A dispute with between Unite trade union members and builder JJ Rhatigan has highlighted the failure of the Department of Education to ensure schools are not build by exploited workers.
Since early September, a group of workers have been on strike at Kishoge Community College, South Lucan. They were forced into the dispute due to JJ Rhatigan’s subcontracting system which was resulting in workers being left without pay, insurance cover or statutory health and safety protections.
Building worker Paddy Redmond said: “We were forced from our jobs due to the contractor attempting to force us to accept pay for piece work at a rate that does not offer a living wage. In some incidents, skilled workers have been earning less than the minimum wage on a project which is funded by the Department of Education.”
The dispute has seen workers occupying a crane on the Kishoge site and supporters protesting outside other JJ Rhatigan sites.
The failure of the Department of Education to enforce standards on its building sites has also been highlighted by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Congress Industrial Official Fergus Whelan said: “Unions are aware of skilled trades people being paid as little as €250 a week on sites, well below the established rate”.
He added: “Although these projects are funded by the taxpayer, few opportunities are given to local building workers or unemployed apprentices to get back to work. Instead, employment agencies are sourcing most of their exploited cheap labour from outside the state. The Department of Education has continued to award new contracts to the contractors involved, despite being aware of these abuses for over two years”.
