# Official pay rate per hour for a Carpenter



## donee (20 Jun 2010)

Hi I just seen an add on a job website, an agency, advertising for a Carpenter for temporary on-going work with a multi-national, but with a rate of only €10 per hour. Surely with all the hassle that the electrician's union's went through and strikes last year, is this not illeagal, i.e. illeagal to advertise or pay an amout lower than the official, agreed, pay rate.
cheers donee.


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## Purple (20 Jun 2010)

donee said:


> Hi I just seen an add on a job website, an agency, advertising for a Carpenter for temporary on-going work with a multi-national, but with a rate of only €10 per hour. Surely with all the hassle that the electrician's union's went through and strikes last year, is this not illeagal, i.e. illeagal to advertise or pay an amout lower than the official, agreed, pay rate.
> cheers donee.



Are carpenters covered under a registered pay agreement if they are not employed in the construction industry?


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## donee (21 Jun 2010)

Purple said:


> Are carpenters covered under a registered pay agreement if they are not employed in the construction industry?


 I DONT UNDERSTAND what you mean, the job being advertised is for a carpenter  to do I assume CARPENTRY work on an on-going temporary basis, my question is, is it legal to employ someone at below the union rate?.
I myself, am self employed, so therefore what i pay myself, as long as I pay my tax's is my business, but surely to employ another carpenter, I must pay them the going, negotiated, rate.
When the electrician's went on strike last year the arguement from the employers was that they could'nt get work because the hourly rate was so high and that it was actually ILLEAGAL for them to employ an electrician at below the negotiated rate.


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## Purple (23 Jun 2010)

Union rates are not legally binding (thankfully, or there wouldn’t be a job in the country) but some sectors are covered by an archaic law dating back to the 1930’s when there was no minimum wage and very little social welfare. These are called registered employment agreements and basically it makes it illegal to pay below set rates for particular job in particular sectors. So carpenters working in construction cannot be paid less than the registered rates but, as far as I know, carpenters working in non-construction jobs are not covered by this.


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## Johnatan (19 Aug 2011)

Purple said:


> Are carpenters covered under a registered pay agreement if they are not employed in the construction industry?


_What you mean by _registered pay agreement? Maybe _Registered_ Employment _Agreement_ (REA)?


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## Purple (26 Aug 2011)

Johnatan said:


> _What you mean by _registered pay agreement? Maybe _Registered_ Employment _Agreement_ (REA)?



Yes.


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## JoeB (26 Aug 2011)

And from this link..
http://www.labourcourt.ie/labour/labour.nsf/LookupPageLink/RatesOfPay

The current rate appears to be 17.21 per hour, or 688 euros for a 40 hour week. I would go out of business by choice before paying those rates.


edited to add:
Just to put that into context, I currently have one individual who is prepared to work for free in order to gain experience. Fair play to him, he has motivation and ambition, and is taking the necessary steps to get ahead of his competators.


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## Purple (26 Aug 2011)

JoeBallantin said:


> And from this link..
> http://www.labourcourt.ie/labour/labour.nsf/LookupPageLink/RatesOfPay
> 
> The current rate appears to be 17.21 per hour, or 688 euros for a 40 hour week. I would go out of business by choice before paying those rates.
> ...



Can anyone clarify what trades that rate, described as just “Construction Craftsman” applies to?
If a carpenter is working in an industrial environment (making furniture for example) rather than a construction environment do the construction rates apply? 
We have had people offering their services for free but we haven't taken them up on it as they don't have the skills we need and if they did we'd pay them.


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## KCT (27 Aug 2011)

It depends on if it's a construction firm or not, if a carpenter is working producing furniture and that's where the company makes it's money from then the minimum wage rates apply.


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## Deiseblue (27 Aug 2011)

Could I suggest that you contact UCATT - see www.ucatt.ie who may not only may provide you with the pay rate info you require but may also be interested in the multi national co you refer to & the rate they are offering to skilled tradesmen.


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