SIPTU PRESIDENT Jack O’Connor has told protesters that workers should expect to be “treated with dignity and respect when they go to work in Ireland regardless of whether they come from Waterford or Warsaw”.
About 300 people gathered in Waterford city in protest against pay cuts and in support of union recognition at a Mr Binman facility at Ballylynch, Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary.
Siptu yesterday repeated a request for the waste disposal company to re-engage with its members through the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) regarding the issues that have resulted in increasing tensions between the company’s management and workers in recent weeks.
About 40 workers have been on strike at the Mr Binman facility for eight weeks, while pickets have now been placed at the company’s premises in Dungarvan and in Co Limerick. Mr Binman, a household and commercial bin collection company, operates mainly in counties Tipperary, Waterford, Limerick and Kilkenny.
The workers’ anger originally stemmed from a 10 per cent pay cut, announced by the company in March. However, the following day, a letter informed workers that pay cuts were to be introduced, ranging from 10 per cent to 49 per cent. Differing rates of pay and overtimes rates are also in dispute.
Other issues included revised conditions on overtime, which would be paid after 45 hours of work per week.
Regional manager with Mr Binman Conor McElvaney, in a letter to one worker dated March 26th, 2009, and seen yesterday by The Irish Times, recognised that “a 43 per cent reduction to your current package” is very substantial.
But it was “the only viable alternative” the company could offer “short of rationalisation and redundancy”, the letter said.
The rally yesterday afternoon gathered at The Glen in the city and marched along the Quay and up to John Roberts’ Square.
Mr O’Connor criticised Mr Binman for not engaging in talks with Siptu members. He said: “There is a campaign under way . . . a campaign to persuade people to give up what has been won and to give it up easily and to give it up without questioning it.” He said there has been a campaign underway in the country to “persuade people that everybody has taken pay cuts” and that it “has been extremely successful”.