An employers’ group representing small to medium-sized electrical contractors said today it was being “deliberating shut out” of the process to resolve the electricians’ dispute and would consider taking legal action against any agreement reached.
The National Electrical Contractors of Ireland (NECI), which represents about 600 contractors, said a small number of large contractors were dictating the terms and conditions for the entire electrical industry.
Members of NECI held a protest today outside the Dublin offices of the Labour Relations Commission at what they said was their continued exclusion from the decision-making process which sets pay rates in the electrical contractor sector.
The chief executive of NECI, Denis Judge, said the current pay dispute in the industry was a “smokescreen” which concealed the “manifestly unjust” way pay and conditions in the industry were decided by a minority of large contractors.
Pay in most areas of electrical contractor sector is decided by a registered employment agreement, which sets legally-binding minimum pay rates and conditions in the industry.
The agreement has been varied 14 times since its inception in 1990, culminating in 14 separate wage increases for electricians.
Mr Judge said his members are forced to abide by these agreements even though they are “squeezing many out of business” and the fact that they are excluded from the decision-making process.
“There are 5,257 contractors in the industry and less than 200 are represented at these negotiations. This undemocratic and unlawful,” he said.
“If a resolution is found in this dispute, it would be open for us to go to the High Court on the grounds that we were locked-out of these talks even though they affect us,” Mr Judge warned.
Electrical contractor Damien Hayes from Kildare, who attended today's protest, said the unions would not recognise the NECI even though it had more members that the other two employers' groups combined.
"Last year, I employed 17 people and now I only employ one other person. If this pay rise goes through I'll be forced to let him go," he said.