Gama workers have rejected the return-to-work proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). Last night the Labour Court announced it had intervened in the dispute.
At a meeting in Liberty Hall, Dublin, yesterday, workers 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.
"Siptu justified its illegal strike of recent days by branding it a lock-out, despite the fact that jobs were available for a return to work. Yesterday Gama showed its good faith by guaranteeing jobs through the LRC. This demonstrates that Siptu's claims of a lock-out were a sham," said the statement.
The Turkish Workers' Action Group says the workers in Dublin fear that if they go back to work they will be sent to other operations in Galway and Clare and intimidated by management.
But a Gama spokesman rejected accusations of intimidation, adding that no returning worker would be relocated.
Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy has invited representatives of both sides to separate meetings this afternoon with a view to arranging a formal investigation "at the earliest opportunity".
The Gama spokesman said the company would be reviewing its position this morning in relation to the Labour Court decision.
Meanwhile, the Ballymun Gama Solidarity Group staged a lunchtime protest in the Civic Offices in Ballymun yesterday accusing Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL) of "complicity in the abuses of Gama workers". The group also called on BRL and Dublin City Council to suspend Gama's contracts until a resolution was found.
A council spokeswoman said no contract would be suspended before the completion of an inquiry by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.