Electricians threatened over strike plans
Tuesday, 30 June 2009 18:31Electrical contractors employing over 5,000 electricians have threatened to put staff on protective notice if they proceed with a nationwide strike on Monday.
According to the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, a huge number of sites and firms will be affected if its 10,000 members go on strike in pursuit of a pay claim.
Major projects such as the Landsdowne Road stadium, the Terminal 2 development at Dublin Airport, Guinness and Pfizer will be affected if the action goes ahead.
The TEEU says its members have been waiting for their 'long over due' 11.3% pay increase which was delayed due to a legal challenge by some employers who object to the method of agreeing pay in the sector.
The threat of protective notice comes in a letter included in pay packets of electricians employed by 50 firms belonging to the Electrical Contractors Association.
The association says that an 11% pay increase is unwarranted with inflation running at - 0.7% and the massive job losses across the construction sector.
The ECA highlights the fact that the Labour Court rejected the TEEU's application for a pay increase last January.
The National Electrical Contractors Ireland, an employer group has also threatened protective notice if workers strike.
NECI CEO Denis Judge says he has instructed its members to stop processing union dues through their payroll systems.
