Union warns employers must engage meaningfully or face further escalation

Workers seeking reversal of austerity-era cut to ‘travel time’

Trade union Unite, which represents plumbers, fitters, welders and apprentices on construction projects throughout Ireland, said today (Monday) that talks with the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA) aimed at averting industrial action broke down this morning.

As a consequence, Unite has served notice of industrial action on MEBSCA employers.  The action will begin with a full day of stoppages on Friday 6 September, with pickets placed at sites around the country.

Earlier this month members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in pursuit of restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’. The decision to ballot for industrial action came after initial talks with MEBSCA broke down at the beginning of July.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “MEBSCA employers must be in no doubt regarding workers’ determination to reverse this iniquitous cut. Unite is backing our members every step of the way”. 

Payment of the first hour of ‘travel time’ was originally cut as a so-called ‘temporary measure’ following the 2008 financial crash. Contrary to claims by MEBSCA, there is no agreement with employers regarding the first hour of ‘travel time’. On the contrary: this austerity-era cut was meant to be reviewed after a year, but that review remains outstanding over a decade later.

Restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’ would mean a significant increase in pay for mechanical construction workers at a time of ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

Unite regional officer James McCabe said : “If MEBSCA wants to avoid significant disruption to construction sites around Ireland, they must return to the table and engage meaningfully with Unite regarding restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’.  Otherwise, there will be a further escalation in this dispute.”