Purely anecdotal concerning support for the strike - where did you get your info ?Many , many electricians did not support the strike and in fact worked right throughout the strike, once the place of work was not picketed. So it is fair to say they do not have the support they purport to have from their members. There are now 3 employer groups opposing the rate increase, only the big boys, ECA are backing it. This is really the kernal of the problem, the big boys dictating the rates for the entire industry. A long way to go yet.
Secman
Interesting times ahead if employers can blithely ignore a Labour Court recommendation , if the Unions did that there would be murder !
Kieran Mulvey of the LRC and the two contractor representative bodies also believed that a 4.9% pay increase was reasonable as they agreed on that figure prior to having the increase rubber stamped by the Labour Court - in other words everybody at the talks agreed on the increase !They picketed the sites that would get airtime ,namely the large ECA run sites, many many construction sites operated without interuption, believe you me. I have spoken to many electricians , all of whom worked during the dispute, and none of them had been balloted, they are saying that with the state of the sector, they would gladly take a pay cut rather than have no work at all, as they have many colleagues out of work.
I find it hard to stomach that TEEU believe the sector can take a pay increase, its just astounding, truly astounding. It was patently clear during the talks that ECA being affilaited to CIF tried to bully AECI into accepting the deal on the table. The large builders had been putting severe pressure on ECA to get it sorted. But at the same time large builders are putting pressure on electrical contractors to drop their prices !
Secman
I have to correct you , the Union did not ignore the Labour Court recommendation - the strike was unofficial and not union sanctioned.The Dublin Bus drivers in the Harristown Depot striking over a change to the timetable springs immediately to mind as an example of a union ignoring a labour court recommendation. That was okay apparently because the labour court didn't really understand bus timetables (until they issued a recommendation the union agreed with that is).
How about getting rid of these stupid and out dated collectivist agreements and let people negotiate their wages based on their skill and the value they bring to the table (just like nearly everyone else in the country)?
Kieran Mulvey of the LRC and the two contractor representative bodies also believed that a 4.9% pay increase was reasonable as they agreed on that figure prior to having the increase rubber stamped by the Labour Court - in other words everybody at the talks agreed on the increase !
I have to point out again that your evidence regarding the lack of support for the dispute is purely anecdotal !
The disruption as I say was huge and extremely well targeted.
How about getting rid of these stupid and out dated collectivist agreements and let people negotiate their wages based on their skill and the value they bring to the table (just like nearly everyone else in the country)?
The ECA and the AEC representative bodies both agreed that the increase of 4.9% was a reasonable compromise , I of course appreciate that the AEC did not manage to sell this view to their members.I have factual knowledge of many sites that operated during the strike, and you are factually wrong stating that 2 employer bodies agreed to the increase , only one did. namely ECA. They only caved in due to pressure within CIF, from big builders. On another note, it would appear that the 3 employer groups opposing the increase are in some kind of discussion. This would be a very welcome move and would leave the ECA very isolated, only representing 50 employers and the other Group if amalgamated would represent some 1,000 plus , basically the vast majority of contractors.
Secman
The ECA and the AEC representative bodies both agreed that the increase of 4.9% was a reasonable compromise
The others if they amalgamate, will represent a huge majority of Contractors, over 1,000 of them.
You reckon there are 4,000 Electrical contracors who are not in Employer Groups and who are also employers ? (other 80%)Still less than 20% of the total, though.
You reckon there are 4,000 Electrical contracors who are not in Employer Groups and who are also employers ? (other 80%)
Secman
More anecdotal " facts ' about waning support for the strike.AECI are listening to their hundreds of members who voted by a large majority to reject the NON binding recommendation issued by LRC. The AECI members at the meeting did NOT accept the recommendation, hence it was issued as a NON binding one.
The ECA will be a minority group, representing about 50 or so members, which will reduce in January( renewal date) by definitely one member ! The others if they amalgamate, will represent a huge majority of Contractors, over 1,000 of them.
ECA buckled at a time when support was waining, other trades had begun to pass the pickets, with the hols looming and also realizing how much better paid the sparks are in relation to other trades. There were several flash points on the big sites where sparks had to back off from other trades passing pickets.
Secman
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