Inducements in Gama case denied

The head of the labour inspectorate with the Department of Enterprise and Employment described as "entirely without substance…

The head of the labour inspectorate with the Department of Enterprise and Employment described as "entirely without substance" a Turkish lawyer's claim that he understood Gama workers gave interviews about their pay and conditions after they had accepted inducements from the inspectorate.

The lawyer was making the claim on behalf of the Turkish Gama construction company.

Edward Nolan also said that possible fraud was among the issues raised during the course of the investigation into Gama's employment affairs in Ireland.

Mr Nolan was responding to claims in an affidavit by Dogan Yagiz of Ankara, on behalf of the Turkish Gama company, which has brought proceedings to continue an order preventing publication of the inspectorate's report into the company's employment affairs in Ireland.

READ MORE

The investigation was commenced after Gama Construction Ireland Ltd was accused of underpaying and overworking Turkish workers on Irish sites.

In his affidavit Mr Yagiz said Mr Nolan had not indicated whether or not inducements were offered to any person interviewed by him, with a view to that person giving evidence, and, if so, which persons interviewed were offered inducements.

Mr Yagiz added: "I understand that such inducements were indeed offered and accepted." He claimed that the inspector had prepared a report which was "far reaching" in relation to Gama's activities here.

Mr Nolan in his replying affidavit said Mr Yagiz's allegation about inducements was "entirely without substance". He also added that it was notable that Mr Yagiz did not provide any information on the relationship between the Turkish and Irish companies.

Issues raised during the course of the investigation included breaches of employees' rights, competition law, public procurement law, taxation law, corporate governance law and possible fraud, he said.

Mr Nolan said Gama's complaints were without merit and the Minister was extremely concerned that the report be published at the earliest opportunity. During the course of the investigation, Gama Construction Ireland Ltd had admitted to a number of serious breaches of employment rights, he added.

Gama workers protested outside the Four Courts yesterday as counsel for the Turkish company, senior counsel Richard Nesbitt, applied for an interlocutory injunction that would further prevent the release of the report, pending the outcome of Gama's application for a judicial review against the Minister for Trade and Employment.

The Minister had directed his inspectors to carry out the investigation following allegations raised in the Dáil by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins.

An earlier court hearing was told that Mr Higgins had claimed in the Dáil that unskilled Turkish construction workers on Irish projects were being paid between €2 and €3 an hour with somewhat more than €3 an hour being paid to skilled workers. Mr Higgins had described their alleged 80-hour week as grotesque.

Mr Nesbitt yesterday told Mr Justice Kelly that his clients, Gama Endustri Tesisleri Imalat Ve Montaj AS, Ankara, Turkey, employed Turkish workers who were seconded to Gama Construction Ireland Ltd, which was carrying out industrial projects in Ireland.

Before proceedings began yesterday, Alastair Rutherdale said he represented Mr Higgins and asked that his client be joined as a notice party.

Mr Justice Kelly adjourned until today the further hearing of the application for an interlocutory injunction and the application to allow Mr Higgins to be represented.