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Request to Examine Terms and Conditions in the Electrical Contracting Sector

Update 10 January 2022

The Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English TD, has signed a Statutory Instrument  ( S.I.  703 0f 2021  )  giving legal effect to a recommendation from the Labour Court for new minimum pay rates to workers in the electrical contracting sector.  This recommendation was approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas on 7 December 2021 and the rates apply from the 1 February 2022.

The SEO applies to all electrical contractors as defined and makes it compulsory for employers to pay the rates of pay provided in the order from February 2022 and make pension and sick pay contributions for the categories of workers as defined.

The SEO also contains a dispute resolution procedure to be utilised in the event of an industrial dispute between workers and employers to whom the SEO applies.

Minister English signs Statutory Instrument to give legal effect for Labour Court recommendation on new pay rates in the electrical contracting sector - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)

S.I. No. 703/2021 - Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021 (irishstatutebook.ie)

Electrical Contractors - Report to Minister

Update 4th November 2021

Following a hearing on the 23rd and 24 September 2021 the Division dealing with the matter has made a recommendation to the Minister for an SEO for the Electrical Contracting Sector in accordance with section 16(3)(a),(b) & (c) of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015. The Recommendation and Report was sent to the Minister’s office to-day Thursday the 4 November 2021.

Update 23rd August 2021

Notification of a public hearing on 23rd and 24th September 2021 at 11.30 am following a request to the Court to examine terms and conditions relating to remuneration, and any sick pay or pension scheme of workers in the Electrical Contracting Sector on 5 March 2021.

The Labour Court received a request to Conduct an Examination into Terms and Conditions relating to remuneration, and any sick pay or pension scheme of workers in the Electrical Contracting Sector.

Consideration of documentation by the Court

In accordance with Section 15(1) the Court considered the documentation furnished by the requester and, having satisfied itself on the documentation that relevant statutory considerations had been complied with, determined that a notice of its intention to conduct an examination be published.

Publication of Section 15(2) notification

On the 2nd June 2021 the Labour Court gave notice of its intention to conduct an examination of the terms and conditions relating to the remuneration and any sick pay scheme or pension scheme in respect of the electrical Contracting Sector by way of publication of a notice in

  • The Irish Times
  • The Irish Independent
  • The Irish Examiner
  • Seachtain
  • Iris Oifiguil

Interested parties wishing to make representations in relation to the examination were, in accordance with the statute, required to do so on or before 29th June 2021. 

The Court received representations from the following organisations by the closing date and time specified:

  • National Electrical Contractors Limited
  • Electrical Contractors’ Association
  • Construction Workers’ Pension Scheme
  • Dolores Rogers
  • Association of Electrical Contractors (Ireland)
  • Mount Street Group
  • Connect Trade Union

These submissions can be found below.

Notification of a hearing in public

Pursuant to section 15(4) of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 the Court will now hold a hearing in public on Thursday and Friday the 23rd and 24th September 2021beginning at 11.30 a.m.

The Court, at that hearing, will hear all parties appearing to the Court to be interested and desiring to be heard. Noting that the Court is statutorily permitted to receive only those submissions made within the timeframe set down by the Court in accordance with the statute; the Court has decided that the seven parties who made submissions by 5.00pm on 29 June 2021 are the only parties appearing to the Court to be interested and desiring to be heard.

The hearing in public will be in a virtual courtroom. Members of the public who wish the access the hearing in a virtual court room should contact Therese Hickey at therese.hickey@enterprise.gov.ie for relevant technical details.

The Section 14 request is available below:

Application to the Labour Court 5th March 2021

The following are the submissions received by 5pm on or before 29 June 2021:

AECI SEO submission 29.06.21

Connect Submission to Labour Court Electrical Contracting 29.06.2021

Connect Appendices Part 1 29.06.21

Connect Appendices Part 2 29.06.21

CWPS Submission Labour Court 29.06.2021

CWPS Appendix Labour Court Submission 29.06.21

ECA Cover Letter Submission on SEO in Electrical Contracting 29.06.21

ECA Submission SEO in the Electrical Contracting Industry 29.06.21

NECI Submission 29.06.21

Mount Street Trustees Limited Submission 29.06.21

Dolores Rogers Submission 29.06.21