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Irish eye 'supercraft' pay
00:00 21 Jun 2000
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by John d'Arcy
Building and civil engineering contractors in Northern Ireland are moving towards the introduction of a new "supercraft" rate of pay for their most skilled workers.
The new advanced craft grade is expected to be introduced next year as part of a restructuring of the Northern Ireland national agreement on pay and conditions. It is set to follow a 12-month pay settlement from the beginning of August that will increase the existing craft rate by 4.46%. Details of the Irish pay deal are being finalised.
It will increase the craft rate from £6.28 to £6.56 an hour. And the general building operative rate will be increased from £5.50 to £5.67 an hour.
The settlement will offer a new entrant rate of £4.80. There is a substantial increase in the employers' weekly contribution to pension and death benefits, which rise from £3.60 to £5.10.
The percentage increase is slightly less than that agreed by contractors in Great Britain this year. But it still leaves the Irish craft minimum ahead of the new British rate from the end of June of £6.35. The Irish general operative rate is considerably higher than the new British rate of £4.78.
It is understood that there are to be further talks on holiday pay anomalies arising from the high general operative rate and the Working Time Regulations.
Negotiations with the NI Construction Employers Federation were led this year by George Brumwell, general secretary of UCATT.
He said: "We will now be entering discussions on a new pay structure. We hope to reach some conclusion within the next nine months."
He added: "We could well end up with an advanced craft rate for highly skilled operatives. We recognise that there are regular tradesmen and those with top skills. This would be linked to qualifications and skills testing.
"There is also a genuine desire on the part of the employers to enter into a partnership on health and safety matters. There is a lot of detail on this to be discussed."
Building and civil engineering contractors in Northern Ireland are moving towards the introduction of a new "supercraft" rate of pay for their most skilled workers.
The new advanced craft grade is expected to be introduced next year as part of a restructuring of the Northern Ireland national agreement on pay and conditions. It is set to follow a 12-month pay settlement from the beginning of August that will increase the existing craft rate by 4.46%. Details of the Irish pay deal are being finalised.
It will increase the craft rate from £6.28 to £6.56 an hour. And the general building operative rate will be increased from £5.50 to £5.67 an hour.
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The settlement will offer a new entrant rate of £4.80. There is a substantial increase in the employers' weekly contribution to pension and death benefits, which rise from £3.60 to £5.10.
The percentage increase is slightly less than that agreed by contractors in Great Britain this year. But it still leaves the Irish craft minimum ahead of the new British rate from the end of June of £6.35. The Irish general operative rate is considerably higher than the new British rate of £4.78.
It is understood that there are to be further talks on holiday pay anomalies arising from the high general operative rate and the Working Time Regulations.
Negotiations with the NI Construction Employers Federation were led this year by George Brumwell, general secretary of UCATT.
He said: "We will now be entering discussions on a new pay structure. We hope to reach some conclusion within the next nine months."
He added: "We could well end up with an advanced craft rate for highly skilled operatives. We recognise that there are regular tradesmen and those with top skills. This would be linked to qualifications and skills testing.
"There is also a genuine desire on the part of the employers to enter into a partnership on health and safety matters. There is a lot of detail on this to be discussed."
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