Gama staff to negotiate returning to work

PROTESTING workers at multinational construction firm Gama yesterday voted to negotiate a return to work after five weeks of unprecedented demonstrations over allegations of wage fraud and underpayment.

In the dispute’s first major breakthrough, workers will allow SIPTU to seek certain guarantees from Gama which, if conceded, will pave the way for full-scale Labour Relations Commission (LRC) conciliation talks to begin.

Exploratory talks, held separately between both sides, were held over a week ago. However, an LRC invitation to full-scale conciliation talks between both sides had been frustrated by the workers’ refusal to return to work.

Gama has already stated its willingness to engage in LRC talks on condition that workers return to work. However, after yesterday’s vote, the pressure is on Gama to allow LRC talks to commence by conceding to the guarantees sought by employees.

Until that final hurdle is cleared workers, represented by the Turkish Workers Action Group (TWAG), will continue to picket Gama’s building sites in Dublin.

However SIPTU officials last night expressed confidence that the ongoing row at Gama was approaching a point where a successful resolution could shortly be achieved.

Up to 300 workers have been picketing Gama sites and engaging in public protests since the beginning of April when Deputy Joe Higgins flew several workers to the Netherlands where previously unknown Finansbank accounts were discovered in which millions of euro in wages had been deposited.

The Finansbank funds have now been paid to workers and Gama has begun paying full union rates and issuing pay slips to those workers who continue to work. Initial offers of back pay have also been paid to fixed rate workers who received no windfall from the Dutch bank accounts.

However, the contentious issue of millions in unpaid overtime remains the main stumbling block between both sides. While they work an 84 hour week, Gama workers claim to have only been paid for a 40-hour week.

Mr Higgins, who has championed the cause of Turkish workers from the beginning, said remarkable progress had been made.

A spokesperson for Gama said the company had noted the decision, “is considering it and will respond to the union tomorrow.”