Up to 200 major construction sites around the country could be hit by a threatened strike over pay involving up to 10,500 electricians.
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (Teeu) has served strike notice on electrical contractors around the country in pursuit of a pay increase that would raise the hourly rate from €21.49c per hour to €23.98c.
The strike could commence from July 6th and the union warned that if it went ahead it could have a serious impact in sectors such as energy, manufacturing and construction, causing widespread lay-offs across the economy.
The union said that among the construction sites that could be affected by the proposed dispute were the new Lansdowne Road stadium, the Corrib gas refinery project as well as a number of power plants where work was underway.
The ESB said that there would be no threat to power supplies and that its staff were not involved
Traditionally pay in the sector has been determined by unions and employers under a registered employment agreement. based on the rates of pay in 16 companies employing maintenance electricians during the previous year
However the TEEU said that last April implementation of the new agreed REA rate of €22.54c --a 4.9 per cent increase—had been frustrated by challenges brought by two groups of small contractors.
It said that the Labour Court had ultimately proposed direct talks between unions and employers.
However Teeu general secretary designate Eamon Devoy said that the main employer groups had “used these developments to avoid engaging with us seriously on negotiating a new REA rate”,
“It is now clear that the objective of the most cut throat employers is to dismantle the REA system and drive rates for electricians down to the National Minimum Wage, simultaneously dismantling all the other improvements in conditions of employment secured over the past few decades”, he said.
The union said that among the construction sites that could be affected by the proposed dispute were, Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, the new Lansdowne Road stadium, the National Conference Centre at Spencer Dock, the Point Village, the Corrib Gas project and the new Intel development in Co Kildare.
Jean Winters, senior industrial relations executive at the Construction Industry Federation said that the Teeu was seeking an increases in rates for electricians but that the Electrical Contractors Association, like many other employers, was not in a position to pay increases at this stage.
The Electrical Contractors Association is a constituent member of the Construction Industry Federation