Management and union representatives at Gama Construction are to attend the Labour Relations Commission today for talks aimed at resolving the row over the pay and conditions of the company's Turkish workers.
Both the company and Siptu, which represents Gama's general workers, accepted an invitation at the weekend to meet the commission for "exploratory" discussions.
The LRC's chief executive, Kieran Mulvey, and its deputy director of conciliation, Kevin Foley, will meet both parties. Direct talks between the two sides are not planned.
Up to 300 of Gama's Turkish employees have been engaged in a work stoppage for the past three weeks, claiming they were paid as little as €2 to €3 an hour and were not told about the existence of Dutch bank accounts into which a portion of their wages was paid.
An official strike ballot is currently being organised by Siptu, which provided food for Gama workers in Dublin last week after the company removed some 230 workers from its payroll and stopped stocking on-site canteens for a period.
It had also asked workers engaged in the stoppage to leave company-provided accommodation by last Friday. Following criticism of its stance by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, it announced on Friday that there would be no evictions and food supplies would be restored.
Gama, a multinational construction company with headquarters in Turkey, has been at the centre of controversy since February when Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins accused it in the Dáil of exploiting immigrant workers. The company has consistently denied the allegation, saying it pays all workers the agreed industry rates and that its employees have always been aware of, and had access to, the accounts in Amsterdam into which some of their wages were paid.
Speaking at a May Day rally in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Higgins called on all trade union members to support the Gama workers and ensure no work was carried out at its sites. "Bring them to a halt, that is how we will bring down this company."
An investigation into Gama's pay rates by the labour inspectorate of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment was completed recently. Its report has been circulated to a number of regulatory bodies including the Garda, the Revenue Commissioners and the director of corporate enforcement.
A legal challenge to the report by Gama is due to be heard in the High Court tomorrow.