Deal improves on Labour Court recommendation rejected by Unite members

November 21st: Unite, which represents construction workers throughout the country, announced today (Tuesday) that it has secured a 12.7 per cent pay boost for plumbers, pipefitters and welders from January 2023 until 2026.

The proposed deal improves on a Labour Court recommendation which was rejected by Unite members who subsequently voted by nearly 85 per cent to take strike action.

The agreement between Unite and MEBSCA (Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association) will see members receive an immediate 3.5 per cent pay increase backdated to September 2023, followed by a 1.9 per cent increase in August 2024, 1.5 per cent in December 2024 and a further 3 per cent in August 2025.  This is in addition to the 2.8 per cent increase which took effect in January 2023.

The agreement provides for a new deal to be negotiated in early 2026.

Unite’s construction committee is recommending acceptance of the deal, which is now being put to members in a ballot.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 

“Unite members rightly rejected the inadequate Labour Court recommendation and the union was preparing to take strike action when employers came to the table to negotiate an improved deal.

“Once again, strong workplace organisation and the threat of industrial action has delivered improved jobs, pay and conditions for our members.”

Regional officer James McCabe said: 

“This deal significantly improves our members’ pay at a time of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, providing certainty up to 2026.

“A strong mandate for industrial action is the best negotiating tool in our arsenal. The more workers are prepared to stand together in unity, the more employers are prepared to talk.”