Unions to ballot members over tea breaks

Engineering construction unions are going to a full ballot of their membership on employer proposals for a new Naeci national agreement after a recalled shop stewards conference last week again rejected the terms which would partly scrap tea breaks.

Tom Hardacre, lead negotiator for Amicus - now part of the merged Unity union - said he expected the result of the vote by 9 May. “What we do then depends on the outcome of the ballot,” he said.

The new deal was due for implementation from 30 April. It would give a 15% increase in pay over three years.

Hardacre said members would be informed that their shop stewards had turned down the conditions on tea breaks. They would also be told that their negotiators had recommended acceptance of the full package to the steward