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THE UNION REPRESENTING about 40,000 electrical and engineering workers has said it will consider industrial action to secure a 5% increase in pay for its members
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union’s (TEEU) general secretary Eamon Devoy told members at their annual conference in Kilkenny that the union would seek the reversal of changes made to pay working conditions over the past seven years.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Devoy said that the union will mount a campaign to secure the increase and that they are willing to “take whatever action is necessary, whether this is through lobbying or industrial action”.
Devoy said that the union wants the restoration of pension and working conditions that were surrendered during the economic downturn.
He added that, as part of any action, the union would support construction companies that are “in difficulty” but that it is clear that some companies are performing well.
“It is reasonable that if companies are in profit then it should be shared with the workers,” said Devoy.
teeu union / Twitter"#TEEU in talks with other construction unions over amalgamation" - Eamon Devoy, General Secretary pic.twitter.com/IscJJmZmOO
— teeu union (@teeuunion) November 22, 2014
The TEEU has had numerous disputes with employers group Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) over the past six years with a strike by workers in 2009 leading to the closure of building sites throughout the county.
Further disputes this year also led to threatened strike action.
Devoy also made reference to the water charge protest saying that the TEEU is supporting the abolition of charges, stating that the Government’s changes to the the regime are not enough.
teeu union / TwitterAn overhaul of the apprenticeship model would enhance the employability and productivity of young workers #TEEU
— teeu union (@teeuunion) November 22, 2014
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27 years working as an electrician, and them people who say that they represent us ? Please go shove a 1000 v where is hurts, they have consistently degraded our trade over the years . P R I C K S
Well said a sparks 25 yrs myself ….totally agree ….
Well said, sparking 10 years and they’ve never once done anything useful in that 10 years
This is bullshit. That so called “agreement” was in breech of the constitution. TEEU wants a controlled market to satisfy its power base. They passed an agreement between themselves and the big corporation contractors to squeeze small and self employed contractors out. They lost big time. Long live free markets.
Sean the REA agreement worked fine for years with no problems everyone got paid a min rate regardless if you worked for a two person businesses or a multi -national ,now we have a race to the bottom, free and unregulated markets do not always work, just take a look at the banking sector.
Finn Bowe no it didn’t. It proliferated the black market as we small companies couldn’t compete. Not only that it then left us in a hopeless situation to compete for large contracts as the big guys could sub out to nordies.
This not not about regulation, it’s about protectionism. Corporations siding with unions to control the pie aka facisim.
The banks should have been let go to the wall and bankers jailed, just like you or I. The best form of regulation is jail time. We don’t need big government or union corporate protectionism.
Sean , from my experience of working with small contractors they did quite good but granted that may not of been widespread, the problem with sparks doing a lot of “cash work” was partially down to not enough regulation, I believe things are changing now to stop unregistered sparks doing nixers which should of been in place when I was self employed,a decent min rate can still be paid if we could cut down on the black market by making every electrical job certifiable and taxable (out of the country so this may be the case already). But in general I accept most of your points but still believe there is room for a workable REA agreement.
Finn Bowe, what about if I want to work for whatever hourly price I want? What about my rights?
Constitution is right. Union and corporate overlords wrong.
Sean, I am anything but a union lover, , but if you decide or a foreign worker decides to work for say 3 euro an hour how does that help any of us? what about our rights to earn a living wage ? if anyone wants to come in and work in the electrical industry there needs to be regulation to protect that very industry and those working in it.
No offence to Electricians out there but I have a friend that is in and out of work on a minimum of 18 euro and hour. While many of the jobs I am applying for with a degree in Architecture is 8.65 or Jobbridge. There needs to be a get real moment for these guys.
I don’t think 8.65 is sufficient for anyone living independently
Nor is 8.65 enough for someone that spent years getting a costly degree to save up and get out of here. The low wages for younger people in this country is a shackle to stop people from leaving and it is astonishing that these guys want a pay rise?
I assume you plan on reimbursing the state for the cost of your degree before you “get out of here”
Typical much wants more attitude. Shame you didn’t get your degree abroad. You’d know all about debt then.
Actually I studied up North Burnsy where people take out loans to pay for their education. You really are a brainless git.
Says the guy that studied Architecture during a global economic crisis. You might as well have gotten a degree in toenail clipping for all the real world good it’ll do you.
Actually there has never been as many people in the UK studying Architecture. If you paid attention to market trends you would know that the whole role is of an architect is being re evaluated with things like Building Information Modelling and lean management. That is where I see my future not Architectural Design. You can be smart all you want but the future is in information management and simulation. Hence why I am doing a masters in it. When BIM finally takes over as it has in other countries it will be the Architects that will be laughing believe me.
Two comments ago i was a “brainless git” now you’re telling me to ” be smart all you want”
I assume decisiveness isn’t a requirement for this new breed of “architect”. Well the good news for you is that when you do finish your masters €8.65 ph full time is still better for you than €188 pw
Sure you can always go back as a mature student (when you do grow up) and study programming or IT where there are actual job prospects.
A degree and a trade are both desirable qualifications. Electricians are no less worthy than architects. Having said that No company should be allowed pay someone with a qualification as yourself €8.65. It’s not a living wage.
So just because you made some bad career choices and can’t earn any decent money you want everyone else to be poor along with you?
Julia85 the thing is Jobbridge has literally diluted the market for Architects and I am sure Engineers too. The R.I.A.I doesn’t hep young grads coming out of college because it stays silent on the issue of internships and low pay for their members. The only reason I can see is because it benefits many of the guys that are running practices reduce their bills and costs by the tune of 17k-25k and reduces their costs substantially.
Ihatehens.
Its a really good job if you can into practices. And I would by far rather be in a practice than scratching my backside out on site. Architects just don’t have a proper union that over inflate wages like Electricians do.
Oh see my vest. Do you have a real name? Knock someone that is making every effort to get started in life all you want but when the water protesters get their way and a real government gets in the corporation tax will be enforced fully and a lot of IT jobs will leave these shores. Who knows it could even be the Architects/ Engineers of the future that end up with the good salaries while IT people languish on the live register.
At least I don’t sit on the dole like yourself.
Earlier you all but guaranteed that architects will be the future, now you’re saying “who knows”
Seriously lad, pick a story and stick with it.
Also I have a job, I’ve never had to draw the dole but unlike you I know that I’m lucky to have my job and that things can change at any day. Also unlike you I don’t feel that I’m entitled to a job and that I need to work for it. Finally you’re condescending tone in reference to anyone that finds themselves in need to social welfare proves you’re immaturity. You’ve got a lot of growing up to do lad.
“Also I have a job, I’ve never had to draw the dole but unlike you I know that I’m lucky to have my job and that things can change at any day. Also unlike you I don’t feel that I’m entitled to a job and that I need to work for it. Finally you’re condescending tone in reference to anyone that finds themselves in need to social welfare proves you’re immaturity. You’ve got a lot of growing up to do lad.”
I would absolutely love if you said that to my face “lad.”
Like I said, grow up!
Bit of an unbalanced article using only comments from the union side, no?
Was there any opposition?
So cos you can’t get a poxy job no one else should get a decent wage? The industry is picking up and many contractors are raking it in, don’t be such a begrudging arsehole
At least the TEEU are supporting the abolition the water tax regime.
Unlike Im alright Jack O’Connor himming and hawning about his decision.
Jack OConnor has to support whatever Labour do seeing as they’re each others biggest supporters.
I’m surprised more hasn’t been made me the fact that Siptu members subs do be donated to the Labour party. Siptu members that don’t support the Water tax or the government should cancel their subs and go join a non aligned union that value their members more than a failing political party
the unions my arse…. the only sparks who benefit from the “union” are working in the esb
I was under the impression the rates are too high and nobody actually gets paid that much other than few small sectors?
Instead of a reasonable cost that might be achievable, a high wage for a few and no representation for the rest.
Whats the hourly rate for a Unionised electrical worker nowadays?
I think e18 an hour under REA rates.
It’s 21.47
Really that much
e21.47 so they want in the tune of an extra euro an hour?
Its currently a 45k salary per year that is 634 euro per week for a single person via Deloitte Tax Calculator.
With the pay rise of around a euro an hour included that is on average 46.7k salary. Or 650 euro per week again via the tax calculator. All figures are based on a 40 hour week. That is e16/ week higher than their current salary. There are some very bright “sparks” out there that never bothered to crunch the sums prior to getting out on the street yet they get pay a premium!?
Maybe e16 euro extra a week might pay for all the breakfast rolls and cups of tea?
Is that what this protest is about?
It’s funny, i’m a self employed electrician, and if i was to take someone on at these rates they would earn more than i do. The other irony is with my cost of living, if i had a different occupation earning what i do now i would struggle to afford to get an electrician out to do a job for me.
steve and pol, it is only 21euro an hour if they want to pay it.
Agreeably so but two friends of mine are electricians and both of them trained at the same time. Both were in and out of work around the end of their Apprenticeships. One had it easier than the other to find and sustain the work to finish it. The other was let go by his firm along with tens of other workers because Fás wouldn’t allow him to work for less than the rates set out by them. These guys were willing to work for the minimum wage to sustain their jobs for a few months until the employer could get his finances in order and Fás effectively made them redundant. The unions didn’t give a hoot about this btw.
Pol mag it’s not the electricians who want it it’s our so called union, they’re idiots, I cancelled my union fees to them cause they don’t represent what’s best for electricians
Too much
Also every 2nd person and their dog is a sparks, plenty to choose from
The cheek of them to ask for over 20e per hour
Be careful of that union, it’s made up of some bright sparks. ;)
Join in on #dec10 sure
You want to mix water and electricity?
Depends what politicians are standing in the water
In 2008/9 when the economy went to shit the TEEU wanted me to take a day off work to protest about not getting our scheduled pay rise! Really like, when there was no work to be had they wanted me to start protesting against my employer! They’re the most ridiculous Union ever!
If you can get your 5% – go for it!
For a single Electrician I crunched the figures via a tax calculator. A pay rise of about a euro an hour gives about e16 approx after tax. I would have thought the Union would have crunched the figures prior to going on strike?
R u not listening only a few electricians are getting the agreed rate
Go and look at the many employment agencies offering 9e an hour
And so it begins. It’s about time the unions found their voice
A union electrician in San Fransisco makes 45euro p/h. In Melbourne Australia its 30 euro depending on the exchange rate. Irish electricians are pretty good compared to what I’ve seen in other countries and do well overseas. Funny how quality tradesman gets paid so little at home. Even during the boom it was only 25euro ph if I remember correctly
It’s very simple Paul. In any business if you quote or charge over the odds, there’s always some other bugger to do the job cheaper, market forces.
If they get the extra 5% will it give them the incentive to show up on time from now on?
Over €20 an hour and they’re looking for more….. shocking.
Going to be a cold winter ahead!
5% increase of the (8.65) minimum wage would be 0.43c. Desperate stuff.
I see comments that electricians earn e21.47 an hour, that is not totally accurate. A contractor who takes on a new electrician does not have to pay that rate , he can be paid anything from the min wage up. Also companies that at present honor the REA rate can at anytime claim not to be able to afford it and then they do not have to pay it. A lot of contractors only offer work to electricians on a self employed basis so they can offer what they want and when they want. You only have to go onto the FAS website to see that electricians are seldom offered the REA rate, it is often advertised as “depend on exp”. you can look at it two ways it is either a race to the bottom or paying electricians what they are worth.
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