Protest in Dublin tomorrow due to union-busting by construction company Murphy International Ltd

Posted on September 10, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Unite, Ireland and the UK’s leading union, will be holding a protest at the offices of leading accountants Ernest and Young due to the links that its associate has with union-busting.

When:  11.30am Monday 11th September 2023

Where: Harcourt Centre, EY Building, Harcourt St, Dublin 2, Ireland

J Murphy and Sons Ltd, the parent company of Murphy International Ltd, is currently part of a joint venture with French construction company Bouygues which has been shortlisted for the multimillion-pound contract to build the new Lower Thames Crossing. The bid for the Lower Thames Crossing is being supported by Ove & Arup Partners. Ove & Arup’s group chair Alan Belfield is the joint chair of the Professional and Business Services Council a position he shares with Sally Jones who leads Ernest and Young’s trade strategy and Brexit team..

The dispute is a result of Murphy International Ltd wrongfully sacking four Unite members (including a Unite rep) last year, in an act of union busting.

The workers, who were undertaking work at a site in the Republic of Ireland, were dismissed after organising a meeting of 15 workers to discuss Murphy’s non-payment of travel and subsistence payments.

After a period of two months where the workers were suspended without pay, the four workers were singled out and dismissed for not showing “remorse”. Despite pressure from Unite the company has refused to reinstate the workers.

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Castletroy water treatment plant: Unite raises public procurement concerns

Posted on September 6, 2023 by unitetheunion

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.

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Twin protests planned in Belfast against union-busting by construction company Murphy International Ltd

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Protest at Infrastructure Department over inclusion of Murphy International Ltd on Civil Engineering Contractor shortlist

Mott McDonald protested over union-busting by Irish subsidiary of its strategic business partner J Murphy and Sons

When:  Wednesday 6 September at 11am (Department for Infrastructure) and 1pm (Mott McDonald offices)

Where: (11am) Department for Infrastructure HQ, Clarence Court. 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8GB; (1pm) Mott McDonald 6th Floor, the boat, 49, Queens Square, Belfast

Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be holding two protests in Belfast tomorrow [Wednesday September 6th] over the union-busting activities of Murphy International Ltd. The protests represent an escalation of a solidarity campaign set up after the company sacked four Unite members (including a Unite rep) last year, in a blatant act of union busting.

The workers who were undertaking work at a site in the Republic of Ireland were dismissed after organising a meeting of 15 workers to discuss Murphy’s non-payment of travel and subsistence payments. After a period of two months where the workers were suspended without pay, the four workers were singled out and dismissed for not showing “remorse”. Despite pressure from Unite the company has refused to reinstate the workers.

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PTSB: Unite seeking 13% cost-of-living pay increase

Posted on August 31, 2023 by unitetheunion

Pay claim follows profit boost in wake of Ulster Bank deal

August 31st: Unite, which represents a majority of workers in Permanent TSB, is seeking a general pay increase of 13% for 2024.

The pay claim follows PTSB’s return to profitability, posting a €267 million pre-tax profit last year after acquiring €5.2 billion in assets from Ulster Bank.  Announcing its 2022 results earlier this year, the bank noted that it expected its core business to grow and remain strong in 2023.

Entry-level staff and some call centre personnel at the bank have starting annual salaries as low as €27,500, or less than the real Living Wage.

As well as pension contribution increases, the union is also seeking an extra day’s leave and an increase in maternity/paternity leave to reflect industry norms.

Commenting, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said:

“In early August, when announcing the bank’s half-year profits, CEO Eamon Crowley signalled that PTSB may now be in a position to resume paying dividends.  PTSB’s recovery is thanks to the expertise and commitment of its workforce, and they must be first in line for a real dividend in the form of a cost-of-living pay increase. Our members are seeking a pay increase which reflects PTSB’s return to profitability and anticipated growth”.

Regional Officer Jean O’Dowd added:

“The last pay increase was negotiated in early 2022.  Since then, like other workers, our members have been squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis and have taken a real pay cut of nearly 4%, with lower-paid workers in entry-level roles and call centres being particularly hard hit by increases in energy and housing costs.  Management should be in no doubt regarding our members’ determination to achieve a real pay increase”.

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Carey Glass must intervene to resolve Lurgan Vista Therm dispute

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Carey Glass must intervene to resolve Lurgan Vista Therm dispute

Nenagh-based Carey group warned dispute may shatter ‘Best in Glass’ claim

Unite highlights reputational risks to group if dispute not resolved

Unite members in dispute with Vista Therm travelled to Nenagh, headquarters of the Carey Glass group of companies, today (Friday) to highlight Vista Therm’s refusal to talk to workers about a cost-of-living pay increase.

Vista Therm workers set up stalls in Nenagh town centre and gathered signatures for a petition asking people to support the workers’ demands that management recognise their union Unite, negotiate a cost-of-living pay increase, and treat workers with dignity and respect. 

Unite is calling on Carey Glass to intervene and resolve the long-running dispute which has seen production at the Lurgan plant severely curtailed.

Vista Therm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carey Glass Holdings Unlimited Company, which also owns the Carey Glass factory in Nenagh and a production facility in Chester. 

The Carey group of companies is owned by members of the Carey family and comprises an intricate web of entities registered in Ireland, the UK, Jersey and the British Virgin Islands. 

Although the company is highly profitable, a recent Unite survey showed that four in every five members working for Vista Therm have seen their living standards fall, while a shocking 95 per cent are worried about their household finances.

Notwithstanding the fact that Vista Therm is highly profitable, local management has refused to engage collectively with workers to negotiate a cost-of-living pay increase.  Instead, in a blatant attempt at union-busting, management has suspended a shop steward and threatened other members with disciplinary action.

Commenting, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Thanks to the commitment and expertise of workers in Nenagh, Lurgan and Chester, Carey Glass and Vista Therm have become synonymous with high-performance glass processing, supplying flagship projects around the world.  However, their reputation for excellence is being undermined by the refusal of local management in Lurgan to sit down with Unite and negotiate a cost-of-living pay increase.  Unite members in Vista Therm have been treated with a complete lack of respect, leaving them with no option but to take industrial action.

“If they want to avoid shattering their ‘Best in Glass’ claim, Carey Glass must step up and resolve this dispute by instructing local management to desist from their blatant attempt at union-busting and instead talk to their workers about a real pay increase.”

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