IRISH: Cement plant workers go on strike over pay

Up to 100 workers at Irish Cement Ltd have gone on strike.

They have been manning pickets at the entrances to the plants at Castlemungret in Co. Limerick and Platin in Co. Meath, since early this morning.

Management at Irish Cement have expressed their disappointment at the escalation of the industrial action.

The workers have said they are protesting at the company's failure to implement a Labour Court recommendation that they be paid thousands of euro they say they are owed by the firm.

Irish Cement management has said that the Labour Court suggested a pay cut of 6%.

The company has said it has "repeatedly attempted" to talk with unions on reductions in pay rates "which include bonuses reflecting peak output levels". 

Employees are represented by the Irish Cement Group of unions which includes SIPTU, the TEEU and Unite.

The firm said in a statement: "Pay rates have remained unchanged since 2008 and currently are 60% higher than the average industrial wage for unionised staff, despite the unprecedented deterioration in the Irish construction sector which now operates at 20% of the 2007 peak output.

"The company is deeply disappointed that protracted attempts at meaningful dialogue on this issue with the group of unions have failed, including an intervention by the Labour Court in the past week. The Labour Court suggested a pay cut of 6% which was subsequently rejected by union ballot."

The company's management condemned as "irresponsible" the work-to-rule actions by unionised workers in recent weeks.

They said theis arcions had "systematically rendered both plants inoperable and attempted to undermine supplies of cement to customers".

They said: "Pay rates are unsustainable and are impacting negatively on the competitiveness of the company in the markets in which it operates and also on its capacity to export. Management continues to urge unionised staff through their representatives to commence meaningful engagement with the company so as to achieve the long overdue and necessary reductions required in remuneration as a matter of priority."