Unions gear up for joint protest

TRADE unions representing workers at Peel Ports operations across Europe are gearing up for a co-ordinated protest against the company’s treatment of its staff in Dublin Port.

The dispute at the Marine Terminals operation began after unions claimed its new owners, Peel Ports, embarked on a campaign to replace the existing workforce with lower paid, non-unionised employees.

On July 3, pickets were mounted at Marine Terminals after the company made a number of Siptu staff from its 70-strong workforce redundant earlier this year and many more were asked to take redundancy.

Remaining employees were told that they would have to sign new contracts and take 14% to 18% pay cuts.

SIPTU, the biggest union at the operation, said staff were informed they would have to agree to the cuts or face losing their jobs. It also said the company has refused to engage in meaningful negotiations with it and has brought in workers from Scotland, the North and other parts of the Republic to break the strike.

UNITE, which represents a number of staff at Peel Ports’ operations in the North and Scotland, said the Dublin dispute had been a wake-up call for everyone and it was “undertaking an urgent information exercise across Ireland and Britain to support our colleagues in Dublin in every way possible”.

Ken Fleming, of the International Transport Federation, called on workers across Dublin Ports to come out in support of those workers from Marine Terminals in difficulty.

Last night, a company spokesman said the salaries enjoyed by workers in the operation were, at up to €75,000 for a crane operator, way above their counterparts elsewhere in the Port of Dublin and in the industry generally.

He said the Port, without the striking workers, was actually working more smoothly.

“We have agreed to further talks on August 17, at which stage we hope that the union will recognise their actions are actually harming the interests of their members and enter into meaningful discussions,” he said.