A POSSIBLE STRIKE by electricians could halt work on construction sites and manufacturing plants around the country.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) has confirmed that that they will ballot members on 7 February with general secretary Eamon Devoy saying that he expects a notice of industrial action to be issued after the vote.

“Strike action may be taken nationally against all employers simultaneously or strategically against individual employers as determined by the executive council of the union,” said Devoy.

The TEEU say that the dispute is about stopping employers from cutting current hourly pay rates of members by 10 per cent from €21.49  to €19.34

The union say that under a 2009 recommendations made by the Labour Court, TEEU members were in fact entitled to pay rises from April 2014.

This agreement was subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court and as a result is no longer in place but the TEEU say that a pay cut represents a step too far.

“The TEEU has continually tried to reach agreement with the employers about how to plan a sustainable recoverey strategy for the industry,” said Devoy.

“Unfortunately the employer groups have continued to squabble amongst themselves and it now seems that they intend allowing the law of the jungle to prevail with every company negotiating its own rates of pay directly with employees.”

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