Union announces further pickets, protest tomorrow

September 6th: Unite, which represents over 90% of crane operators in Ireland, today (Wednesday) reiterated its call on the Construction Industry Federation to engage meaningfully with the union under the auspices of the WRC in respect of crane operators’ pay demands. The call comes ahead of further strike action tomorrow, which will see pickets placed outside two Sisk sites at Capital Dock and one Sisk site at Grand Canal Dock tomorrow morning, and there will be a demonstration at 11 am outside the Health & Safety Authority headquarters on James Joyce Street.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer for Construction Tom Fitzgerald said:

“The resolution of this long-running dispute is in the hands of the CIF. We have repeatedly indicated our willingness to attend at the WRC and the Labour Court. It was the CIF’s refusal to attend a scheduled hearing in June which precipitated this dispute, to the detriment of CIF members.

“Unite crane operators will be continuing their industrial action tomorrow (Thursday), and will also be holding a protest outside the Health and Safety Authority offices to highlight unresolved safety concerns.

“I would urge the CIF to utilise the available construction sector disputes procedures in the interests of their members and of the construction sector as a whole”, Mr Fitzgerald said.