Brinks' workers vote to go on strike

WORKERS at cash-in-transit security firm Brinks Allied voted in favour yesterday of all-out strike action.

SIPTU members at the company agreed to the stoppage after management planned to introduce new security vans and asked workers to adopt new working practices.

Staff voted 64 to nine for the action, which is due to begin next Thursday, SIPTU Security Branch Secretary Kevin McMahon said.

"This company has a small window of opportunity before it is wound down and it beholds the company, its workforce, and the unions to do everything to solve this problem," Mr McMahon said. "The vote will concentrate minds on both sides."

The dispute, now two weeks old, has left hundreds of cash machines across the east coast empty after workers refused to use new imported security vans and rejected plans for a "drive away" policy.

Brinks asked workers to flee the scene if attacked and abandon colleagues if necessary.

The new security measures were proposed after a number of armed raids in the Dublin area.

Union chiefs have said criminals stole €4 million in armed raids across Ireland in the first six months of this year.

On Tuesday, gardaí swooped on a number of addresses in the Palmerstown and Finglas areas of Dublin. The detectives, who are working as part of Operation Delivery set up to foil the €3m raids on cash-in-transit vans, found a rifle, ammunition and several car keys.

Union leaders alsoaccused the company of breaching the social partnership agreement by refusing to refer the matter to the Labour Court.

"We are at an impasse at the moment but, notwithstanding that, if an effort is made on the part of both sides there is a possibility to resolve this," said Mr McMahon.

He claimed all initiatives to end the dispute through the Labour Relations Commission have come from the union, and members said they were willing to return to work.

The union did not recommend that workers take industrial action.

The ICTU said it is seeking the intervention of the National Implementation Body, set up to ensure workers and employers comply with the social partnership deal.