Ireland: Gama workers win more concessions from management

Turkish Workers’ Action Group, press statement

GAMA workers call on company to make realistic proposals to resolve outstanding issues of overtime and fixed wage workers

• Issue of funds hidden in Finansbank Holland largely resolved for Turkish workers still in Ireland
• GAMA has committed to paying the proper trade union rates for operatives and trades

At a meeting of the Committee of GAMA employees currently on work stoppage, it was decided to call on GAMA management to come forward with a realistic proposal to resolve the outstanding issues, which include major unpaid overtime and the plight of a category of GAMA employees known as fixed rate workers.

The fixed rate employees include such workers as surveyors and drivers. The typical wage would be in the region of €800 per month, but that involved working the same 80-hour plus week as other workers.

GAMA today made a concession and paid a back amount of money to the fixed rate workers equivalent to 42% of their previous wage. This is totally inadequate however as it would mean only an extra €332 for a worker on the €800 a month rate. This would mean that a fixed rate worker here for say, three years would get around €10,000, but a construction operative here for the same time would have had up to €30,000 in Finansbank, Holland.

The GAMA workers on strike today said they would be prepared to call a mass meeting of all workers in dispute, if the company made a realistic offer to the fixed rate workers and also a substantial offer in regard to the outstanding overtime for all workers.

The Committee consider it a major achievement that virtually all their wages that were hidden in Finansbank, Holland have now been transferred to their personal accounts. It is also a major achievement that GAMA is now committing itself to paying trade union rates of pay to all its workers.

The Committee realise that these concessions were won in the wake of the workers hard fight and are determined to continue the fight for justice until GAMA come forward with just and realistic proposals.

Please note: language problems make it impossible to give a contact person for the TWAG. However, Joe Higgins T.D. or Councillor Mick Murphy will confirm the information in this statement. Joe Higgins, Tel: (01) 618 3038 Cllr. Mick Murphy, Tel: 086 9683814

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