A mass withdrawal of labour by construction workers in response to the arrest of 17 colleagues in Dublin was threatened last night. However, union sources played down the threat, saying they were unaware of any such plans.
A group of building workers said they were organising the unofficial action, which would begin today and would escalate over the weekend. One of those claiming to organise the protest said all building workers would have withdrawn from sites by Monday.
The arrest of 17 men who picketed a construction site in Dublin was criticised last night by the Labour TD, Mr Joe Costello. He said the arrests, at North Circular Road, were a reflection of an increasing tendency by employers to use legal action rather than the labour relations agencies.
However, the construction company whose site was picketed blamed the Building and Allied Trades Union for the episode.
Collen Construction said "wholly illegal picketing" had taken place at a number of its sites, and the situation had escalated in recent days. BATU, however, denied having any involvement in the picket.
The union's general secretary, Mr Paddy O'Shaughnessy, said it did not have any dispute with Collen Construction and had members working for the company. Asked if the workers who were arrested and subsequently fined by the High Court were BATU members, he said: "I'm not in a position to confirm that. I honestly don't know."
The dispute has its origins in the use of sub-contractors by Collen which, as the company told a previous court hearing, is widespread practice in the industry.
In an affidavit to the High Court last year Mr Leo Crehan, a director of the company, outlined a number of instances of alleged intimidation of contract workers on Collen Construction sites.
The High Court subsequently granted an injunction restraining certain parties from picketing a number of named Collen sites.
