of a payment covering the first hour of travel time. According to Unite, this payment was temporarily cut following the 2008 financial crisis but has not yet been reinstated, despite improving economic conditions. Workers argue that the time spent commuting should be fairly compensated.
In response to the lack of progress in negotiations, Unite has served notice to MEBSCA of another planned strike on Friday, 13 September. This further escalation will once again target key construction sites, with pickets expected to cause disruption similar to last week’s actions.