Threat regarding eviction and food lifted
Friday 29 April marked the second day of an escalated picketing out of GAMA sites in response to their hiring of sub-contracted scab labour and their threat to sack workers still out on strike and evict them from their accomodation
The only people working at Ballymun GAMA construction site on Friday were ten Turks who had to sleep overnight on the site in order to avoid the picket.
Irish SIPTU workers have stayed out with the GAMA workers and have generally been supportive. They understand the significance of subcontracted scabs being used to break industrial action.
Seamus Brennan, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs was interviewed on RTE radio on Friday morning. He was asked if he would respond to ICTU’s request that the GAMA workers be given emergency payments in light of GAMA suspending the workers from the payroll, cutting their food supply and telling them to vacate the company provided accommodation.
Brennan was non-committal, mainly blaming the company for the situation and saying he didn’t want to create precedents. However twenty minutes later the RTE announcer said that GAMA management were in touch with them and they have decided to lift the threat regarding eviction and food. No mention was made of their pay and the other more substantial issues of exploitation we have covered.
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