Talks to end a dispute at the Capel Developments site at Merrion Road and the O'Connor Construction site at Conyngham Road in Dublin are expected to begin today. However, unofficial picketing, which resumed at both sites yesterday, is expected to continue in the meantime.
Neither of the two workers jailed for contempt of court last week - Mr Willy Rodgers, a labourer, and Mr David McMahon, a bricklayer - is expected to join this morning's picket. However, they may picket the offices of the two companies at Ballymount Road, Walkinstown, Dublin.
The men were released on Friday after giving an undertaking to Mr Justice Kelly not to participate further in the unofficial picketing of the companies' sites. The injunctions did not include the office address.
A spokesman for Building Workers Against the Black Economy said last night that there would be a mass picket at the Merrion Road site from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m. today. After that, normal picketing would resume at both sites.
He said that construction workers were more determined than ever, after the jailing of Mr Rodgers and Mr McMahon, "to root out the abuse of the subcontracting system". They were determined that all building workers could walk on to any site "and be automatically entitled to be treated as PAYE workers, paying their taxes and PRSI, and entitled to their pensions, sick pay and mortality benefit."
He described the jailing of the two men as "just one more stage in the campaign" and warned that the dispute could escalate.
Mr John O'Connor, who is a director of both companies, said there was no black economy on those sites and that they were available for talks. He expected the Construction Industry Federation to be in touch with the Building and Allied Trades Union later today with a view to resolving the dispute.