The 50th anniversary of the nine-week Builders’ Strike will be marked with an event in the Matt Merrigan Hall, Unite House, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, on Monday, 1st September. The event will be addressed by several participants in the strike including Chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Duffy, who was an apprentice bricklayer during the strike, and former Minister for Health, Barry Desmond, who was an ICTU Industrial Officer in 1964.Coordinator of the Builders’ Strike Commemoration Committee, Denis Farrell, said: “Many of the terms and conditions that building workers have enjoyed were established thanks to the efforts and sacrifice of workers who stayed on the picket line for nine long weeks in 1964. In particular, the strike led directly to the establishment of Registered Employment Agreements, which set a threshold of decency in the sector.“In 2014, following the constitutional challenge to REAs and the rise in the use of agency workers, many of whom are paid well below agreed industry rates, building workers again find themselves operating in a hostile environment. “Next Monday’s commemoration provides an opportunity for workers in the sector to reflect on our achievements and assess the challenges now facing us again”, Denis Farrell added.
50th Anniversary Commemoration of Builders’ Strike, Monday 1st September
