Seventeen construction workers have been fined €250 each by the High Court for breaching an order preventing picketing at a number of building sites in Dublin.
The group were arrested this morning at a site on the North Circular Road.
A large crowd of building workers subsequently marched to the court to support their colleagues.
The 17 were charged with contempt but apologised to the court this afternoon. A collection was held among supporters to provide the €4,250 to pay the fines.
The bricklayers, who are members of BATU, picketed the site at Hanlon's Corner to protest at the use of sub-contractors. They have called for the employment of direct labour.
The High Court recently banned picketing at the site.
The company involved, Collen Construction, called on BATU to use the long-standing and effective mechanism and procedures for dealing with disputes in the construction industry. It added that the current position was in the interest of nobody.
The Workers' Party and Sinn Féin condemned the arrest of the workers earlier today. SF councillor Nicky Kehoe criticised the use of court injunctions for breaking industrial disputes and called for the Labour Relations Commission to appoint a mediator to resolve this dispute.
Seán Ó Cionnaith of the Workers' Party said, 'On the evidence of recent high-profile cases it is clear that individuals with wealth and influence are treated far more leniently, even when they have committed serious crime.'
