SIPTU HAS DEMANDED that workers on the Dublin Metrolink project will be guaranteed the same rate of pay and entitlements as other construction workers in Ireland. 

The union has said that it is crucial that no future contractor or subcontractor is allowed to “bypass” the legally binding standards in place in the industry. 

It further said that it will “not accept” a two-tier workforce on the megaproject, and that any future employer with plans to cut corners would have the union “standing in their way”. 

The call comes after an Oireachtas Committee was told by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) that 8,000 workers will be needed for the project, and that many of them will likely come from abroad. 

While preparatory works are expected to start soon, actual construction is not expected to take place until 2028. 

Sean Sweeney, the MetroLink programme director, told the transport committee that the contract for the project will likely go to a major international contractor, as an analysis of Irish construction firms found that none had the expertise needed. 

“They’ll bring in workers and subsidise this with Irish staff,” he said. 

SIPTU today said that an “absolute guarantee” is needed that every worker on the project will enjoy the terms guaranteed by the sectoral employment order the WRC made for the construction industry. 

Organiser Fran McDonnell said: “MetroLink is being described as a once-in-a-generation national investment. If that’s the case, then it must also set the benchmark for workers’ rights. Every worker must be covered under the Construction SEO from day one. There can be no loopholes, no undercutting, and no attempts to import labour on inferior terms. These standards are the law, and we expect them to be upheld.”

He said that there will be “close scrutiny” of recruitment and contracting arrangements. 

McDonnell said that Irish workers have built the infrastructure of the country “for decades”. 

The union also warned that the State needs firm plans for accommodating an international workforce. 

“You cannot bring a major workforce into Dublin without addressing where they will live. If there is no accommodation strategy, workers will be pushed into overcrowded or unsuitable conditions, and that is unacceptable. Housing these workers must be treated as essential infrastructure,” McDonnell said. 

The union also stressed that Ireland does not have enough “skilled construction workers” to fulfil both the MetroLink project and the new housing targets for 2030. 

Its called for a national plan to expand apprenticeships, improve retention and attract workers “back into the sector”. 

“Major projects cannot come at the expense of the homes the country desperately needs,” McDonnell said.