Workers on the €350 million refubishment of the ESB's Moneypoint plant are being paid below the minimum wage, a union claimed today.
The TEEU said 63 Polish people working as fitters and welders are being paid €5.20 an hour, or less, to work on the project.
However, it believes many of them fear coming forward because they would be forced to leave their jobs and return to Poland.
Owen Wills, TEEU
The company they work for, ZRE Katowicz (Ireland) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Polish firm ZRE Katowicz SA, has signed an agreement with the union to pay rates of €18.97 an hour, in accordance with a registered employment agreement.
"In any man's language, that's exploitation," said Pat Guilfoyle of the TEEU.
"No manipulation or massaging of those figures can cover up for that fact."
Mr Guilfoyle said the company's move was designed to exploit foreign workers and to displace local workers.
The union claims major elements of the State's employment legislation is being breached by the contractor, which is registered in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
Because it is registered here it, the company is subject to Irish laws, the union said at a Dublin press conference.
A 'payslip' for one of the workers produced by the TEEU indicated he had received just over €1,000 for one month's work, based on a 52-hour working week.
The union said €100 in unspecified deductions as well as €25 for meals had been made from the workers, without their consent.
In addition, it appeared the company was not making PRSI or pension payments on the workers' behalf, nor was it paying them an agreed €157 a week in subsistence.
The TEEU's Pat Guilfoyle said the migrant workers were being exploited and said local workers were being displaced as a result.
General secretary Owen Wills said the union "is concerned that a Gama-type scenario could exist and is developing further at Moneypoint. This is totally unacceptable to us as a union and, I believe, it will also be totally unacceptable to other affiliates of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as talks on a new national agreement enter a critical phase regarding the protection of employment standards.
"The fact that the client is the ESB shows that even in the public sector assurances given in the past about ensuring labour laws and standards are complied with are not worth the paper they are written on. Incredibly we still have CIF and IBEC representatives telling us, the Government and the public in general that Gama and Irish Ferries were 'once-off' situations that will never recur."
TEEU indicated that the plight of the Polish workers was brought to its attention by some of its members working for the ESB and that the company was "as appalled as we are".
ESB spokesman
However, union officials believe it would be impossible for the ESB to enforce the workers' contracts without taking civil action against the contractor.
ESB is due to respond to the union tomorrow and Mr Guilfoyle will meet some of the Polish workers on the site on Wednesday, he said.
He said it was lucky the issue had been brought to the union's attention by workers for the ESB, because if the same issue had arisen in some private companies, union officials would likely be barred from the site by security staff.
The ESB said it had investigated the company after its internal audit system had uncovered the wage problems last month.
"As a result of that, a memorandum of understanding has been reached with the contractor concerned. They've agreed to abide by all relevant labour laws, including backpay where necessary, and will be subject to a further audit by the end of this month," a spokesman said.
The ESB said it could not reveal the amount of money to be repaid by ZRE Katowicz to its workers because of a confidentiality clause.
TEEU said it believes some Irish contractors are also involved in paying foreign workers below the minimum wage and agreed rates.
It is investigating claims that one contractor in particular has brought Croatian workers into the country and is paying them less than it is obliged to by law.
During investigations into the current issue, TEEU said it had emerged that similar practices occurred during a major contract on the Shannonbridge power plant.
Further investigations are taking place on those claims.
Additional reporting: PA