Union writes to Uisce Éireann highlighting Murphy group’s labour rights breaches

Union-busting activities cannot be tolerated at any point in supply chain

Unite’s legal department has today (Wednesday) written to Uisce Éireann / Irish Water asking them to consider matters relating to labour rights breaches by the Murphy engineering group before awarding any contract for works at the Castletroy water treatment plant. The Murphy group has benefited from a number of Irish Water contracts in the past and is currently engaged in a tender process relating to upgrade works at Castletroy.

The union’s concerns relate to the dismissal of four Unite members, including a shop steward, after they voiced concerns surrounding Murphy International’s non-compliance with agreed national travel expense agreements. It is Unite’s contention that Murphy’s actions constitute victimisation for trade union activity, in contravention of the Unfair Dismissals Act and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Public procurement regulations stipulate that companies tendering for public contracts must be compliant with their obligations under environmental, social and labour law, and must also be in compliance with the relevant collective agreements.

Commenting, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Murphy’s behaviour is deplorable and it is guilty of flagrant union-busting. Taxpayers’ money must never be used to subsidise attacks on workers’ rights or union-busting.

“Unite will never allow such attacks on members to go unchallenged and we will leave no stone unturned until Murphy does the right thing and reinstates these workers.”

Unite’s Irish Secretary Susan Fitzgerald added:

“Unite has written to Irish Water raising a number of concerns regarding the Murphy group of companies and their treatment of our members – treatment which we believe to be contrary to both Irish law and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. We fully expect that Irish Water will be mindful of its obligations under Irish public procurement regulations, and will consider the matters raised by Unite before awarding any further contracts to the Murphy group”.

Unite will be examining the Murphy group’s involvement in public procurement processes throughout Ireland, and tendering authorities need to be aware that Unite will not tolerate union-busting activities at any point in the supply chain”.