Labour councillor, Anton McCabe, has joined forces with Labour Senator Denis Landy and SIPTU to disseminate information to councillors throughout the country on the importance of compliance within the construction industry.
Cllr McCabe says that employers within the industry who fail to fully comply with the Registered Employment Agreement for the construction industry are putting their employees at risk, without pensions, sick pay, injury benefits and mortality benefits.
Workers are also being underpaid which impacts on the spend in the domestic economy, with less tax being paid, and contributes to people staying in the social welfare system.Senator Landy and Cllr McCabe jointly intend to make every County Manager, Town Manager and councillor in the country aware of their responsibilities under the REO’s when they tender for public funded contracts.
“There is no room in the industry for cowboy builders, who operate outside the agreement, but there is a moral responsibility on local authorities to ensure that contractors are fully compliant when they tender for public contracts,” they said.
Cllr McCabe added that local authorities have to work closely with the unions to stamp out the practice.
“Councillors throughout the country are being requested to bring the issue of non compliance before every County/Town and Borough Council in an attempt to clean up the industry once and for all,” he said.
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