Trade union call to Labour Education Minister over DIT electricians’ dispute

A TRADE UNION CALL on Labour Party Education Minister Ruairí Quinn to act decisively to help settle a dispute between electricians in the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union and Department of Education contractors in Dublin has been backed by Sinn Féin Dublin North-West Inner City rep Janice Boylan.

Janice (pictured) has been on the picket line to show her support for workers’ rights at the new DIT Development in Grangegorman and St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.

Among the issues the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union want addressed are:-

• Contractors paying rates as low as €9 an hour instead of €21.49 to electricians;
• Not providing sick pay, pensions or mortality benefit;
• Not paying travelling time or other benefits provided by the National Collective Agreement for the Electrical Contracting Industry;
• Dismissing workers when the TEEU sought these entitlements on their behalf;
• Preventing these workers from taking jobs directly with the main contractor on-site who was willing to honour these conditions.