REA Agreements

S

secman

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I am mystified as to why this sacred cow remains so, all across the nation, ordinary private workers have taken at least one pay cut, some 2 ( as I have) and possibly a third. We now see the pressure being applied to Public sector to take a cut, having already made a contribution to Pension ( which I agree with.) But yet i have heard absolutely nothing about REA agreements, which incidentally are hurting in, partularily in the Construction sector. Contractors from N.I are tendering for works in the Republic and are paying stg£13/14 per hour which would equate to approx €15 per hour. Most REA trade rates are hovering around €20 /€21 per hour in the Republic.

I would most welcome a debate on this Thorny issue
 
The majority of ordinary private workers have not taken any pay cuts apart from the income levy and the health levy which was applied to all workers both private and public.

Public workers have been hit three times and in some cases 4 times as an agreed pay increase was cancelled. Agreed pay increases in the private sector have been given. (1. Income Levy, 2. Health Levy, 3. Pension Levy - which is a pay cut)

I dont know enough about the construction industry to debate it, but we are in the middle of getting our house renovated and the difference in quotes was just unbelievable. Plumbers for example appear to charge what they like and seem to live in a completly different world to the rest of us ordinary folk.

If someone else is winning a contract and the difference is pay rates, would it not be advisable to drop pay rates in order to keep our own* in employment?

*Our own meaning - those living and paying taxes in the Irish Republic
 

There's avenue to renegotiate, the hotels industry has started (I think successful too) the sunday pay in the REA. Not saying it was easy, I think it had been talked about for 18 months before action, and it wasn't easy to get all parties on board, but there is some remit.
 
 

Again this is only half the story. Basic pay hasn't been touched by many largely because of the Industrial Relations side to that, however other means of reducing pay roll have. From redundancies to loss of bonus, stopping of overtime, shorter hours, etc. So people are still paid the same basic, but many private companies have reduced their costs from other payroll means.
 
CSO figures and also an Irish Times poll shows 70% of private sector workers have not had any pay cuts.
 

Are you saying the cost of getting an electrician/plumber/bricklayer has not reduced? I was under the impression that the cost of getting an extension or doing renovation work has come down considerably. How could prices come down so much if labour costs have remain unchanged?
 
RonanC said:
CSO figures and also an Irish Times poll shows 70% of private sector workers have not had any pay cuts.
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Yes as stated off their basic pay level the CSO don't ask if any other cuts were introduced. Would you not say that being put on a 3 day week is a pay cut? Sure you're still paid the same per hour, so according to the CSO that doesn't constitute a cut, but you're taking home 3/5 of what you used to.

The gardai don't want any change to their overtime or other payments, yet overtime has been reduced in the private sector (or at least the payment of, many are still putting in the hours). If it's seen as a pay cut for the Gardai, why isn't it a pay cut in the Private Sector?

Oh, and 200,000 private sector employees on the live register, I think that's a pretty big pay cut too.
 

How about the strike not so long ago regarding pay for the electricians wanting to get their pay increases under the REA?
 
Latrade said:
How about the strike not so long ago regarding pay for the electricians wanting to get their pay increases under the REA?
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Yes, but i was under the impression that the cost of getting work done has come down. Secman seems to be suggesting pay rates have not reduced.
Maybe smaller operators work outside the REA guidelines?
 
@ Latrade,

I fully agree with you, I was only trying to make a point that Public Servants have all had pay cuts which was conveniently missed by the OP.
 
If a private company is trading internationally and remains profitable why would they reduce wages?
My company is in the above situation. Do you think we should make larger profits by reducing wages?

Do bear in mind that we have not enjoyed the massive pay increases that those in the public sector and construction industry have (generally) received. We have had to benchmark ourselves against out international competition so the relative value of our wage have not kept pace with those exposed to the bubble fuelled domestic economy.
 
RonanC said:
@ Latrade,

I fully agree with you, I was only trying to make a point that Public Servants have all had pay cuts which was conveniently missed by the OP.
Click to expand...

In fairness I think the OP agrees with you on that matter, based on how I read their post.
 
In my original post I did refer to the Pension contibution paid by Public service and also the pending cut in the forthcoming Budget. The situation pertaining to many contractors in Constuction Industry is : REA is in situ but if a Contractor choses to pay a rate lower than REA rate , in order to secure contracts, he leaves his firm open to an inspection by NERA and having to fully pay the under paid wages, which would not have been costed into the contracts secured.

Yet Contractors abiding by rules are regualrily being beaten on price by those not subject to the REA ( N.I. firms ) or those chosing to take a chance, often with employees agreeement, just to secure a living, which is also understandable. Firms engaging contractors, and often govt agencies are not too worried as the new form of tender is driving prices down !

Definitely not a level playing field !

Secman
 
It looks like all parties concerned have agreed to paying overtime in hotels at time and one third for Sundays as opposed to the current double time pending Labour Court agreement which is surely a formality.
Hotel pay is governed by Employment Regulation Orders ( ERO ) rather than Registered Employment Orders ( REA ).
In my time as a Trade Union official when I was asked what the difference was I hurriedly changed the subject !
 
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