Joe Higgins TD calls GAMA accounts sensational

by Redbhoy Thu Mar 31, 2005 17:58

I wonder how many scumbags have accounts elsewhere! Switzerland for example!

by squeeky clean - ;-) olé Joe! Thu Mar 31, 2005 22:18

supported by PD law making, you too can avail of squeeky clean records and mature recollections in all business matters, be it construction, pharmaceuticals or licensed firework dealing.
No dodgy uncle bulgaria accountacy with us, or bank of scotland stings, its all squeeky clean, the shit hits the fan, we blow your neurones and you "forget".
remember Vote FF or PD for more cheese & toast.

by frankly, appalled Fri Apr 01, 2005 03:45

'Cos lets face it, these scumbags are nothing less than vampires.

From the SP site:

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"Joe Higgins appeared on RTE's News at One today and was interviewed about the sensational discovery that up to €40 million may have been stolen by GAMA Construction from its employees.

We provide an MP3 of the interview - Download it here. - http://www.socialistparty.net/mp3/higginsnewsat1(30-03-05).mp3

Filesize is 500kb. (IE/Firefox users Right Click and 'Save Target/Link As' - Mac users "ctrl-click" the link and select "Download Link to Disk").

If you would prefer to read a full transcript of the interview, one is available here. - http://www.socialistparty.net/pub/news/gama40mil31-03-05.htm#3

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by Amazed Fri Apr 01, 2005 06:26

This is astonishing stuff. I have to say hats off to the Socialist Party on this one. It must have taken some tenacity to uncover this stuff and hell of a lot of guts to go all out in public like this.

Check out the extracts from the lead story in todays Irish Examiner and follow the link to the rest. The writer seems to have accompanied Joe Higgins and the Turkish workers to Holland.

Workers set to reclaim millions in lost pay

By Michael O’Farrell, Political Reporter in Amsterdam
THOUSANDS of past and present employees of construction giant Gama are set to reclaim millions in lost wages after previously unknown accounts were yesterday discovered in Holland.

The accounts - amounting to a possible €40 million in workers’ money - were first set up in Dutch-based Finansbank in 2002 by Gama, the firm accused by Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins of stealing millions through underpaying migrant workers.

[...]
The bank said it had no idea that workers were not aware of their accounts.

“The only thing I can say is that the people should be taking care of the decisions they are signing,” Mr Tezel said.

However, Mr Tezel confirmed no statements had ever been sent to workers. He also conceded it was “unusual” that none of the thousands of Gama’s employees had ever contacted the bank in relation to their accounts.

In addition, it emerged yesterday that workers’ wages were transferred from Finansbank to a third mystery firm called Ryder Investments.

Full article at http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgzIE0PHo-uOE.asp

by :) Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:04

excellent stuff this. keep digging Joe.

by MG Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:48

Fair Play to the SP, but they have been plugging away for years on the old Low Pay campaign so it shows that if the work is put in you will eventually hit a massive story.

It would be a good idea if someone but together all the important details in a report that could be circulated.

I note that GAMA is increasing it's advertising in Ireland, which must be as a result of the bad publicity. Have seen some large GAMA ads at some League of Ireland grounds. Football fans should send a letter to the clubs involved, and get friends, Unions, etc. to do so too, pointing out that the company steals from its workers and you would request the ads be refused.

by jeanmarie Fri Apr 01, 2005 18:29

gama are running scared I can only imagine what sort of panic is going on in their pr office. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in there!
Its incredible the lenghts corporations will go to to improve their image, whether its corporate logos, sponsorship or even demands made on the image of their workers, no long hair on men, no dreadlocks, straight hair etc
But in the end it's they can't hide the ugly truth.

by Noel Conroy - None Sat Apr 02, 2005 12:56 conroyn at iol dot ie

This is amazing stuff, but I would like to know what the agreement between the workers was and Gama, what rate of pay and per diem was agreed.
Given that wages in Turkey are lower than rates in Western Europe, the rate of pay for these workers may well be generous by Turkish standards.

What is the position of current projects, will Gama be allowed to complete them, will they become embroiled in litigation for years before another company can complete them?

Ireland is now exposed to low wage workers who are more than willing to work for these rates. This is going to have a downward effect on pay scales in Ireland (and other high pay counties in Europe) for the type of jobs that can be imported at a lower rate.
Viewed from another angle, should Irish workers, working abroad, be paid the local rate in Turkey, Philippines, etc?

I am not sure, but does the minimum wage apply to workers contracted outside the country by foreign companies.If it does, should it. The main advantage of a company from a low wage country is its labor cost. If such companies are required to pay local high rates of pay, then they have lost their main competitive advantage. What affect will that have locally, more that likely, the contract goes to a Western company who will go over budget and over time?

In 1990, I worked in the Middle East and was constantly amazed at how quickly roads, motorways were built and repaired. Work was done 24 hours a day and jobs that would have taken years in Ireland were done in months.
The interesting observation in this environment was that whilst I was on a “high" rate of pay as an IT professional, it was just enough to pay my mortgage and allow a reasonably middle class lifestyle in Ireland. For the construction workers, on €100 to €200 per month, it was enough to allow them fund the purchase of apartment’s blocks back in India. So we should not compare pay rates for foreign workers with our own, these "low rates" are high compared to what they can earn at home. By forcing companies to pay high local pay rates could ultimately mean these workers having no work at all, companies would just employ local labor and avoid the housing and feeding costs.

by jim Sat Apr 02, 2005 13:02

Should foreign workers get the same rates of pay as Irish workers? For economic, moral and legal reasons: yes of course.

The main point about all this is that illegal exploitation of workers should never be tolerated. The influx of foreign workers allows unscrupulous employers to get away with this more often.

The example of mushroom pickers in Ireland shows there are people out there who will treat their employees worse than farm animals if they know they can get away with it.

by Amazed Sat Apr 02, 2005 16:04

Not only does the minimum wage apply to workers from outside Ireland (and the EU), so to does the agreed construction industry minimum. These legal requirements effect GAMA just as much as an Irish company.

Here is the latest from the Examiner, which is covering this story in by far the most detail of the mainstream media outlets.

Gama workers not told where wages went

By Michael O'Farrell, Amsterdam
THE Dutch-based bank holding millions in lost wages from thousands of employees of construction giant Gama, yesterday refused to tell workers how their money was being invested.

As revealed in yesterday's Irish Examiner, millions in worker's wages from Gama have been transferred through Dutch-based Finansbank to a mystery third company, despite the fact that workers never knew of the existence of the money.

Under a deal arranged by Gama in 2002, monthly transfers in the names of Gama's workers are immediately transferred from Finansbank to a firm called Ryder Investments.

However, Finansbank vice president Cengiz Benli yesterday refused to divulge the identity of those controlling Ryder Investments, saying confidentiality provisions prevented him from identifying anything about the firm.

more at http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgm3XDJ8TlQfgsgdq-nXlDAyFE.asp

by as do meny other wonderers Sat Apr 02, 2005 16:11

I wonder if it is irish or turkish owned / controlled?

that's the real question and if various govt enquiries don't answer that question then they aren't worth a damn

just like all reporting on tara issue is not worth a damn unless it identifies those 'developers' who stand to benefit from the route through the valley

so much news here is not news - just verbiage and cover-up

oh yeah fair play to joe higgins and the examiner on this one so far

joe is worth the whole labour party put together

by john mcdermott - removefiannafail Sat Apr 02, 2005 16:13 spain

A survey of Turkey in the Economist magazine( 19 march issue)indicated that corruption in business and among politicians, presidents and parlimentarians in this E.U. applicant country is the norm; open, blatant, endemic and ineradicable.
It makes people like Ray Burke,Liam Lawlor,Pee Flynn and the rest of the "Soldiers of Destiny" seem like model politicians.!
Perhaps we should be grateful for what we have-compared to what we might have had-if those Tribunals of Bertie Ahern,s only came a little cheaper.

by Boz Sat Apr 02, 2005 20:08

First Gama made their admission that they had in fact been underpaying workers although not on the scale alleged:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0304/gama.html

Then their public face, solicitor Richard Grogan, who had told them that they only had one chance to make full and complete disclosure departed:

http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sg92BEnv8WOSA.asp

Now they have gone into the High Court to try and prevent the publication of the initial government report into their employment practices. An interim injunction has been granted until Monday:

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1369867&issue_id=12292

by James Tue Apr 05, 2005 20:56 Cork

The labour party in Cork City made their great contribution to this fight for workers rights. Cllr John Kelliher attacked Cllr Mick Barry SP and his members for putting up posters for a meeting on the GAMA issue. Cllr Kellihers main concern was that the posters were litter and that the SP had no pemission for them.

Is it any wonder that the Labour Party is a laughing stock. A few days later big ugly plastic posters appeared on poles around the city advertising a meet Pat Rabbitte face 2 face meeting.