19th October 2011
LRC Letter
Ref: REA negotiations
Dear Chairman,
The AECI has in the past number of weeks pursued, at the request of the NJIC, and under your chairmanship, an attempt to reach agreement between all parties to a newly revised REA (Registered Employment Agreement) encompassing all clauses of that agreement and in particular the elements of wages and conditions.
A particular part of the discussion ranged around the issue of Non Compliancy within our Industry and to this end a separate meeting was arranged between all parties to the Agreement and NERA, the official body, charged by the Government with ensuring that wages and conditions of the REA are adhered to.
The delegates of this Association at the above meetings reported back to the Executive of the AECI on the 19th October 2011 and following careful consideration of the range and content of the discussions it has reached the following conclusion.
1. The Executive do not accept that the proposal put forward on the reduction in either;
a) Wages
b) Conditions of Employment, or
c) The methodology for setting such wages and conditions
is capable of meeting the requirements of our members and do not reflect the wage rates and conditions which are being paid by non compliant contractors and worked for by employees in the market place.
2. The Executive consider that the meeting with NERA in Carlow proved conclusively to them that the state agency NERA, at this point in time, is not in a position to defend our Members against the rates and conditions being applied both by Non Compliant Contractors and Non Compliant Electricians.
3. The Executive have therefore instructed their delegates to immediately cease these current negotiations and to pursue our Members instructions for the removal of the REA for this Industry