Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy has invited representatives of both sides in the Gama dispute to separate meetings this afternoon with a view to arranging a formal investigation.
A spokeswoman for Gama Construction confirmed the company had accepted the Labour Court's invitation and would be attending the meeting later this afternoon.
Statement from Gama Construction
Yesterday, workers rejected the return-to-work proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). At a meeting in Liberty Hall, Dublin, they said they did not trust Gama management despite the company's assurances to the LRC.
"They want the institutions of the State to continue their investigation into Gama and they want to be able to give evidence about their pay and conditions," said Siptu's national industrial secretary Noel Dowling.
Gama placed the blame for the impasse on Siptu, accusing the union of "bad faith". In a hard-hitting statement, Gama said Siptu officials had sabotaged efforts to broker an agreement.
"Siptu has undermined Gama's attempts to resolve issues of concern to employees with a hostile campaign of condemnation. Intimidation against Gama employees who wish to continue working has continued," it said. Siptu has denied this.
Some 300 of Gama's Turkish workers went on strike six weeks ago over claims that they were paid between €2 and €3 an hour for working up to 80 hours a week.
More than 200 have returned to Turkey, and about 85 remain on strike here. The company says some 500 Turkish people are still working as usual for Gama in Ireland.
On Monday Gama gave assurances to the LRC that workers would not be forced to go abroad if they returned to work and that they would be kept on until their contracts expired in August and October.