Construction at new Children's Hospital site could be hit by strikes in row over travel payments

Today's 24-hour stoppage was the first in a series of strikes after Unite served notice on members of the Mechanical Engineering and Building Services Contractors' Association (MEBSCA). A spokesperson for MEBSCA said notice had been served on around 20 employers, representing 35pc of its members. She said picketing is due to take place every Friday this month.

Barry Kelly, a plumber who works for a major contractor at the Diageo site in Dublin, said the travel allowance is worth an hour's pay per day, and up to €4,000 a year for an experienced tradesperson. He said a plumber, pipefitter or welder earns in the 'high €50,000s' and it takes ten years to reach that level.

Mr Fitzgerald said the union decided against pickets at the Children's Hospital during today's industrial action but this is not ruled out if the dispute ramps up. 'It would be fair to say that future targets for industrial action could include the children's hospital,' he said.

Read at Irish Independent