Concerns raised over public procurement for works at Limerick water treatment plant

TRADE union Unite has written to Uisce Eireann to ask it to consider matters relating to alleged labour rights breaches by engineering firm Murphy before it awards contracts at a Limerick water treatment plant.

It comes as four staff members employed by the company firm were allegedly sacked for what the union believes relates to legitimate trade union activity.

Murphy is one of the companies seeking the contract to work on the upgrade of the Castletroy water treatment plant.

For its part, Uisce Eireann, formerly Irish Water said as the matter relates to a dispute concerning a third party employer, it is inappropriate to make a comment.

Unite staff have for a number of weeks been highlighting the case of what it has described as The Murphy Four.

These workers, they claim, were dismissed after they voiced concerns surrounding Murphy International’s non-compliance with agreed national travel expense agreements.

A Murphy's spokesperson said the firm refutes the union's claim which it describes as "misleading".

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It is Unite’s contention that Murphy’s actions constitute victimisation for trade union activity which runs contrary to the European Union charter of fundamental rights.

Public procurement regulations stipulate that companies tendering for public contracts must be compliant with their obligations under environmental, social and labour law, and must also be in compliance with the relevant collective agreements.

In a statement, the Murphy's spokesperson said: "The claims regarding the reason for the dismissals and allegations of union busting are factually incorrect. Murphy International Limited acted in response to unballotted, unnotified, and therefore unlawful strike action taken by a small minority of workers at our Aughinish site in Limerick. Murphy has had a presence on site for over 40 years, enjoying good industrial relations on the site. All its employees who work on the site are members of trade unions. The company has always indicated that it is open to resolving this matter amicably and sensibly. We remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue with all parties around this issue to try to draw a line under this matter. This matter is currently subject to legal proceedings in Ireland.”

Unite’s Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said: “We fully expect that Irish Water will be mindful of its obligations under Irish public procurement regulations, and will consider the matters raised by Unite before awarding any further contracts to the Murphy group.”

She added her union will continue to look at Murphy’s involvement in procurement processes throughout Ireland, and continue to raise awareness of the four staff.