NEWS
STRIKE CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF ‘TRAVEL TIME’ PAYMENT TO PLUMBERS
Gas Safe Register’s new comedic public service announcement film.
GAS SAFETY WEEK HIGHLIGHTS PITFALLS OF FAILING TO CHECK APPLIANCES
Actor Will Mellor has narrated a new comedic public service announcement film, When the Gas Goes, launched by Gas Safe Register during Gas Safety Week (September 9-15). Reminding householders of the importance of getting their gas appliances safety checked annually, the film shows the consequences of failing to do so such as not being able to shower ahead of an important job interview or being left in the cold without heating after coming back from holiday. Gas Safe Register, the UK’s official registration body for gas engineers and
businesses, has commissioned supporting research that reveals queue pushers (44%), poor Wi-Fi (39%) and boiler breakdowns (37%) are the top three inconveniences in life. The poll of 2,000 UK adults found 25% agree their boiler always seems to break down at the worst possible time. Gas Safe Register is urging UK households to ensure their gas appliances are safety checked every year by a Gas Safe- registered engineer. By law, anyone working with gas must be listed on the Register. www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk
Picket lines were staged at construction sites in Dublin and Athlone.
Plumbers, pipefitters, welders and apprentices staged three days of strike action in Dublin and Athlone in September related to a dispute over their travel allowance. The workers, who are members of trade union Unite and the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA), conducted official pickets at construction sites in the two locations. A further protest was held at the site of a MEBSCA employer in London. Previously entitled to compensation for the first hour of ‘travel time’, workers have not received the payment since austerity measures were introduced after the 2008 financial crash. However, Unite claims some large mechanical contractors may be including the first hour of ‘travel time’ for mechanical workers when pricing and invoicing for works, but not passing on the payment to workers. Unite said talks with MEBSCA parent organisation the Construction Industry Federation broke down after the employers refused to engage. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said, “MEBSCA employers have enjoyed massive increases in turnover and they can well afford to reverse this outrageous austerity-era cut.” www.unitetheunionireland.org/tag/ mebsca
FREE SUPPORT OFFERED TO DECARBONISE ENERGY-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES
Manufacturers and other energy-intensive industries (EIIs) in Ireland are being offered free support to improve their energy efficiency and decarbonise their processes through a new research project. The International Energy Research Centre (IERC), part of University College Cork’s Tyndall National Institute, is among partners in the European project Audit Plus. Industry represents 25.6% of the EU’s total energy consumption and 15% of its emissions, with EIIs accounting for half of the energy consumed. Audit Plus is aiming to help EIIs to reduce the energy intensity of their industrial processes and advance their decarbonisation, developing case studies in Ireland, Spain and Poland. IERC and Lawler Sustainability will guide participating Irish companies with 100
The research project is based at the International Energy Research Centre in Tyndall National Institute in Cork.
hours of free consultation to identify and implement energy-efficiency measures. The consulting service includes a technology assessment, cost benefits analysis and engineering support, identification of public and private financing sources, matchmaking with technology/service providers, guidance for implementation and development of a
corporate energy strategy. For further information, visit www.ierc.ie/auditplus/
FOLLOW US ON:
PLUMBING & HEATING MAGAZINE | 25
www.plumbingmag.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online