Massive pay deal in the pipeline for plumbers

12 October 2007

Unite, Britain's biggest union, has negotiated a massive pay increase for thousands of plumbers across England and Wales. A plumber who works 42 hours a week could get an increase of £3,328 over two years.

The deal covers up to 50, 000 plumbers working in the private sector. The plumbers work on large construction projects like T5 and the Olympics and in smaller local plumbing companies. Following almost six months of negotiations, the deal was struck between Unite and  the Joint Industrial Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services in England and Wales (JIB-PMES).

From January 2008, plumbers covered by the agreement will get a 4.5% increase followed by a further increase in 2009 of 4.5% or inflation if higher. Significantly, the threshold for the application of overtime will be reduced from 43 hours to 41 hours in 2008 and then to 39 hours in 2009 (overtime equates to time and a half from Monday to Saturday and double time on Sunday).

Unite National Officer, John Allot says,

 "A massive pay hike is in the pipeline for thousands of plumbers across England and Wales. A plumber who works 42 hours a week could get an increase of £3,328 over two years. It just goes to show how effective national pay bargaining can be.

Even those plumbers not included in the deal could benefit as the deal sets a benchmark for the industry."

An advanced plumber and gas service engineer (the grade which covers about 80% of the plumbers which fall into the agreement), working 37.5 hours a week, would see their pay increase from £ 435 in 2007 to £454 in 2008 and  then it would increase to £475.13 in 2009.

The same operative who works 42 hours would see their weekly pay increase from £487 in 2007 to £515.10 in 2008 and £551.15 in 2009. This is a 13.1% in the two year period. That's an increase of £3,328 per annum.