Cost of crane drivers’ pay dispute could soon top €1.5m a week

The cost of strike action by crane drivers, which has disrupted work on several large-scale Dublin construction projects, could soon top €1.5 million a week.

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said nine firms responsible for just over half the cranes operating in the city have already reported losses of €5 million as a result of the six-week long strike action.

It said the fines and penalties for the late delivery of projects managed by these firms had the potential to reach €1.5 million-a-week if the disruption continued into next month.

Crane drivers, represented by trade union Unite, have been picketing construction sites across in the city in a dispute over pay since June. With other workers refusing to pass the pickets, the strike action, which was upped to two days a week earlier this month, has effectively halted work on several sites.

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The union is seeking a series of staggered pay hikes which would see hourly rates for crane operators rise to €30 an hour by 2019. The pay claim is over and above that agreed with rival trade union Siptu.

Unite accuses the CIF, which represents the contractors, of withdrawing from talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), and thus triggering the industrial action.

"The best way for the CIF to vindicate its members' interests and put a halt to the current losses would be to simply sit down and negotiate collectively with Unite crane operators," Unite's Tom Fitzgerald said.

“Unite is seeking a collective agreement on behalf of crane operators that recognises their unique place in the industry,” he said, noting the union’s negotiating position has been to ask for €24 per hour, which constitutes about 10 per cent above what crane operators are currently achieving.

“This and subsequent increases would be a matter for negotiations. That, of course, would require the CIF to engage meaningfully in negotiations, which to date it has regrettably declined to do,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

However, the CIF said the union’s claim amounted to an 80 per cent pay hike for crane operators and that this was “unsustainable”.

“Construction companies cannot operate within this volatile environment and are being forced to place all their employees on protective notice,” a CIF spokesman said.

“Our estimates of the costs of these strikes action show the impact on a daily basis on companies delivering essential housing and commercial construction in Dublin.”

“We are now in the situation where Unite is jeopardising the jobs of all workers on construction sites in Dublin in the pursuit of a claim that no-one believes is justified or sustainable,” he said.

Protective notice

In response to the recent escalation of industrial action, building contractors have placed workers on protective notice and warned of temporary lay-offs and site shut downs if the strike action continues.

Several construction firms are also considering possible legal action against Unite in a bid to halt the picketing of sites.

The firms believe the union, which represents most of the crane drivers, may not have followed correct procedures in calling industrial action and therefore may be in contravention of industrial relations law.

The sites affected by the strike action include Dublin’s Capital Dock, where Sisk is the primary contractor, two locations operated by Rhatigans, and five by Bennett Construction.