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Electricians set to press ahead with strike action

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03/07/2009 - 07:33:31
More than 10,000 electricians across the country look set to proceed with strike action from next Monday as part of a pay dispute with their employers.

The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union has arranged the strike in pursuit of an outstanding 11% pay increases due under a national agreement for the electrical sector.

It says electrical contractors are not only reneging on the agreement, but are pushing for a 10% pay cut and the scrapping of shift pay and apprenticeship rates.

The contractors, meanwhile, have threatened to place electricians on protective notice if the strike action goes ahead on Monday.

The Labour Relations Commission held talks with both sides yesterday, but failed to find any basis for negotiations.

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• 03/07/2009 Electricians set to press ahead with strike action

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LRC convenes talks in electricians’ dispute

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03/07/2009 - 20:05:17
The Labour Relations Commission has convened talks for tomorrow in an attempt to resolve a dispute over pay in the electrical contracting sector.

The National Implementation Body, intervened over the threatened strike by some 10,500 electricians on Monday.

The talks are scheduled to get underway at 2.30pm and will be chaired by the chief executive of the LRC Kieran Mulvey.

The National Implementation Body says if the strike goes ahead it has the potential to create very serious disruption across the economy.

The business group IBEC says the TEEU's demands for a pay increase are indefensible at a time when so many people are jobless.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/...xzz0KI9hgvb9&D

Union leaders urged to stop electricians' strike

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03/07/2009 - 15:14:50
Builders’ chiefs today pleaded for trade union leaders to call off a potentially crippling strike by electricians.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) warned a walk-out of its 10,500 members over a pay claim would hit the economy and severely damage flagship construction projects.

But Tom Parlon, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) chief, has written to the union in a bid to get the strike threat lifted.

“I take it for granted that the TEEU shares our agenda to protect jobs so I find it all the more difficult to understand why your union would undertake strike action at this time and jeopardise the active sites and the jobs that remain in construction,” the CIF chief said.

Among the high-profile sites at risk of a walk-out are Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, Lansdowne Road, the Corrib gas project in Mayo and the new Intel development in Co Kildare.

Mr Parlon said a strike would be hugely damaging for Ireland’s industry and economic reputation.

“TEEU seems to be making a virtue about the scale of the impact that this strike will have not just on construction but on the wider economy, including through the most regrettable targeting of our multi-national investment sector,” he said.

“This is at a time when the IMF has found that Ireland is losing foreign direct investment at a pace unprecedented in any other economy.”

The CIF said the potential damage to the economy could not be measured.

“Strike action on Monday will do untold damage to our industry, our economy and the perception of Ireland’s attractiveness as a place in which to invest and work,” Mr Parlon added.

The TEEU are trying to secure a wage increase the union claims is owed to workers. It would lift an electrician’s hourly rate by 11% from €21.49 to €23.98 an hour.

The Electrical Contractors Association said on Wednesday that firms were not able to pay the increase.

Efforts to find a resolution at the Labour Relations Commission did not pass the first hurdle with officials insisting there appeared to be no room for compromise.

TEEU general secretary designate Eamon Devoy has said the union would remain open for talks but he later warned that a strike planned for Monday appeared inevitable.

The CIF letter was sent to TEEU general secretary Owen Wills and to Congress general secretary David Begg, Ibec director general Danny McCoy and senior civil servant Dermot McCarthy.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/...xzz0KIH4IuAp&D

I hope this gets sorted before work on monday

If they can’t come to an agreement I hope the strike goes well and is fully supported.

I hope they assume democratic control of every place they're working at before monday.

No economic disruption, no interruption in any projects, the only people getting pink slips will be the executives.

Ya same, its just if they do strike it will effect our(plumbers) working schedule. Moneys too tight to be missing days of work!

I will support them if it comes to striking though

This might sound a bit harsh but I do hope you and you’re work colleagues are affected by a mass strike I hope if it comes down to a strike that everyone in the whole country is affected by it.
There will be 500,000 unemployed by the end of the year and allot more by the end of 2010 it is social conditions like this coupled with people being effected by strikes and wage cuts that the conditions for revolution are formed.

Talks to avoid electricians' strike collapse

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04/07/2009 - 17:19:16
Around 10,000 electricians look set to strike after talks between electrical contractors and the TEEU at the Labour Relations Commission failed to reach agreement.

The two sides were at the meeting this afternoon, in the hopes of reaching an agreement that would avert the strike action planned for Monday.

The electricians are due to down tools in the ongoing row over pay and conditions, with the TEEU looking for an 11% pay rise, while contractors want a 10% wage reduction.

Employers groups and contractors said they were willing to negotiate at today's meeting but that they simply do not have the money to fund any pay increases at this time.

“When people are taking reductions in wages... to be going after an 11% increase certainly doesn't make sense," said Eddie Keenan, Director of Industrial Relations with the Construction Industry Federation.

“We're prepared to talk about it, we're prepared to deal with all the issues they have - we're certainly not in a position to pay money.”

Speaking just after the talks broke down, General Secretary Designate of the TEEU, Eamon Devoy rejected this, saying that there was nothing put to them to negotiate.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/t...xzz0KPQnzS5k&D

SIPTU leader pledges support for TEEU strike action

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SIPTU President Jack O'Connor.

05/07/2009 - 14:22:36
The country's largest trade union SIPTU is pledging its support for a nationwide strike by electricians tomorrow.

More than 10,000 electricians will down tools in the morning in protest over their employers’ refusal to award them an 11% pay hike.

Talks aimed at resolving the row collapsed at the Labour Relations Commission.

SIPTU President Jack O'Connor has offered his backing to the TEEU trade union for tomorrow's action, describing it as completely justified.

He said he will also support any application from the TEEU to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for an all-out

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/s...xzz0KPRW3ZLO&D

Holy crap!

Electricians to down tools

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Siptu general president Jack O’Connor

06/07/2009 - 07:20:03
Some of the country’s largest construction projects are expected to face serious disruption today as almost 11,000 electricians down tools in a row over pay.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) said Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2, the new Lansdowne Road Stadium and the National Convention Centre are among those that will be hit.

The strike is set to impact on construction sites around the country after last-ditch talks at the Labour Relations Commission collapsed at the weekend.

Workers say they are owed as much as an 11% pay rise from three years ago which was never paid, while employers have disputed the claim and are demanding a 10% cut in wages.

The industrial action has already threatened to escalate as Ireland’s largest trade union Siptu waded in to the row to declare it would back an all-out picket.

Siptu general president Jack O’Connor vowed to strongly recommend his members support the strike if the TEEU asks for an all-out action through the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

“Ultimately the electricians must be supported by all workers because the employers’ objective of cutting pay and tearing up agreements reflects the primary aim of the wealthy elite in our society, which is, above all else, to preserve their own assets and privileged position,” he said.

TEEU general secretary designate Eamon Devoy said other unions as well as Siptu have also indicated they too would support the strike.

“People are realising that if the electrical contractors get away with tearing up the Registered Employment Agreement for our sector the same can happen in other industries,” he said.

Chris Lundy, executive secretary of the Association of Electrical Contractors, said it was “absolute rubbish” that employers were not willing to talk with the unions.

Firms were willing to look at the pay claims but there were many other issues and a “major inability” to up wages in the present economic circumstances, he insisted.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/e...xzz0KSvaobPl&D

Things seem really tough for the Irish right now based off the news articles I'm reading. I hope that in the end, the worker will win in this dispute, whether it is a total victory (worker control), or a marginal one (pay increase).

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06/07/2009 - 14:17:30
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) today applied to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for an all-out picket, escalating the dispute between electricians and their employers which has seen electricians down tools countrywide.

If successful, it means other unions would join TEEU picket lines at construction sites and manufacturing plants around the country.

The strike by more than 10,000 electricians has already forced the closure of several major building works.

High profile construction projects like Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2, the new Lansdowne Road Stadium and Corrib gas project were hit after last-ditch talks at the Labour Relations Commission collapsed at the weekend.

TEEU Regional Secretary Ian McDonnell says the action will continue until demands are met.

The TEEU are demanding implementation of an 11% pay rise from three years ago which was never paid, while employers have disputed the claim and are demanding a 10% cut in wages.

Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister, earlier urged both sides in the dispute to come together in the understanding that the economic climate had changed.

http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/union...xzz0KUXw8d3e&D

Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister, earlier urged both sides in the dispute to come together in the understanding that the economic climate had changed.
This is the Irish government’s response a typical statement from a capitalist whore.
The world recession is no excuse to renege on wage agreements if the strikers fail where will it end we will be in a situation where employers can cut wages at will renege on past agreements and blame the recession.
Fair play to the electricians for drawing a line in the sand they have my full support.

On our site the electricians worked today and there was no picket. To be honest I think a large number of electricians were against striking.

Realistically I don't think they will get a pay rise let alone one as high as 11%. They have my support all the same.

Non-Union scabs chara they probably think it doesn’t affect them. Idiots.

An 11% pay rise as a demand is obviously by no means too much to demand - it is way too little. The working class should be receiving the full product of their labour and should be running society.

From another perspective, i.e. the perspective of a union struggle, you could say its quite clever. If management bowed somewhat to pressure, but they wanted to mitigate the demands they capitulate to somewhat, and they drop the amount of the pay rise, its still a pay rise of a significant amount (i.e. management might half it to 5-6% but thats still a significant rise).

Also given the context of pay rises not going in line with inflation to ask for such a high amount makes sense in the context of management giving sub-inflation pay rises (i.e. pay cuts) in the future.

Its good to see militancy with our fellow worker's over in Ireland, very good indeed.

And Siptu general president Jack O’Connor needs to be commended for his stance.
One out all out.

Its great to see the electricians finally standing up , also the militancy of the strike is also quite amazing along with the secondary strikes at Landsdown Road and at the Cadbury's factory in Dublin .

However, employers have struck back hard against workers , over 4000 electricians have been put on protective notice by their employers and now face getting the sack.The workers now find themselves on the edge of a diving board , they can either back down , accept a deal with the employers , or take the plunge ,hold tight and fight for the full 11.3% pay raise that they have long been over do .

Jack O'Connor deserves no commending for this strike , he has finally bowed to pressure from the militant rank and file .He has time and time again backed down from strike action , accepted unfavourable deals for workers , told them to accept pay cuts while he sits on his 100,000 plus per year.If it walks like a duck.....