Expansion of labour inspectorate planned

The Government plans a significant expansion of the labour inspectorate to tackle the growing exploitation of immigrant workers, The Irish Times has learned.

An increase in the present staff of 21 workplace inspectors is expected to be announced in a few weeks, after a review of the current service is completed.

The Department of Enterprise and Employment yesterday declined to comment on a report published in yesterday's Irish Times, which revealed that labour inspectors are extremely dissatisfied with the service they are providing.

According to the report, described by a department spokeswoman as an internal analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the service, inspectors are prevented from policing the minimum wage and other employment rights due to a lack of resources, training and staff.

The Labour Party yesterday called for the service to be expanded. Party spokesman on enterprise and employment Brendan Howlin said: "It is entirely unsatisfactory to have only 21 inspectors to police two million workers in all industries. Workplace inspections have dropped from 7,168 in 2003 to 5,160 in 2004."

Meanwhile, workers from Gama Construction again marched on Dublin's streets yesterday to seek access to money they say was paid into Dutch bank accounts for them without their knowledge. Several hundred staff of the Turkish-owned construction company marched to the department's offices on Kildare Street, demanding publication of an inspector's report into their alleged mistreatment.

Publication of the report is barred by a High Court injunction obtained last week by the company, but this comes up for review on Monday. Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin says he intends to publish the report if the injunction is lifted.

Mr Martin is expected to meet senior executives of Gama International next week in relation to issues raised in the report.

Meanwhile, Siptu says Gama has agreed to provide foreign bank account details and work records to allow investigation of claims that its workers here are owed millions in back-pay. The union says the company will give details of 10 employees so accounts in a Dutch bank can be compared to work sheets.

Meanwhile, in a statement Gama said it had written to the Minister "advising him of the circumstances surrounding the proposed repatriation of over 100 Gama workers" from Turkey. It said it "does not have work for this number of personnel as a major contract in Dublin has just been completed and another major contract granted to Gama has not materialised".

"The company therefore intends to repatriate these workers for reassignment to other contracts, a normal procedure."