Families of site fatalities left ‘high and dry’ says SIPTU

FAMILIES were left in financial trouble by fatalities on building sites last year, the country’s largest union claimed yesterday.

SIPTU said preliminary findings into some construction industry deaths showed the victims’ families were left financially high and dry.

Union official Mick Finnegan said rogue building firms are not participating in mandatory social welfare schemes. As a result, following on-site tragedies, next-of-kin are denied bereavement grants and pension allowances.

“It’s a scandal,” said Mr Finnegan. “Some families lost their sole breadwinner on building sites and were not aware of, or did not receive, state benefits.”

He said construction unions were given an assurance by former Minister of State Tom Kitt that social welfare legislation would be enforced within the industry.

“The minister also assured us stiffer penalties would be introduced against rogue builders and developers, but nothing has happened,” he said.

Although investigations are still continuing into some of last year’s 22 fatal accidents, Mr Finnegan said preliminary research showed that some families did not receive any state benefits.

“We are still trying to establish how many families of construction workers who died in recent years have been denied social welfare allowances following tragedies,” he said.

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF), which has a membership of 3,000 registered companies, emphasised yesterday that it could not comment on specific cases.

However, a spokesperson said that construction workers employed by the vast majority of CIF members are entitled to all social welfare benefits.

The spokesperson said: “There is a registered agreement on pay and conditions, which the construction unions played a major part in formulating.

“This partnership approach is carried through by a joint monitoring agency which evaluates compliance with the registered agreement. The unions also have an active participation in the monitoring aspect.”

The CIF spokesperson suggested: “In the case of accidents and especially fatalities, financial matters are dealt with discreetly and sensitively.

“Our members work closely with accident victims or families to ensure they get their entitlements.”

The spokesperson said some victims of serious or fatal accidents were self-employed, and that the CIF was not in a position to comment on how they conducted their business affairs.