TWO "official" trade union candidates have topped the poll for the election of the Irish members to the European Works Council of Cement Roadstone. Both men have pledged themselves not to recognise the EWC constitution set up by the company. The first item on their agenda will be to seek its renegotiation.
The implementation of the EU directive on works councils at Cement Roadstone has caused serious strain between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the employer body IBEC. The new president of IBEC, Mr Tony Barry, is also chairman of Cement Roadstone.
The company introduced a new EWC constitution in direct opposition to its own unions. The unions accused the company of pushing through the constitution before they had a chance of presenting their own case to employees. In the event the company secured a majority for the constitution among the minority of employees who bothered to vote.
Four candidates in the election were not official trade union candidates. The winners were Mr Jim Kavanagh, a SIPTU member in Cork, and Mr Jack Dempsey, an AGEMOU member in Roadstone, Dublin.
Mr Stephen McCarthy, of the ICTU, said last night the election result showed that when the unions had an opportunity to put their case, it had been overwhelmingly supported by the workforce.