Coalition of trade bodies puts pressure on breakaway electrical contractors such as NG Bailey over workers鈥� pay

A coalition including the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) has piled the pressure on some of its largest members to back down over their controversial proposed changes to electrical workers鈥� pay and conditions. The coalition鈥檚 move came as unions pledged to re-ballot the contractors for strike action.

Seven of the industry鈥檚 largest electrical contractors - including Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) and NG Bailey - have been subjected to more than three months of protests after they announced plans to ditch a 40-year-old wage agreement between employers and electrical workers.

In an exclusive interview with 黑洞社区, a spokesperson for the ECA and three other fellow trade bodies said the contractors鈥� move was 鈥渄amaging鈥� the industry.

The spokesperson said: 鈥淏y setting up unilaterally competing arrangements we鈥檒l all lose out - it鈥檚 not too late [for the contractors] to step back now.鈥�

The spokesperson condemned the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association, which has drawn up pay proposals for electricians with the breakaway firms. He was speaking for the ECA, the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers鈥� Federation, the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors and Scottish body Select.

Bernard McAuley, national officer for construction at Unite, echoed the federations, adding industrial relations had been 鈥渟eriously damaged鈥� by the HVCA.
In addition he vowed to notify Balfour Beatty of a second strike ballot 鈥渂efore Christmas鈥�, after the union was forced to scrap its original ballot in the face of the threat of legal action by the firm.

Unite members at BBES voted 81% in favour of strike action, but Balfour Beatty condemned the ballot alleging that just 21% of the workers affected had backed the strike because of low turnout.

Unite will ballot the other six electrical contractors in the New Year, McAuley added.

A spokesperson for the HVCA said: 鈥淗VCA is disappointed by these negative comments. Our members are looking to the future by seeking to modernise older agreements and create something more suitable for today鈥檚 construction sector.鈥�

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