Remember the €2 billion the National Children’s Hospital is due to cost? The builder involved is BAM, one of the biggest construction and facilities management companies in the country.
They are now cutting their workers’ wages by 20%.
They have also put cleaners who work in their facilties management company on the Covid payment scheme.
Most of these cleaners work through agencies but some are fulltime and part time directly employed by BAM FM.
The cleaners would be working in the schools and courts which are open to members of the public.
So who is now doing the cleaning and disinfecting of these buildings?
The government are paying BAM the rental fees for these buildings through the PPP (Public Private Partnership). This is a system whereby the state outsources the management of a school or school to a private company for a set annual fee. Details of these fees are hidden from the public under spurious rules of commercial secrecy.
It is time to stand up to companies like BAM and the best way to do that is to join union that is willing to fight.
BAM must be told to take a cut in its profits rather than cut workers wages.