The Sectoral Employment Order (SEO) for plumbers and pipefitters has been in the works for a while. Now that the Oireachtas is passing it into law, you’ll need to check if it applies to your workers.
What is it?
The SEO lays out new working conditions related to:
- Working times
- Basic pay rates
- Benefits
Working Times
The normal working week for those covered by the order is 39 hours between Monday and Friday.
If a worker has to work outside the hours of 7am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday, or 7am to 4pm on a Friday, you must pay them premier rates ranging from time and a half to double time.
Pay Scales
The order provides for different rates of pay, which apply to different categories of worker:
- Category 1: This includes newly qualified plumbers and pipefitters. They’ll get a basic pay of €22.73 per hour.
- Category 2: This includes qualified plumbers and pipefitters who have been working for three years since gaining their qualification. They get €23.33 per hour.
- Category 3: This includes qualified plumbers and pipefitters who have been working for six years since gaining their qualification. They get €23.60 per hour.
Apprentice Pay
The order also sets out pay rates for apprentices:
- Year 1—33.3% of Category 1 hourly pay
- Year 2—50% of Category 1 hourly pay
- Year 3—75% of Category 1 hourly pay
- Year 4—90% of Category 1 hourly pay
Employee Benefits
As part of this order, you must enter your employees into:
- A sick pay scheme
- A pension scheme, which you must contribute to
You’ll also need to contribute to a death in service scheme. This pays out a tax-free lump sum to an employee’s family if they die while at work.
Industrial Action
Under the order, your workers cannot take part in a strike or lockout before these actions have taken place:
- The worker(s) must first raise any issues they have with you
- You then have five days to respond
- If you and your workers can’t resolve the issue, it may be referred first to the WRC, then the Labour Court
Retirement Age
The retirement age for workers under this order is normally 65. You may allow your workers to retire at 60, at the discretion of the pension scheme trustee.
To learn more about the specifics of this Sectoral Employment Order and how it may affect you, please contact our expert employment law advisors on the 24 Hour Advice Service on 0818 923 923
