Building firm seeks court order to prevent picketing

One of the Republic's biggest building contractors is seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent members of the Building and Allied Trades Union (Batu) from picketing at four building sites, which together are worth over €100 million.

Building contractors P.Elliot & Company Ltd, based in Cavan town, were yesterday seeking the injunction from the High Court to prevent Batu from instructing its members to engage in industrial action at their sites.

Mr Justice Frank Clarke was told that P.Elliot & Company Ltd is one of the largest construction firms operating in the Republic, employing about 500 staff nationwide and operates about 30 sites at any one time.

Mr Roddy Horan SC, for P.Elliot & Company Ltd, told Mr Justice Clarke that pickets on four of the company's development sites were unlawful and Labour Court procedures had not been not followed.

On September 1st last, picketing began at one site in Tallaght, Dublin, and three in Limerick.

At Whytes Town Way in Tallaght, the contractors are operating a €100 million site for the construction of a hotel, residential dwellings and retail units.

A penalty of €50,000 per week will be incurred by the company if there is a delay on completion of work.

Twenty picketers arrived with placards saying they were on an official strike. Access to the site was blocked, two employees were assaulted by picketers and the gardai were called.

Two picketers arrived at the Mary Immaculate College site in Limerick city with placards reading "official dispute."

On the same morning, picketers blocked access to the site at the Doordoyle in Limerick city, where the firm is contracted to build a library and motor tax office worth €9.9 million. No work was completed on that day.

The developers face a penalty of €10,000 per week if there is a delay in the completion of that project.

At the same time, two Batu members, who are not employed by the company, picketed at the Anna Crotty site, in Limerick and refused to permit access to workers.

Mr Horan submitted that the people picketing the sites are not employed by P.Elliot & Company Ltd and that their employees who are members of Batu had voted against industrial action.

In September 2005, the company was approached by a representative of Batu who wanted to agree certain conditions of employment for its members in the Limerick area.

Counsel for Batu, Barra Faughnan BL, will make his submissions today.