Talks aimed at averting electricians’ strike to be held at LRC

Talks are to get underway at the Labour Relations Commission on Thursday in a bid to head off a threatened nationwide strike by electricians working in the electrical contractor sector.

Last Friday electricians who are represented by the Technical Electrical and Engineering Union (TEEU) voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action as part of a dispute over pay.

The indefinite strike is due to commence on February 24th.

However following a meeting today of the national joint industrial council in the electrical sector, the dispute was referred to the Labour Relations Commission.

The talks on Thursday are expected to involve the TEEU, the Construction Industry Federation and the Association of Electrical Contractors Ireland.

The dispute centres on a number of issues. The union has a claim for a 4.9 per cent pay increase that had been recommended by the Labour Court in 2009 but never implemented.

The union has also taken issue with a decision by electrical contractors to allow their members to impose pay cuts unilaterally on a firm by firm basis.

The TEEU is also seeking to ensure that all electricians employed by electrical contractors, sub-contractors or employment agencies receive the “full and appropriate terms of the national collective agreement currently in place”, based on the terms of a former registered employment agreement in the sector. This had a five-year scale culminating in €21.49 per hour.

Registered employment agreements were struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last May.

Last Friday the Government set out new proposals for determining wages to replace the registered employment agreement system.