# Electricians' strike over pay 'inevitable'



## dockingtrade (3 Jul 2009)

headline in rte.ie I read the article.

this country is deranged!!!!!!!!


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## callybags (3 Jul 2009)

It's shocking.


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## Kine (3 Jul 2009)

you mean you don't think we should all get paid more?!?


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## Shawady (3 Jul 2009)

Are they looking for a pay rise or is it to stop a pay cut?

I was talking to an electrician last week and he said they were due a pay rise going back a couple of years. He did not expect to get it but wanted to 'Hold what he had' in terms of his current salary.


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## brodiebabe (3 Jul 2009)

Shawady said:


> 'Hold what he had' in terms of his *current *salary.


 
LOL!


Are all electricians fused together on these thoughts?


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

They are striking for 11%... what more can anyone say.


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## Graham_07 (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> They are striking for 11%... what more can anyone say.


 
What bright spark came up with that figure


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## Caveat (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> They are striking for 11%... what more can anyone say.


 
What about "ohm my god!"


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## brodiebabe (3 Jul 2009)

Let them strike with no pay it may bring them back to earth........


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## callybags (3 Jul 2009)

What's their current pay?


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

As long as other construction workers have the courage to do the right thing and not be bullied into not passing the picket by the union mafia then things should be OK. If union intimidation wins the day then it will cost many more jobs.


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## Hoagy (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> They are striking for 11%... what more can anyone say.


 
Not quite, it's just under 5%.

The present hourly rate since 01/04/07 is €21.49 per hour based on 39 hour week.

The increase being sought under the agreement is €1.05  per hour.

They would have got this in April 2008 but it was stopped by the legal challenge to the agreement.


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

Hoagy said:


> Not quite, it's just under 5%.
> 
> The present hourly rate since 01/04/07 is €21.49 per hour based on 39 hour week.
> 
> ...



Well RTE say it's 11% (Link).
The Irish times say they want an increase from _"€21.49 per hour to €23.98."_ (or €2.49 per hour). That works out at around 11%.
You better let them know that they are all wrong.


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## dockingtrade (3 Jul 2009)

How does this look to the rest of the world &  potential investors where we have workers going on strike for more pay when we are heading for 15% unemployment and they on €21 p/h


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## Hoagy (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> Well RTE say it's 11% (Link).
> The Irish times say they want an increase from _"€21.49 per hour to €23.98."_ (or €2.49 per hour). That works out at around 11%.
> You better let them know that they are all wrong.


 

You're correct, sorry. I hadn't realised they were seeking an increase for 2009 as well.

TEEU [broken link removed]

Just shows the quality of information employers are given.


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## Mpsox (3 Jul 2009)

My understanding is that the increases they are looking for are, they believe , due to have been paid over the last couple of years

From what was said on the news last night, employers are looking for a 10% pay cut. 

Have to say, one has to wonder if the electricians are living on another planet, given the state of building in Ireland. Also have to wonder what all the TEEU members who've lost their jobs in the last 12 months make of this


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

I heard one of the clowns from the TEEU on moaning Ireland last week saying that no member of the TEEU hadlost their job. When questions on this he stuck with the comment.


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## galleyslave (3 Jul 2009)

i wouldn't mind a basic wage of 20 quid odd an hour... 

bloody hell... no wonder the country is going down the tubes when people are so overpaid...


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## Shawady (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> I heard one of the clowns from the TEEU on moaning Ireland last week saying that no member of the TEEU hadlost their job. When questions on this he stuck with the comment.


 
Same guy is on the Joe Duffy show this afternoon.

My friend who was telling me about this, informed me a couple of months ago that the company that he works for had 60 employees before Christmas and were down to 19 in April. One of his colleagues had been off work for two weeks due to an injury and when he returned was told he had no job to come back to.


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## baldyman27 (3 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> What about "ohm my god!"


 
Watt about it?


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## Pique318 (3 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> What about "ohm my god!"


Resistance Is Futile


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## csirl (3 Jul 2009)

I believe that most other construction workers are too fearful of losing their jobs to support the strike & that the electricians wont be very popular if sites are forced to close causing a loss in pay.


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## Caveat (3 Jul 2009)

baldyman27 said:


> Watt about it?


 


Pique318 said:


> Resistance Is Futile


 
I think these jokes are just a phase...


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## baldyman27 (3 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> I think these jokes are just a phase...


 
I disagree, they've been doing the circuit for a while now.


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## Caveat (3 Jul 2009)

baldyman27 said:


> I disagree, they've been doing the circuit for a while now.


 

Well I suppose yes, some of you just keep plugging away.

Me? I guess I feel neutral about it.


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## baldyman27 (3 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> Well I suppose yes, some of you just keep plugging away.
> 
> Me? I guess I feel neutral about it.


 
You generally do have a grounded attitude to this kind of livewire topic.


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

Don't cross the electricians, they will put your lights out.


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## callybags (3 Jul 2009)

Are they not just on a power trip?


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## Kine (3 Jul 2009)

galleyslave said:


> i wouldn't mind a basic wage of 20 quid odd an hour...
> 
> bloody hell... no wonder the country is going down the tubes when people are so overpaid...


 
Me too, wouls solve all my financial issues (at least I don't think I earn that much...what's that in annual gross terms?)


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## Kine (3 Jul 2009)

And seriously, taxi's for all those doing poor jokes....


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## baldyman27 (3 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> Don't cross the electricians, they will put your lights out.


 
If they do, I have a friend who's a copper.


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## baldyman27 (3 Jul 2009)

Kine said:


> And seriously, taxi's for all those doing poor jokes....


 
Hey, we're just trying to generate a bit of fun.


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

Kine said:


> Me too, would solve all my financial issues (at least I don't think I earn that much...what's that in annual gross terms?)



If they do 10 hours a week overtime (not that much; just two hours a day) they would gross nearly €60k a year. Then again they might not do any overtime, make do woth €43.5k, and just do the odd nixer...


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## brodiebabe (3 Jul 2009)

They must be wired wrong if they think they deserve that increase.......


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## room305 (4 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> As long as other construction workers have the courage to do the right thing and not be bullied into not passing the picket by the union mafia then things should be OK. If union intimidation wins the day then it will cost many more jobs.



From what I heard, strikes were only to take place for works under government contract.



Purple said:


> I heard one of the clowns from the TEEU on moaning Ireland last week saying that no member of the TEEU hadlost their job. When questions on this he stuck with the comment.



I guess he must mean no TEEU official, cos I know plenty of members who lost their jobs.

Speaking to regular TEEU members, I gather they are as baffled as we are at this nonsense.

As one of them said to me "I just took a 12% paycut to hang onto my job, I'm hardly in a position to be looking for a payrise!"


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## Yachtie (4 Jul 2009)

I spoke to a building contractor recently and he told me that it wasn't the principal contractors who went mad on their own accord in recent years but the sub-contractors (plumbers, electricians, etc.). He also said that even though he is suffering at the moment, he is delighted that a lot of guys who took a 3-day course to learn how to change a fuse and got to call themselves electricians are now being weeded out. You never know, at the end of this we may end up with new and improved construction industry altogether.


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## Purple (4 Jul 2009)

Yachtie said:


> He also said that even though he is suffering at the moment, he is delighted that a lot of guys who took a 3-day course to learn how to change a fuse and got to call themselves electricians are now being weeded out. You never know, at the end of this we may end up with new and improved construction industry altogether.


 Ah yes, the self correcting private sector; when there is excess supply only the best survive.


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## thedaras (4 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> Ah yes, the self correcting private sector; when there is excess supply only the best survive.


Oh how I laughed when I read that..


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## Mpsox (6 Jul 2009)

passed a building site in Carlow where a new hi tech developement is being built, lots of security guards outside the site which I'd never seen before.


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## dockingtrade (6 Jul 2009)

has a journalist asked Eamon  Gilmore where he stands on this strike? If so what did he say, if not it with be a good question to put to him.

As for Jack after listnening to his view on this, I think the trade union movement is over in this country for the private sector, risking more jobs and showing no solidarity for people who are taking paycuts and have lost their jobs. Its not a race to the bottom as jack would have you believe, its a correction!!


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## S.L.F (6 Jul 2009)

galleyslave said:


> i wouldn't mind a basic wage of 20 quid odd an hour...
> 
> bloody hell... no wonder the country is going down the tubes when people are so overpaid...


 
With a name like galleyslave even €1 an hour would be good eh...

I can't believe electricians are striking for more money since the rest of the country is going down the tubes.

I think we should socket to them.


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## galleyslave (6 Jul 2009)

S.L.F said:


> I think we should socket to them.



there may be resistance to that idea.. this strike could well spark more industrial unrest, and could well signal the start of a new phase in relations with the unions. Still, I'll remain grounded and hope these livewires don't get too carried away with themselves. We could well use a regulator...


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## DavyJones (6 Jul 2009)

I just hope the plumbers and gas installers don't get involved, that could open the flood gates and explode in no time.


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## ludermor (6 Jul 2009)

room305 said:


> From what I heard, strikes were only to take place for works under government contract.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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