TALKS WERE continuing at the Labour Relations Commission early today to try to resolve the dispute between electricians and employers that has caused serious disruption to the construction sector and to manufacturing industry over the last four days.
The parties were considering proposals which would involve electricians receiving an increase of 4.9 per cent, that is €1.05 an hour. The increase would be introduced on a phased basis, part in September and the rest at a date later in the year.
It is understood that there was some resistance among employers last night. Another suggestion under consideration was referral of the issue to the Labour Court for arbitration.
Groups representing electrical contractors, who are taking part in the talks aimed at resolving the row, yesterday withdrew proposals they had originally advanced for a 10 per cent pay cut for electricians.
Government sources said that the Construction Industry Federation, which represents some of the larger electrical contractors, had indicated to it that it was not prepared to give ground on the 11 per cent increase which the electricians maintain they have been owed for some time.
The TEEU welcomed the decision by the electrical contractors to drop the proposal for a 10 per cent pay cut. However, its general secretary Owen Wills said “external forces were seeking to ensure there was no settlement to the dispute. He said that these elements had been seeking to destabilise the registered employment agreements – which set minimum levels for pay and conditions in the sector – since late 2007.
“As a result they are making a difficult dispute almost impossible to resolve. They range from very senior interests in the construction industry to small contractors, but they share one common objective, dismantling registered employment agreements so that they can pursue a race to the bottom unhindered,” he said.
While discussions on the dispute continued again all day yesterday at the Labour Relations Commission, the picture was complicated as it emerged that a separate group of contractors – the National Electrical Contractors Ireland (NECI) – which is not part of the talks process had warned in a letter of a possible legal challenge to any outcome that emerged which bound them to pay a new salary scale.
Chairman of the Labour Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey briefed Minister for Employment Mary Coughlan on the progress of the talks at a two-hour meeting evening after which both agreed to continue the process. A spokesman for Ms Coughlan said last night that she was monitoring the situation.
Government sources said the Construction Industry Federation told the Government that it had withdrawn the 10 per cent pay cut proposal, that it was not prepared to give ground at this stage on the 11 per cent increase, that it was prepared to comply with the registered employment agreement for the sector and that it was not accountable for NECI’s actions.
Work on a number of high–profile construction projects around the country as well as in some manufacturing industries where electrical contractors are working on site continued to be disrupted.
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Schering-Plough (Ireland) became the latest company to secure a temporary High Court injunction prohibiting picketing of its plant by electricians.
The company, which makes drugs used to treat cancer and hepatitis at its manufacturing facility in Brinny, Inishannon, Co Cork, said that it had serious concerns that the picket would adversely affect production.
The company said the people who put a picket at the plant last Wednesday were unknown to anybody at the site and had identified themselves as acting on behalf of the TEEU.
In an incident gardaí were yesterday called to Newbridge, Co Kildare, following complaints that workers engaged in construction work on the new Department of Defence headquarters were being intimidated by picketers on their arrival at work at 7.15am.
When gardaí arrived at the scene no public order offence was detected and there were no arrests. It was unclear if those against whom the complaint was made were workers at the site.