NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS IRELAND (NECI)

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS IRELAND (NECI)

   Connecting Irelands Electrical Contractors.

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National Electrical Contractors Ireland (NECI) have been formed to speak for the majority of Electrical Contractors in Ireland who have no voice when it comes to talks about Pay and Conditions. In June 2008 a Steering group was set up to oversee the Formation of the new organisation. This steering group achieved all its objectives (including stopping the 5% pay increase) as mandated from the floor at the startup meeting in Athlone. The steering group has now been replaced by a National Council elected by the large attendance at the first AGM, held in February 2009.

INTRODUCTION

The need for a new representative association was highlighted when the parties to the Registered Employment Agreement (REA) that is in force in the electrical contracting Industry agreed in principal a rate increase of 5%.These parties then went to the Labour Court to vary the agreement and sign the increase into law.

Because of concerns raised by the 90% of unrepresented Electrical Contractors who have no Input into the Agreement but are none the less legally bound by its terms, the validity of the agreement is now being challenged.

NECIs legal advice is that the REA will not sustain a legal challenge under the competitions act which has become law since the agreement was registered in 1990, questions also need to be asked as to how the employer body’s spoke for the whole Industry without holding a valid negotiating licence.

Registered Employment Agreement

Click ELECTRICAL REA to download a copy of the Agreement which has been Registered by the Labour Court

The new National Electrical Contractors Ireland (NECI) have been shocked by the level of company's operating in the industry who know little or nothing about the Registered Employment Agreement. This complete lack of education is in fact seen by NECI as one of the major failings in the original agreement. This lack of knowledge about a legally binding Agreement will be proven by the survey that is being carried out by NECI. To make matters worse the agreement is now being aggressively enforced by a Limited Company with a vested interest in forcing contractors to pay back moneys under the flawed terms of the agreement.

Click NECI SURVEY To Take Part in Survey

Basis of our objection to the Agreement

Our objection to the agreement is based on section 27 (3) Part C of the 1946 Industrial Relations act which clearly states that "The Labour Court must be satisfied that party's to the agreement must be substantially representative of the body's they are speaking for".

In Order to operate in the electrical contracting sector each contractor has to register with either RECI or ECSSA. There are a total of 5275 Electrical Contractors registered with RECI and ECSSA.

It is the NECIs opinion that the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) with 52 members and the Association of Electrical Contractors Of Ireland (AECI) with 180 members are not and never have been substantially representative of the approx 5275 contractors operating in Ireland.

Click HERE to see section 27 of the 1946 ACT

John Smith at the NECI MEETING IN CARLOW TOWN

Objectives

We at NECI want to stress that our First objective is to be involved in the negotiations for a new Registered Employment Agreement that is fair and transparent for all employers and workers in the sector. Not as claimed to reduce all electricians pay to the minimum wage. In fact on the contrary NECI would like a grading system in place within the new agreement, where top performing employees could be paid more than the existing rates. It is also our intention that a proper and certifiable education system will be put in place to teach all employers operating in the industry their responsibilities under the new Registered Employment Agreement. Going into the future we have many other goals as discribed in our Aims and Objectives page. We would like to Stress that we are not a one agenda association and have many goals in the future that will improve the situation for all employers operating in the Electrical Contracting Sector. CLICK for NECI AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Denis Judge with Ingrid Miley at the High Court PJ Salmonn of NECI at the Labour Court Jan 2009 Paul Lynch and Sean Kearns of NECI at the Labour Court