Plastic housing and screw base construction for compact fluorescent lamps and electrical operating units thereof comprising a base (2) including a metal screw base shell (20) with a thread-free opening portion (22) and a plastic housing (1). The plastic housing (1) has a neck part (10) which is a body of rotation with central axis (O). The neck part comprises a cylindrical or slightly conical mantle portion (12), which starts from a stop shoulder (11), and a shell (13) which connects to the mantle portion (12) and which has an open end and diameters decreasing in at least one step. The base (2) is pushed over and fixed to the neck part (10) of the plastic housing (1). A lead wire (3) is passed through from the inner space of the plastic housing (1) between the thread-free opening portion (22) of the base shell (20) and the mantle portion (12) of the neck part (10). A rib (14), which protrudes in and has a front surface (15) perpendicular to radial direction, is formed on the mantle portion (12). A slot (16), which extends parallel to the central axis (O) and has a depth suitable for accepting a portion (30) of the lead wire (3) leaving the plastic housing (1), is indented into the front surface (15). A local protrusion (21) with an inner size and shape fitting to the rib (14) is made in the thread-free opening portion (22) of the base shell (20). The said portion (30) of the lead wire (3) is bent back towards the end of the base (2) and is fixed to the base shell (20) by resistance welding with a compression force exerted in radial direction from outside.