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Labour Court backs SIPTU in Doyle Concrete /Steelite dispute

Date Released: 07 Feb 2006

The Labour Court has again backed SIPTU in its dispute with Doyle Concrete/Steelite over redundancy terms and rates of pay.

SIPTU’s Kildare/Leixlip Branch Organiser Adrian Kane, said he welcomed the recommendation which was a victory for the Union and its members.  He urged management at Doyle’s to see sense and accept the recommendation as it was the only way forward in resolving this long running dispute.

“Over the last few months SIPTU members in Doyle Concrete have been laid off while non-union employees - who broke the strike and who have considerably less service than our members - were transferred from Doyle Concrete to Steelite.  Management had previously torn up an agreed formula for a return to work in November - less than two weeks after the deal was struck.

In its recommendation, the Court said that in the event of redundancies being necessary, a total lump sum of five weeks’ pay per year of service should be paid to those workers being made redundant and that the selection process for redundancies should be on a voluntary basis and open to all employees in Doyle Concrete/Steelite.  If this can't be achieved, then redundancies should be implemented on a last in first out basis. 

 

“The Court’s recommendation is important for a number of reasons,” said Mr. Kane.  “It has lifted the corporate veil and made nonsense of the bogus argument put forward by management that Doyle’s and Steelite are two totally separate entities.  Steelite and Doyle Concrete are essentially two divisions of the same company, and the Companies Office shows Steelite as being wholly owned by Doyle Concrete Ltd.  The Court also said that management should provide SIPTU with written assurances that lower rates of pay no longer apply to non-national employees.

 

SIPTU members are meeting on Tuesday, February 7, to discuss the Labour Court Recommendation.  It is expected that the members will endorse the terms of the recommendation.



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