THE President, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, councillors and other dignitaries may have to bring their own step-ladders to review this year's St Patrick's Day parade if the city's scaffolders fail to make progress on a "follow-on" pay claim to match the 50 per cent increase recently won by crane drivers.
SIPTU scaffolders, who erect the VIP platform, are meeting tomorrow to discuss a proposal to "black" the parade as one of a number of measures to increase pressure on construction industry employers.
Other high-profile public events in the city could also be affected.
The chairman of the union's scaffolding section, Mr Andrew McGuinness, says a proposal to boycott the parade will be among a number of measures to be considered at the meeting.
Recently crane drivers won a £3-an-hour incentive bonus in a series of local agreements within the industry. Their basic rate was £6.25 and most of the major contractors in the city are now paying the bonus.
Scaffolders are still on £6.25 and Mr McGuinness says the union has come across cases where scaffolders on some sites were earning only £5.50.
Some of these were working in the black economy, which he described as widespread.