Unite says members 鈥渁ngry鈥� at the pay offer of a 1.6% pay rise over two years and warns of widespread protests
The dispute between contractors and unions over pay talks for 500,000 construction workers could spark widespread protests on the scale of the BESNA dispute, union Unite has warned.
John Allot, Unite national officer, said members were 鈥渁ngry鈥� at the contractors鈥� pay offer of a 1.6% pay rise over two years.
He said Unite members would discuss the possibility of industrial action in a meeting scheduled for mid-July.
Allot said the dispute had the 鈥減otential to be like BESNA鈥� 鈥� a six-month dispute in the M&E sector which ended in February after employers dropped proposed changes to workers鈥� pay and conditions.
The BESNA protests included a 1,000-strong London rally, a sit-in at a contractor鈥檚 headquarters and violent clashes with police.
The Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) wage talks broke down last month after unions rejected the firms鈥� proposals on the grounds they did not reflect the increased cost of living.
The employers initially offered no improvement in pay for CIJC workers in early June.
Allot said: 鈥淲ith inflation last year at 5% and still running this year at 3%, this offer is a pay cut.
鈥淚ndustrial action is a last resort [but] we will be talking to our members and informing them that progress has been slow and disappointing.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 manned the barricades yet, but certainly many of [our members] are going to be angry.鈥�
A source close to the contractors called for a 鈥減eriod of reflection鈥� for both firms and unions.
The source said: 鈥淲e all value [the CIJC] agreement but there鈥檚 no commercial or economic argument for giving a pay rise at the moment.
鈥�1.6% is not much but it鈥檚 better than nothing. The unions have not asked for another meeting 鈥� we are in a state of limbo.鈥�
Unite was at the heart of the BESNA protests and organised many of the demonstrations, including the 1,000-strong rally in London last September.
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