SIPTU members employed across the manufacturing sector continue to receive pay increases with over 210 wage agreements finalised so far. The increases are part of a strategy by SIPTU’s Manufacturing Division which has secured pay increases across the sector by on average 2% per annum. Manufacturing Divisional Organiser Gerry McCormack said that the increases in pay across the manufacturing sector are important at insulating the take home pay of union members as much as possible from the full effects of the economic crisis and austerity. “The agreements are right across all industries in manufacturing including Food, Drinks, Pharmaceuticals, Electronics & Engineering, Chemicals, Agriculture, Medical Devices and Industrial Production. Our officials and elected representatives have negotiated over 210 agreements so far with pay increases averaging 2% per year. In the Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Medical Devices Sector alone, over 95% of SIPTU members have had pay increases which represents more than 11,000 workers,” Gerry Mc Cormack said. SIPTU estimates that as many as 50,000 workers in total across the sector have now had increases since 2011 including agreements negotiated with other unions. SIPTU continues to negotiate agreements with employers at local level and many agreements are now entering the second phase. The wage agreements also provide for the incorporation of local issues and no cost increasing claims during the lifetime of the agreement. “While the pay strategy across the Manufacturing Division has been largely successful it still lacks the comprehensiveness that social dialogue at national level would bring. Local bargaining between employers and unions requires a national framework to deal with issues that cannot be dealt with through local bargaining processes,” Gerry McCormack said. “These issues would include Industrial Relations legislation, workplace pensions and workplace innovation or cases of serious disputes needing immediate assistance where the State Industrial Relations machinery has failed to resolve issues. Disputes such as those at Vita Cortex, Kingscourt Brick and Aer Lingus and many more are examples where such a process could have helped,” he added. Set out below is the average pay increases from 2011 to-date and the average length of Agreement across the three sectors of the Manufacturing Division. Click HERE for details of the increases. Agriculture, Ingredients, Food & Drink Sector 2011 2012 2013 2104 (end of June) Average Length of Agreement in Months 19.25 24.6 20.3 21.4 Average Pay Increases over Period 3.63% 3.69% 3.07% 3.18% Electronics, Engineering & Industrial Production Sector 2011 2012 2013 2104 (end of June) Average Length of Agreement in Months 17.58 21.85 18.64 20.11 Average Pay Increases over Period 2.55% 3.69% 3.15% 3.20% Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals & MedicalDevices Sector 2011 2012 2013 2104 (end of June) Average Length of Agreement in Months 24.86 30.55 28.7 30.13 Average Pay Increases over Period 3.95% 4.75% 4.51% 5.05% Total for ManufacturingDivision 2011 2012 2013 2104 (end of June) Average Length of Agreement in Months 20.56 25.66 22.57 23.88 Average Pay Increases over Period 4.37% 4.04% 3.57% 3.81%
SIPTU members win wage increases across the Manufacturing Sector
