Trade union Unite has strongly rejected claims made before the High Court that is members have engaged in an unlawful picket or protest outside the premises of a glass processing company.
Earlier this week, Carey Glass claimed that on two occasions during August members of the union had conducted unlawful pickets outside its premises at Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Carey Glass claims the protests arise out of what it accepts is a valid trade dispute between the union and a glass-making company in Lurgan, Co Armagh, Vista Therm Ltd.
Carey Glass says that while Vista Therm and the Tipperary-based company have the same parent company, they are separate legal entities and are located in different jurisdictions.
In proceedings against the union, Carey Glass Unlimited Company and the related Carey Glass Holdings Unlimited Company seek order including an injunction restraining Unite and its members from picketing outside Carey Glass's premises.
When the matter returned before Ms Justice Siobhan Phelan during Thursday's vacation sitting of the court, counsel for Unite, William Hamilton Bl, instructed by solicitor Andrew Turner of Hamilton Turner solicitors, said his side was seeking an adjournment of the proceedings.
This, counsel said, was so the unit could fully respond to the claims made by the plaintiffs.
Counsel said it is Unite's position that the union and its members have not engaged in any unlawful protest or picket at Carey Glass's facility in Co Tipperary.
Counsel said Unite's members have no plans to conduct a protest of any kind at the premises, pending the return of the action before the courts
Ms Justice Phelan, who noted the parties had agreed a timetable for the exchange of legal documents in the dispute, agreed to adjourn the matter for a week.
Previously, Mark Connaughton SC, for Carey Glass, said the order was being sought as the firm, which claims that Unite has no legitimate dispute against, was concerned it would be the subject of further protests outside its premises.
Counsel said Unite had in early August given his clients an assurance that no picketing of its premises would take place.
Despite that assurance by the union, Carey Glass claims approximately 20 people, some with Unite the Union banners, conducted protests outside its premises on August 16th and 25th.
It claims it sought undertakings from Unite that no further protests would take place, but says none were forthcoming.
This, the plaintiffs claim, resulted in the application before the court for the restraining orders.
