Firm hires migrant workers to 'keep manners on Paddies'

A COMPANY involved in a bitter industrial relations dispute in Co Tipperary is hiring migrant workers because the owner claims they are more efficient and less likely to be absent than Irish workers.

Martin Sheahan, owner of waste-disposal company Mr Binman, has infuriated members of the Siptu trade union by claiming that: “The Paddy is the best man in the world when he goes abroad to work but he’s a different man at home.” He made the comments during a recent interview with the Irish Farmer’s Journal.

He told The Irish Timesyesterday that he stood over the "fair comment" and confirmed that he had "hired non-nationals to keep manners on the Paddies".

A group of Mr Binman workers, who have been on strike for more than seven weeks, held a street protest and march yesterday morning in Carrick-on-Suir. They claim that they are being forced to take “drastic” pay cuts of up to 49 per cent and work longer hours.

About 40 workers were joined by family members and supporters at the protest outside a company depot before marching through the streets to a rally at Seán Kelly Square which was addressed by Siptu officials and the Independent Clonmel councillor and former TD Séamus Healy.

Local Siptu branch organiser Davy Lane claimed that the company “uses non-union labour to force down wages which are already too low”. He said the workers wanted a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

All of the workers on strike had been on different rates of pay and all had received letters from the company informing them of pay cuts and increased working hours.

Workers showed the media four sample letters with wage cuts of 35, 43, 47 and 49 per cent respectively.

A striking driver, who did not wish to be named, said his take-home pay was €650 a week, but the company wanted to cut this by 35 per cent and increase his working hours from 40 to 45 hours.

Siptu says the company has refused to negotiate with the union or to enter talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

Mr Binman provides household and commercial bin collections, principally in counties Limerick, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford.

Mr Sheahan (69), a former farmer who founded the company in 1992, said he employed 320 people and claimed only a small minority of 27 is on strike.

He said he was prepared to talk to the employees involved in the dispute but he would not recognise or negotiate with Siptu.

Siptu has vowed to intensify the dispute and said it would hold a rally in support of the strikers in Waterford later this month to be addressed by the union’s president Jack O’Connor.