Carlow Builders Told That Site Was: "Not Employing Anyone Who Was A Member Of A Union."

"Fuck Off The Site and Stand At The Gate If They Wanted"

The front page of the Carlow Nationalist today carried reports of an emerging protest at the gates of a building site in at Fruithill, in Carlow town. The unofficial dispute arose after two members, block layers both, of the Carlow branch of BATU approached the site only to be told they were "not employing anyone who is a member of a union."

The company which finds itself at the centre of the protest is LJM Ireland LTD which was granted a contract from the town council for the development of local authority social housing under the supervision of the National Building Agency last January.

The local paper has qouted Dan McInerney, Senior Engineer with the local authorities as saying that "On the signing of the contract last January the council were happy that LJM were fully in compliance with all regulations in the areas of rates of pay, sick pay and pensions."

A spokesperson for the Carlow branch of BATU has confirmed having meetings with local councillors and local authority officials on the issue. He also went on to describe the protest at the Fruithill site where 96 houses are being developed as the result of individual actions by members and is not conducted officially by the union.