Electricians head for row over de-skilling plans

Controversial plans to de-skill electricians are set to cause turmoil in the sector, according to union leaders.

The warning came after site sparks last week accepted a new three-year pay deal worth 13.5% despite having earlier rejected the employers' offer by a majority of six-to-four in a national ballot.

Despite the pay deal, union leaders believe there are "bigger battles ahead" as employers push for radical changes to how workers are paid and graded.

Contractors first tried to change the industry's site structure in 1997 when plans to bring in a new role known as Skilled Mechanical Assemblers (SMA) caused outrage.

The idea was dumped following threats of strike action, but employers are known to be keen to revamp the sector.

A union source said: "The lads know employers are going to come after them and de-skilling is coming their way. The Electrical Contractors Association wants to take charge of grading and once that happens there's going to be an almighty row."

The SMA grade would allow workers to carry out tasks like fixing cable trays without having to be a fully qualified electrician.

One employer said: "The whole industry needs to be sorted out. At least 75% of the workforce get paid as fully qualified electricians, but only 25% of the work is craft work like that. Lots of components are pre-manufactured and just assembled on site so you don't need a fully qualified spark to do that. We are prepared to pay a premium for skilled jobs but the rest is just money for old rope at the moment."

The pay deal increases basic rates by 4% from next January, with further increases of 4.5% and 5% over the following two years. The about-turn follows a meeting of the industry's shop stewards, who voted to agree the deal. They had been pressing for a one-year settlement and an 8% rise in January.

Tom Hardacre, national officer of the Amicus section of Unite, said the union had considered a site-by-site or company-by-company ballot on strike action to back the earlier rejection, but it became clear the ballot was likely to be subject to legal challenge.