Talks aimed at resolving the bitter dispute at a Turkish construction company accused of grossly underpaying its workers are to begin at the Labour Relations Commission today.
Gama Construction is expected to attend the talks. However, it will protest against what is says is the "illegal picketing" of one of its Dublin sites by Siptu and the "intimidation" of some of its workers.
Sources close to the firm said these actions are a breach of the terms for the talks agreed between Gama and the union.
The allegation of illegal picketing has been rejected by Siptu, which along with two other unions, Ucatt and Opatsi, is engaged in an official strike at Gama's Dublin sites.
Up to 300 of Gama's Turkish workers began an unofficial strike six weeks ago, claiming they were paid between €2 and €3 an hour for an 80-hour week.
Most of those involved in the protests have returned home to Turkey and only about 90 remain in Ireland.
They claim many of those who went home did so because of harassment of their families in Turkey.
Meanwhile, the Revenue Commissioners have received a labour inspectorate report into the company and are to examine the tax treatment of foreign workers in the case of Gama.
Under the "remittance basis" tax for foreign workers operating in Ireland, workers who are not permanently resident in the State but are working for a foreign firm do not have to pay tax on the majority of their earnings sourced from abroad.
The only tax such foreign workers have to pay is on money provided by foreign companies to workers for their daily living expenses.
A spokesman said yesterday they were examining whether there was a need to review the tax treatment or if any lessons needed to be learned.
Gama is expected to repeat its claim today that Siptu, rather than the company, has been guilty of the intimidation of workers.
It claimed the union mounted pickets at its Balgaddy site "in an arbitrary and intimidating manner" and that employees and management had been threatened and refused food and access to their belongings.
It also claimed a Siptu strike ballot had not been conducted properly because employees not in dispute with the company had not been offered a fair opportunity to vote.
The allegations have been rejected by Siptu national organiser Noel Dowling, who said advance notices of the aggregate ballot conducted by the three unions had been prominently erected at the Dublin sites.
He also denied allegations of intimidation.
