Electrician Strike - Would you cross the picket

[Zapatista]

I dont know any tradesmand that was 'screwed over' by employers when times were good. Did the builder and the tradesmen not make a fortune in the good times?

Really? There was thousands of them striking all week.

[Tankie]

I dont know any tradesmand that was 'screwed over' by employers when times were good. Did the builder and the tradesmen not make a fortune in the good times?

Really? There was thousands of them striking all week.

just under €22 min an hour is now being ripped off?   

[The Real Laoislad]

I think the Electricians at RTE are taking this strike a step to far

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h78TbBl0Jvg&feature=related

[Bacon]

Were the talks productive? Looking at the poll results there isn't a lot of sympathy for the sparks on here.

[The Watcher Pat]

"some random crap"

[leenie]

"some random crap"

[Gnevin]

Electrician dispute to end as new deal agreed

By ANNE-MARIE WALSH

Saturday July 11 2009

A STRIKE that posed a devastating threat to the ailing economy is expected to end by Monday.

The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union is likely to call off industrial action by 10,500 electricians tomorrow after the dispute over their claim for a €2.49-an-hour pay rise was referred to the Labour Court.

The court will today decide whether to recommend that the striking workers, who have stalled or stopped work on 200 construction sites, get a 4.9pc pay increase.

Pickets at major building works, including terminal two at Dublin Airport, the Lansdowne Road stadium and a new courts complex, have halted construction for days.

It is likely electricians will get a pay rise in the region of €1.05 from the current rate of €21.49 an hour, rather than their initial claim for an 11.3pc or €2.49-an-hour increase.

Although the court's decision will not be binding, the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, said he was "confident this represents a formula to bring an end to the dispute".

In a statement, the LRC said it "understands that all parties are prepared to accept the proposal agreed yesterday as a resolution of the dispute".

The settlement means the employers' demand for a 10pc pay cut is dropped and that all parties commit to the Registered Employment Agreement (REA) system, which sets minimum pay rates for the industry.

It also says all parties have agreed that the process of complying with the REA system is finalised within a month.

Tanaiste

The parties have also requested that Tanaiste Mary Coughlan examines how the issues that led to the dispute could be avoided -- particularly potential legal challenges to the registered agreements.

TEEU general secretary designate Eamon Devoy said he was hopeful that the dispute would be over if the court's recommendation was 'favourable'.

He said the union executive would announce whether it would call off the pickets following a meeting tomorrow.

ECA employer group president Fergus Frawley said the dispute had a detrimental effect on the industry and wider economy and the court referral "paved the way" to getting its employees back to work.

Chris Lundy of the AECI said there had been no success in reaching agreement on pay but the dispute had "serious implications" for its members.

The breakthrough came after 7pm when the two negotiating employer groups and the union finally agreed to ask the court to arbitrate in the dispute.

The second and more final option available to the parties at talks yesterday -- reaching a deal without the court's mediation -- could not be achieved.

There were obstacles to agreement on pay when employers rejected the union's proposal to pay an increase this year, in full or two instalments.

Sources at the talks said the decision to take the Labour Court route showed there was a general acceptance that a 4.9pc pay rise would have to be paid in full or in part


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/electrician-dispute-to-end-as-new-deal-agreed-1817195.html


4.5% not bad . I wonder if this have any affect on jobs down the line.