Labour Court: Reduce construction pay by 2.5%

The Labour Court has recommended a 2.5% cut in the basic rates of pay for the country’s construction workers on top of a 7.5% reduction already agreed.

The Construction Industry Federation had been seeking a total of 27.5% in cuts “in order to lower the industry’s cost base and assist in the process of rebuilding the sector”. Worker unions had argued that their members did not deserve “another ill-thought out slash and burn attack on their dwindling income”.

In its recommendation, issued yesterday, the court said evidence had been presented to it that the State is “effectively the only significant customer the industry has at present or will have for the foreseeable future”.