A PROTEST was mounted in south Dublin yesterday by a team of cleaners who claim they were unfairly dismissed from contract jobs at an EU-founded organisation which monitors working conditions.
The six local women worked at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) in Loughlinstown for between nine and 18 years. They claim they were sacked for complaining about working with chemicals and not receiving wages on time.
The workers were not directly employed by the organisation but by a series of contractors. They say working conditions deteriorated when AFM Ireland, a Blanchardstown-based cleaning company, took over the contract at the premises some 18 months ago.
"We had to use shoddy equipment and the final straw was the chemicals they brought in three months ago. Everybody was coming down with chest infections and we said enough is enough and complained," said Bridget Tresson, one of the cleaners.
Ms Tresson said the six cleaners requested a meeting with AFM management on September 8th, but this did not take place.
"Despite promises, nobody came out to meet us until Friday. But when they did, it was to say goodbye and tell us new people were starting and our P45s would be with our wages." They were replaced by four Lithuanians.
AFM Ireland's director, Paul Higgins, denied the six employees had been sacked and said that he was "absolutely shocked" the protest was taking place.
Mr Higgins said there had only been one instance in which the cleaners had been paid late and this was due to a problem with the company accounting system. He said there had never been a complaint concerning the chemicals used by the company before.
"I have the same chemicals in use at quite a number of sites and there's no issue with them. If there was, we would have removed them immediately . . . It seems like they are making a case over nothing," he said.
"The women say they were sacked but they gave us notice that they were leaving . . . We wanted them to stay." Mr Higgins denied the company had taken on new cleaners on a lower wage.
"We are subject to the Joint Labour Council wage rates and I can guarantee that everyone is paid the same rates."
Ms Tresson said it was "ridiculous" to think they would quit. "We live in the area and have worked here for years. We're not just going to quit like that."
A spokesman for Eurofound said the organisation had a facilities contract in place with a company called Vector Management which, in turn, employs AFM for cleaning services at its premises.
"We have very strict guidelines on how we impose rights on to our contractors and if there's anything coming out of this we would look at that again," he said.