Company probed over pay complaint

A FIRM that worked on the Dublin Port Tunnel project is under investigation by the Government after non-national workers complained of inadequate pay.

The firm, a Kildare-based haulage company, is no longer contracted to work on the site.

Dublin City Council objected to comments made in a statement by the firm after the allegations surfaced.

A council spokesman, claiming the comments could have been interpreted as having racist undertones, said: “We made it plain to the main contractors that as a public body we were upset that such allegations, or such comments, would be made.

“We were advised by the main contractors ... that that haulage company is no longer working on the project.”

A driver employed by the company, trading as B and S, complained he and other non-EU workers were paid half the union rate, got no overtime and were bullied and harassed when they raised concerns about pay and conditions.

The company, which had been employed to remove material from the site, denied the allegations and said the workers were overpaid and provided with electricity, heating and transport to work.

But the Government investigation, undertaken by a team from the Department of Enterprise, has stalled because it has been unable to contact the firm, despite the help of gardaí.

Minister of State Frank Fahey said his department had been made aware of alleged breaches of labour law in the treatment of non-national workers.

He said members of the Labour Inspectorate, an arm of the Department of Enterprise, had attempted over the past few weeks to meet with a particular employer in order to inspect records.

Despite leaving contact details and making enquiries efforts to meet the employer have been unsuccessful, Mr Fahey said.

However, the Labour Inspectorate is hoping to meet with the employer’s accountant to inspect records, the minister said.

Mr Fahey warned that if evidence was unearthed that employment rules were broken and workers were mistreated, prosecutions could follow.

Employment rights legislation applies to all workers in the State,

including the thousands of foreigners who have arrived in Ireland on visas over the last number of years.