SIPTU has said that construction workers are looking to secure a 12% pay increase over a three-year period agreement.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, John Regan SIPTU Sector Organiser for Construction, said the pay claim is different from the usual sectoral payment agreement which would see a pay rise over a 12-month period.
"If you look at the trends across all other sectors in pay agreements, they're all in or around 3% per year or greater, and construction workers should not be treated any differently," he said.
"The industry is highly profitable, there's very few of the companies that are involved in construction can make a case for inability to pay. They are making large profits. The industry identified last year, 2018, that they made a billion more than the previous profitable year in 2017."
Construction workers received a 10% increase in October 2017 but Mr Regan said this is a re-evaluation of what workers conceded over the past years, though he acknowledged that it was the same as every other industry.
He said construction workers gave up 8% in previous years during the economic crash and the money has now been "clawed back over a period of time".
"Construction workers and as far as the unions involved are concerned, the workers should be sharing in an industry that is booming at the moment."
He said the entry grade pay is €28,000 with no progression of wages and he said it is a flat yearly salary with no bonus structures.
Mr Regan said it is unacceptable that the Construction Industry Federation want to cap that and freeze it for three years.
Mr Regan said the majority of construction workers receive travel and accommodation allowances but that only compensates them for long commutes in to Dublin from neighbouring counties, it is not extra pay.
