Brickies picket Ballymun site

Bricklayers, members of BATU, picketed the Ballymun site of P Elliott builders, having been laid off and replaced by sub-contractors.

Major building contractor P Elliott faced the anger of a number of brickies who have been laid off by the employer.
Throughout the building industry, employers are using the threat of the recession to clear out unionised workers and replace them with sub-contractors and agency workers at rates of pay and conditions below the agreed levels.
As one of the picketers told swp.ie, "Elliotts told us they had nmo work for us and have made us redundant. We are without work.
"At the same time out work is being done by subbies.
"At this site we know that 2,000 blocks have been delivered and so there is work for brickies, but the company prefers to employ subbies and agency workers so they can pay them less."
At 7.45 am on Friday 2nd October, the brickies mounted their pick on the site in Ballymun's Sillogue Road. They were joined by local supporters.