ROW ERUPTS OVER COVID SICK PAY AT INTEL SITE
THE Construction Industry Federation and unions have clashed after it emerged some workers have been told to foot the bill themselves if they become sick with Covid19 or if they have to selfisolate because a colleague develops the virus.
Some workers at the multibillion Intel site in Kildare have lost as much as half their wages because employers have either refused to pay wages in full or to top up social welfare and sick leave payments.
These embarrassing revelations come as workers returned to non-essential building sites this week and as the country partially reopens tomorrow with restrictions lifted allowing people to travel freely around the country.
Sources told the Irish Mail on Sunday that the sick pay issue was discussed at a meeting last Tuesday week between the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the main contractors on the Intel site and the unions.
One source said: ‘The CIF said they would not be advocating topping up wages as workers will be in receipt of payments from the Construction Workers’ Pension Scheme (CWPS), which is €50 a day, and the €350 PUP payment.
‘The CIF were told that this was outrageous and that it was unacceptable. Workers who have to isolate should be financially supported. The CIF said that if wages were topped up or paid in full, there would be workers that would abuse that by in some way faking Covid-19.
‘To get PUP and the sick payment from the CWPS, you have to provide medical evidence that you are sick so the CIF was told that it was not fair to say workers would fake Covid-19.’
A source told the MoS: ‘There are dozens of employers on the site. You have the main contractors, then you have subbies [subcontractors], then you have subbies to subbies.
‘Some workers’ take-home pay is down by about 50% because they are relying on the PUP payment of €350 a week and on top of that they get €50 a day from the CWPS.’
Last night the Siptu trade union confirmed some employers on the site pay full wages to workers who have contracted Covid-19, and it urged other contractors to follow suit.
The Connect trade union also urged employers to do ‘the right thing’ and ‘the moral thing’ by either topping up wages or paying wages in full.
The MoS submitted a series of questions to the main contractors working on the site, the CIF and Intel. Only one of the main contractors replied, stating their staff had not been affected by the Covid outbreak.
Trinity Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and zero Covid campaigner Dr Tomás Ryan warned cases of the virus would rise if workers were not paid properly to stay at home when sick or when deemed a close contact.
Up to 70 people tested positive for Covid-19 in an outbreak at the Leixlip site just over two weeks ago. Within days confirmed infections had risen to 85. This has since increased to 90. Almost 5,000 people work on the site, one of Europe’s biggest. Workers are now being tested weekly.