Workers at Gama vote for all-out strike

WORKERS at Gama have voted overwhelmingly in favour of official strike action following a month-long series of unofficial stoppages.

In a ballot of Gama's Dublin sites on Thursday, both Irish and Turkish workers voted for all-out industrial action.

Although a formal announcement has not yet been made, union officials last night confirmed that 99% of Gama's Dublin workers endorsed official stoppages in a row over underpayment and alleged wage fraud.

The ballot represents more than 200 Turkish workers and up to 50 Irish colleagues on two Gama sites in Ballymun and another site close to Lucan.

Members of SIPTU, the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) and the Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland (OPATSI) all participated in this week's ballot. However, it remains unclear whether strike notice will be officially served on Gama as behind-the-scenes contacts between unions, workers and Gama appeared to be making progress last night.

In particular, Gama for the first time indicated, in private meetings with workers and in communications with union officials, that it may be willing to do a deal on millions of euro in overtime payments owed to workers. Formally a spokesman for the company said the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) had been advised that Gama was "available to attend a conciliation conference" following initial exploratory LRC talks with both sides last week. Company sources denied the apparent softening of Gama's previously hardline stance was in response to this week's ballot.

However, unions pointed out that participation in any LRC talks would require workers to return to work a decision yet to be made by the committee of the Turkish Workers Action Group (TWAG), which represents protesting employees. Meantime, a TWAG statement said Gama had committed to paying union rates to all workers and conceded several other issues, including some back-pay to fixed-rate workers. Unlike other employees, fixed-rate workers did not receive a windfall from previously unknown accounts in Amsterdam.

Yesterday's statement said protesting workers would be "prepared to call a mass meeting" to consider any "realistic offer to the fixed-rate workers and also a substantial offer in regard to the outstanding overtime for all workers".

Workers say they have received all the money owed to them from Finansbank in Amsterdam but yesterday pledged to continue their protest until they are paid all overtime owed. Since arriving in Ireland, most workers say they worked an 84-hour week while receiving wages for just 40 hours. Meanwhile, a judicial review sought by the company into the authority of Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin to order a Labour Inspectorate report into Gama is expected to conclude on Tuesday. Until then the report, which has been forwarded to the Fraud squad, the Revenue and the Director of Corporate Enforcement, remains injuncted.