Workers at GMC went on all out strike this morning at 7am. They are staying out until the bosses get back to the table around the deal previously agreed or come back with something better. The officials confirmed yesterday 12 Sep 2023 ‘that last-ditch talks to avoid an all-out strike of members at GMC Civil and Mechanical Engineering have collapsed.’
SIPTU flyer outlining the grievances with background on the company: GMC Civil and Mechanical Engineering is a utilities company which is contracted by Gas Networks Ireland for the installation, maintenance and provision of emergency response on the Gas Networks Ireland infrastructure for its commercial and residential customers.
Gas workers at GMC said this is their first official strike against GMC. When People Before Profit visited their two Dublin pickets in Milliennium Business Park 11 and Red Cow Yard in Dublin 22 workers were determined and decided and had multiple grievances aside from the headline grievance on pay.
One picketer said: ‘Our Saturdays have been given to contractors. “The contractors can do the job cheaper” the company says. They sacked a couple of concrete drivers who’ve been here 27 years. But this is about a pay and productivity deal we’d really already agreed. Then they pretended they hadn’t agreed anything. It’s the way we were treated after long involved honest talks. It was just complete disrespect. We tried to salvage it. They just aren’t taking this seriously.’
Strikers in Ballycoolin September 2023
The decision to execute an all-out strike is a welcome burst of private-sector strike action from SIPTU. Their officials say that they will ‘continue to support workers taking industrial action in an effort to win pay increases. This [all-out striking] is the best and fairest way to mitigate the continued high rate of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis’
According to the officials, SIPTU had apparently arranged an agreement with the bosses at GMC, only to have them reappear in later meetings gaslighting officials and reps saying what had been said in fact hadn’t been said.
Lucan Rep Mark Kerins who visited the Red Cow Yard in D22 said ‘It sounds like when the bosses changed their minds and they wanted to change the deal. Talks break down when that happens. The workers were going to lose. They balloted for strike action and the answer was clear: they weren’t going to take any more cuts. They would stand up with each other- even on an all out picket. Well done to them. We absolutely have their backs.‘
People Before Profit rep Mark Kerins and Cllr Madeleine Johansson
Cllr Madeleine Johansson said ‘Get out to the pickets to visit the workers. What you see here is the best way to fight back against the cuts to pay and damage of the Cost of Living Crisis. They are an example for workers who need a real pay rise. We’re with them.’
Picket locations below:
GMC House, Millennium Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 11;
Red Cow Yard, Dublin 22;
Oak House Business Park, Bagenalstown, Carlow;
Whitecross Yard, Cork;
Dock Road Yard, Limerick.
Entrance to Millenium Business Park and GMC House, Ballycoolin, Dublin 11.