Wildcat strikes by electricians 'fuel self employment' says union

by John d'Arcy

Paul Corby, national secretary of the AEEU, has hit out at a rash of wildcat strike action among electricians. "It is putting a nail in the coffin of the return to direct employment," he said. "It is just helping employers who want to use more self employed labour."

Corby was speaking in the wake of recent unofficial action at the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant at Sandwich in Kent and at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital.

"There is no need for this wildcatting," he said. "If the men have a grievance, we will represent them. The electrical Joint Industry Board has clear disputes procedures and they are the best."

The union chief said sacked workers at Sandwich were being advised to re-apply for their jobs. Corby added there were widespread moves, especially in the south-east, to promote "spurious self-employment". Much focussed on the use of so-called 'composite' companies, where agency-supplied operatives were paid low rates topped up with "dividend" payments to avoid tax.

He said the JIB was taking a significant step forward in controlling self-employment, agency labour, and labour-only subcontracting. It was introducing a new rule under the electrical national agreement which would replace the existing code of conduct covering these issues.

The new rule is set to take effect from next January. It stresses the importance of retaining a majority of directly employed labour, and setting out strict conditions for agency or self-employed labour, including the condition that all operatives should hold a registration card.