The families of three Dublin bricklayers jailed for contempt of court yesterday have said they are fully behind the men.
Andrew Clarke (24) of Cromlech Fields, Keith Kelly (37) of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, and William McClurg (50), Sallynoggin, were jailed by Ms Justice Mary Laffoy after refusing to undertake to obey a court order to stop picketing a building site in Ballybrack.
The men had sought work on a site at Laurel Avenue, Ballybrack, from Collen Construction Ltd. The firm is constructing 77 social and affordable houses for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
The men were refused work and mounted a picket on the site. They claimed they were not employed because they are active members of the Building and Allied Trades Union (Batu).
June McClurg, wife of Billy McClurg, told The Irish Times she was upset by her husband's jailing but backed his decision.
"He is 30 years a bricklayer and has been out of work since November. There is plenty of work up there, but he is a union man and they don't want a union man."
Doreen Kelly, sister of Keith Kelly, said he had three children, including a six-week-old boy, and the decision not to obey the court order was not taken lightly.
"He felt he was doing it for his children's future and we are supporting him 100 per cent," she said.
A protest march in support of the men will converge on another Collen site at the Municipal Gallery on Parnell Square.
Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance hoped building workers and other workers from across the city would join the protest.
A spokesman for Collen said 20 people were employed on the site at present and some were from Ballybrack.
"If there are people working for you on one site, you can't just drop them to employ locals when you move to another site," he said. " We are not in dispute with Batu."
