The British Based ECA (Electrical Contractors Association) failed to attend an Industry wide Meeting which had been organised to identify and address the problems facing Irelands Electrical Contractors. Jean Winters (EPACE Director) was busy attending an employment tribunal and the remainder of her I.R. (Industrial Relations) committee were “Out of the Country”. This non attendance follows the unavailability of ECA at a proposed earlier meeting . While the ECA will rush to meet with the TEEU at the drop of a hat, they are seemingly not interested in attending a meeting, the purpose of which is to attempt to solve the problems which the Registered Employment Agreement is causing. It is ironic that the 38 members of the ECA have imposed this REA upon the majority of the Industry, with no consideration to the negative effects on in excess of 4500 Electrical Contractors who are allowed no input into the terms of the agreement but are none the less lawfully bound by its terms. The current agreement might suit the large contractor, but there is little doubt that it is impossible for the smaller Contractor the operate a viable business while complying with its restrictive terms. It is also ironic that the same large contractors who impose the current REA upon the smaller contractor and the very ones who sub-contract all their Labour in an attempt to move the responsibility of compliance down the line. This abuse of Electrical Sub-Contractors by large ECA Members has been clearly identified during the Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Installation.
Despite the NO Show by ECA who after all only represent 38 employers there was general agreement from AECI, NECI, and NECTA that the current Registered Employment Agreement was no longer