Wednesday, October 31, 2007

How many non-union workers does it take to change a lightbulb?

Zero. If it's the Celtic Tiger, where all the wealth is just a veneer over a parody of 1970s industrial relations in the public sector:

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has suspended a number of electricians without pay in the south of the country in a long-running dispute over who should be allowed to change light bulbs in hospitals.

The electricians, members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), were suspended yesterday evening from their jobs at Cork University Hospital, St Finbarr's Hospital, Kerry General Hospital and Mallow Hospital in Cork.

TEEU members are refusing to implement a labour court recommendation that permits workers other than electricians to change light bulbs.


On the other hand, with Bertie making himself one of the highest paid leaders in the world, perhaps the electricians can't be blamed for holding out for a little extra cash.

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