Ballybrack men jailed for picketing

[RedFlag32]

I am mates with one of the men jailed,taught it might be of interest here.What do people think of the idea that builders should use local workers?


Bricklayers jailed over site picket

10 February 2006 16:55
Three bricklayers from Ballybrack in south Dublin have been jailed after refusing to undertake to obey a court order to stop picketing a building site in Ballybrack.

The men, all from the Ballybrack/Sallynoggin area, were part of a group who placed a picket on the Collen Construction Limited building site where 77 local authority houses are being built.

Today the three men, Andrew Clarke of Cromlech Fields, Keith Kelly of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack and William McClurg, Sallynoggin, told the High Court they would not obey the court order.




They were then jailed by Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, who told them they could come back to court and purge their contempt at any time.

Supporters in the courtroom gave the men a round of applause and some shouted that it was a disgrace, these are three family men.

The men had claimed that they live in the community where the construction is going on and are unable to obtain employment at the site.

[Papa C.]

I also know a couple of the guys. Really nice lads. I'm a little puzzled though. Were they picketing because they couldn't get work from a local site for a specific reason or because they had some problem with working conditions?

The company has no obligation to take them on purely on the fact that they're from the area. Obviously it would be nice to have local people working there but were they not taken on for a specific reason? I need more info on this story.

[RedFlag32]

admin said:

I also know a couple of the guys. Really nice lads. I'm a little puzzled though. Were they picketing because they couldn't get work from a local site for a specific reason or because they had some problem with working conditions?

The company has no obligation to take them on purely on the fact that they're from the area. Obviously it would be nice to have local people working there but were they not taken on for a specific reason? I need more info on this story.

From what i gathered they are objecting because they didnt get first preference for the job as they are local and also unemployed brickies,there is nothing to say that the company has to take local people on so it was an illegal picket and they have been jailed untill monday morning to appear in court again.I dont knwo the full story myself but thats what ive found out.Two SF representatives were just at the door asking for us to sign a petition,labour has also jumoed on board all condeming the fact they were jailed.

I was listening to a radio program on the issue of local people being employed by builders and one builder said its very hard to do as you usually have a group of reliable people working for you on all your jobs and also they are not going to employ local workers if the quality of there work isnt up to scratch,it didnt make business sense to him.

Sopposedly there are 200 unemployed brickies in dublin,I wonder why are they unemployed,is it cheap foriegn labor?i think this issue goes a bit deeper than local men not getting local jobs.

[Papa C.]

I just heard they weren't taken on because they were in a Union. In which case fair play to the bhoys for picketing against the scumbag, capitalist, bosses. If this is the case they have my full support.

I wouldn't blame foreign workers on selling cheap labour. I'd blame the bosses for exploiting the workers in order to make more profit for themselves and playing workers against each other as the capitalist usually does.

Can't find any reference on the story online. Maybe someone else will have better luck.

Ref - www.irishbandslist.com/starryplough/socmadeeasy.html

[RedFlag32]

www.indymedia.ie/article/74391

[Papa C.]

The bhoys were freed today. Fair fucks to them for standing up for the union against big business.

Hasta la Victoria Siempre!

[RedFlag32]

Im still a bit confused about what happened here,did the contractor really refuse them because they were union members?its been claimed but nothing solid.