One of the electrical contractors' organisations has tonight rejected the 4.9 per cent increase that was proposed by the Labour Court after it intervened in the recent electricians' dispute.
Members of the Association of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (AECI) , which represents up to 300 small and medium contractors, met in Portlaoise on Saturday to discuss the proposal, and the deadline for returning ballot papers was 3pm today.
Following what was described as a high turnout, 80 per cent voted against the Labour Court proposals.
In a statement, the AECI said: "Members are adamant that it would be impossible to recover these cost increases from customers in the current economic climate, and electrical contractors are not in a position to carry these costs themselves."
The non-binding recommendation by the Labour Court included a 4.9 per cent pay increase for electricians in two phases, comprising a 2.5 per cent increase on September 1st and 2.4 per cent from January 1st.
In response, National Electrical Contractors' Ireland (NECI) welcomed the ballot decision.
The organisation said: "By now it should be clear to all, that any agreement which deems it compulsory for all electrical contractors, large and small, to operate their companies under the same business model, is flawed from the outset.
"Any pay increase in the current economic climate is unviable for the small contractor."
The statement added: "We are horrified at hearing yet again this phrase by the TEEU “What we have we hold” in their response to the An Bord Snip report, as it is this same mantra that the union has been repeatedly reciting over the last 19 years."
The TEEU (Technical Engineering and Electrical Union) is the State's largest craft union.
TEEU General Secretary Owen Wills said the industry was now faced with a return to industrial action.
However, he added the union would have to reflect on the AECI decision, adding: "The TEEU will give reasonable space and time to all parties to overcome the current difficulties before making a decision.”
He called on the Tánaiste to begin an "immediate investigation" into the industry proposed as part of the process to resolve the dispute.
"That investigation is now more essential than ever and cannot be delayed any further, especially as the resolution of some of the issues is not in the gift of the parties to the Registered Employment Agreement to resolve," Mr Wills said.
Thousands of electricians returned to work on July 13th after a week-long strike that saw hundreds of sites close, including the new Lansdowne Road stadium and the new terminal development at Dublin airport and the multi-storey private hospital building at St Vincent’s in Dublin.
The dispute was suspended after the TEEU recommended it “be deferred in good faith, pickets lifted and the members return to work pending confirmation of the employers’ acceptance of the Labour Court recommendation”.