Mr Justice Frank Clarke has adjourned ruling on an application by one of Ireland's biggest building contractors for an interlocutory injunction refraining members of the Building and Allied Trades Union (Batu) from picketing at four building sites.
Building contractor P Elliot & Company Ltd, based in Cavan town, was 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 Clarke was told that P Elliot & Company Ltd is one of the largest construction firms operating in Ireland with about 500 staff nationwide and operates about 30 sites at any one time.
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 had not followed Labour Court procedures.
On September 1st last, picketing began at one site in Tallaght, Dublin, and three in Limerick, which together are worth over €100 million.
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.
Mr Justice Clarke adjourned ruling on the case until next week after hearing submissions from counsel for Batu, Barra Faughnan.
