Employees strike after firm opts for agency workers

A LIMERICK construction company is facing strike action on at least one of its sites after it made full-time employees redundant and replaced them with agency workers.

Chieftain Construction has been accused by SIPTU of sacrificing its staff for cheaper labour.

According to SIPTU’s Pat McCabe the company informed general operatives and craft workers that due to a downturn there would be no work for them. While the craft workers were told they were only being laid off and would be taken back on when there was work again, the operatives were told they would only be offered redundancy.