Irish workers protest over lack of health and safety

Two hundred building and construction workers have staged a protest in Limerick city centre today (Thursday) over health and safety issues, lack of proper insurance and alleged intimidation of workers.

Workers say the back economy is flourishing in the building industry, but feel that there is a lack of proper government regulation to ensure the building industry is a safer place to work.

They refer to the fact that 20 construction workers, three of them in Limerick, died in work related accidents last year and claim that the industry is rife with sub contractors operating bogus contracts, no health and safety statement, and that pension benefits are being taken from employees.

One worker said if they raise the health and safety issues they are identified as troublemakers, and are made unemployable at the end of their contracts.

They also say the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) is complicit in this in standing over and protecting shoddy builders.

The CIF, however, has said that it has received no communication about workers' grievances, and have called on them to use the agreed dispute procedures for the construction industry.