The monitoring body for electrical contractors has written to county councils asking them to ensure they award contracts to firms that comply with the wage agreement for the sector.
The move follows suggestions that non-compliant businesses undercut compliant ones and are being awarded council contracts.
An average 70 per cent of electrical contractors do not comply with the Registered Employment Agreement (REA) for the industry, says Epace, the monitoring body set up to ensure compliance. The agreement sets pay rates for apprentice and qualified electricians, as well as their working conditions and pension rights. Contractors in the Border regions have a higher non-compliance rate than the rest of the country. A November inspection showed a rate of 90 per cent non-compliance among electrical contractors in Donegal.
Epace carries out random inspections and issues compliant contractors with a certificate. Those found to be non-compliant are referred to the Labour Court and can be prosecuted.
The body has written to councils to remind them of the REA and ask them to put in place a system to ensure the firms they employ are compliant.
