Four craft unions to lodge 10% pay claims

Four craft unions have signalled their intention to lodge a 10% pay claim for the coming 12 months with the Construction Industry Federation.

The four unions UCATT, ATGWU, the plasterer's union OPATS, and the National Union of Sheetmetal Workers, said the claim is designed to combat inflation and the subsequent erosion of their members' living standards.

The craft unions are the latest workers' groups to reveal plans to lodge local pay claims following the collapse of partnership talks before Christmas.

However, those talks between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the employers' body IBEC resumed this afternoon and are expected to continue into the weekend.