A construction company accused of mistreating its Turkish workers last night denied new allegations about its activities.
At a hastily arranged meeting with labour inspectors at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Gama Construction said its employees had received all payments due to them for March.
It was responding to an allegation that cash payments, normally paid to workers in addition to monies paid into Turkish and Dutch bank accounts, had been withheld.
The meeting was organised after Minister for Employment Micheál Martin requested Gama's senior management to meet officials for "urgent" discussions. Mr Martin called for the meeting after receiving what he said were further complaints yesterday regarding the treatment of Gama workers.
In addition to the claim that cash payments had been withheld, Mr Martin also wanted officials to question Gama about alleged intimidation of workers at one of its sites at the weekend.
It is claimed workers at the Tynagh Energy power station in Galway, which Gama is building and in which it has an 80 per cent stake, were locked out of their living quarters after attending a meeting with other employees in Dublin at the weekend.
Yesterday several coachloads of Dublin-based Gama workers travelled to Tynagh to stage a protest.
It is understood Gama managers told the labour inspectors they were still attempting to ascertain exactly what had happened at the weekend, and they would report back when the situation was clarified.
Inspectors also warned Gama last night that the department expected to be informed in advance of any plans by the company to move workers back to Turkey or elsewhere.
This was in response to a statement by Gama on Monday that the work permits of 140 of its employees had expired and they would be repatriated to Turkey shortly.
Mr Martin said a month ago that an agreement had been reached with Gama that no workers would be moved without prior reference to the labour inspectorate.
At the same time he announced he was suspending the issuing of new work permits to the company, after it admitted underpaying most of its Turkish workers last year due to an "error".
In a statement last night, Gama said it had responded fully to the department's inquiries. There had been several allegations of intimidation, but the only such case it was aware of was intimidation of Gama employees who had declined to protest against the company.
"A major contract in Dublin has just been completed," the statement added. "Another major contract granted to Gama, also in Dublin, has not materialised due to inability of the client to hand over the site.
"Under the circumstances, Gama no longer has work in Ireland for 140 employees. The company is therefore required, under the terms of its work permits, to repatriate these employees to Turkey." Mr Martin had been notified of the situation, it said.
Yesterday's protest at the Tynagh Energy power station site was attended by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness.
Mr Higgins alleged in February that Gama was engaged in "immigrant worker exploitation of massive proportions", prompting an official investigation which is currently being completed.
