The National Executive Council (NEC) of SIPTU at its March meeting on Friday, (21st March) voted unanimously to reiterate total and complete support for the union’s members and other workers in their dispute with Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) over savage cuts in their pension entitlements.

The NEC also resolved to support any, and all, industrial action necessary and within the law to prosecute the dispute to a successful conclusion, to fight all legal proceedings and to provide full representation for any member or official arising from their actions in furtherance of the trade dispute.

It was noted that while the union is confident that it will successfully defend any court action, the pensions of several thousand workers have evaporated despite their having paid for them throughout their working lives and they continue to incur deductions every week from their hard earned pay packets. Even management has conceded that as things stand at present 90 cents in every euro of their contributions are completely worthless to them.

The meeting also condemned the delay in establishing the Expert Group which the union, together with the ICTU, had been seeking for several months and despite the fact that it was supported by the Tánaiste and Labour Party ministers and even the head of the employer’s organisation, IBEC.

The dispute is now assuming even greater significance in the light of several legal actions initiated against SIPTU which challenge the very democratic right of workers to withdraw their labour in a legitimate trade dispute over pay and conditions of employment which is universally recognised in international law and in treaties and conventions to which this country is a signatory.

The “battle to save water services from privatisation is only beginning”, ICTU Industrial Officer, Liam Berney, told SIPTU activists in the local authorities on Thursday, (20th March).

In his presentation to a SIPTU Local Authority Sector seminar entitled “The Price of Private Water”, Berney outlined the process of social dialogue between the Government and unions which led to the establishment of the publicly owned utility Irish Water.
 
He said: “This is however just the beginning of attempts by some powerful people and interests to see water services privatised,” a move which will be stridently opposed by unions working together in the public interest.
 
Earlier, the seminar heard from European Public Service Union (EPSU) Water Policy Officer, Jerry van dan Berg, that the “privatisation of water services was “economically stupid.”
 
“Water is bound by geography and its supply is a natural monopoly. The whole idea of attempting to create a market for water services, which is the policy of the European Commission, is wrong,” he said.
 
Discussing the success of the EPSU Right2Water campaign which collected 1.9 million signatures across Europe, van dan Berg, said that although it had not changed Commission policy it had played a role in ensuring that local authority water services were not open to privatisation by EU directive in June.
 
SIPTU has 2,500 members in the Local Authority sector in water services and represents staff in Irish Water.

A fully independent review of the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) ambulance service has been called for by SIPTU.

The call follows SIPTU members in DFB expressing extreme concern at the contents of a document drawn up by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in March 2013 which proposes to remove the delivery of Dublin's ambulance service from Dublin Fire Brigade, by 2015.

The independent review should include agreed terms of reference, stakeholder representation and persons with fire based emergency medical experience.

SIPTU Organiser, Brendan O'Brien, said: "The emergence of the HSE document raises concerns that the outcome of the HSE/Dublin City Council review of DFB ambulance service, which was announced in February, has already been decided.  It strongly indicates that this review is merely to provide a fig leaf to the HSE and Dublin City Council in their apparent plans to remove this service from Dublin Fire Brigade.
  
DFB SIPTU representative, Glen Ellis, said: "DFB receives 7% of the total National Ambulance Service budget despite having to respond to 40% of all ambulance calls nationally. This is done through the provision of 12 DFB ambulances, supported by the Dublin Fire Service."
 
DFB SIPTU Convenor, Gerry Harris, said: "The management of the HSE would be better served by concentrating on providing the necessary resources for our colleagues in the National Ambulance Service prior to placing a focus on the DFB. For over 100 years the DFB has provided an ambulance service which has strived to provide the best outcomes possible to the people of Dublin. Currently, the DFB achieves an above national average survival rate for victims of cardiac arrest. The success of the service has resulted in it being replicated by fire services internationally with shared fire/ambulance services being established throughout the UK, Europe and North America."

The centenary of the foundation of the Irish Citizen Army was marked in Liberty Hall on Saturday, (22nd March) with a musical and cultural event. The commemoration included a reading by Sabina Higgins of an excerpt from the Story of the Irish Citizen Army by Sean O’Casey.

The event was held 100 years to the day of a public meeting in Liberty Hall where the constitution of the Irish Citizen Army was agreed from a draft prepared by Seán O'Casey.

Opening the commemoration, which was attended by a large crowd, SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, requested a minute’s silence to remember the late historian Shane MacThomáis.

Dr Ann Matthews, the author of a history of the Irish Citizen Army which will be published in August, outlined the establishment of the organisation which emerged from a defence force formed to protect the Fintan Lalor Pipe Band from police attacks.

Jimmy Jordan, Jimmy Kelly and Des Geraghty performed a number of trade union and Citizen Army ballads with Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D. Higgins, following with her reading from the Story of the Irish Citizen Army. The commemoration closed with a dramatic piece by ANÚ productions inspired the by the creation of the workers’ militia.

Speaking after the event SIPTU President Jack O’ Connor praised the “excellent turnout” saying “there is a real interest in the events that occurred in the aftermath of the Lockout.”

He added: “What we are celebrating is the manner in which the most advanced elements of the organised working class, notwithstanding the defeat of the Lockout, were organising themselves with a view to transforming the nature of our society. They were focused on liberating Ireland, liberating working people, ending poverty and preparing to change things so that the politics of the New Ireland would be informed by the egalitarian values of social solidarity rather than merely changing one flag for another.”

SIPTU and the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) launched an online social media campaign to highlight racial discrimination in the workplace to mark UN Anti-Racism Day 2014 on Friday, (21st March).

Management of The Donkey Sanctuary has refused to engage with SIPTU concerning attempts to make 16 welfare staff at the charity redundant in June.

The UK charity, whose Irish operation is headquartered in Liscarroll, Mallow, Co. Cork, has failed to respond to a letter from the Labour Relations Commission requesting it engage in a conciliation process concerning the threatened job losses.

SIPTU Community Sector Organiser, Eddie Mullins, said: “The union has tried unsuccessfully to engage the company in discussions as to the reasoning behind the decision to make the 16 welfare staff redundant. The company apparently is treating this as a restructuring of the organisation and is creating four new roles across the country to replace the 16 positions being made redundant.

“We believe that the company is in no financial difficulty and is simply attempting to replace qualified animal welfare staff with voluntary workers.”

He added: “The welfare staff that face losing their jobs are responsible for rescuing and caring for donkeys across the country. The workers also deliver talks to schools, clubs and other groups on the welfare of donkeys. The loss of these motivated staff would seriously impede the delivery of these services aimed at protecting animals which are often in extreme distress.”

A presentation was made by Paul Bell, SIPTU Health Division Organiser and Sean Nolan, SIPTU Sector Organiser to Shop Steward, Fred Murray.  Fred retired after 44 years’ service in the Health Services.

Fred originally worked in St Loman’s Services and moved to St. Mary’s Hospital Mullingar where he served as a Union shop steward for over 31 years in the ITGWU and then SIPTU.  We thank Fred for his great service to our Union and his work representing our members for such a long time.

We wish Fred a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Thousands of trade unionists, political activists and members of the public lined the streets of East London along the funeral procession route of RMT General Secretary Bob Crow on Monday, (24th March).

As the black horse drawn carriage bearing the coffin of the trade union leader passed by the crowds applauded and cheered.

The funeral was held in private in the City of London cemetery in Manor Park. A major commemoration of the life of Bob Crow will be held on May Day in London.

SIPTU General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn, expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of his union at the death of the RMT General Secretary.

He said: “Bob Crow was a true champion for workers and fought relentlessly to improve their pay and conditions over many years.

“He was loved by his members in the RMT across Britain. He was also a friend of SIPTU and of Irish workers and never failed to support them whenever he could.” 

Crow was a frequent visitor to Ireland and a major supporter of the annual Jim Connell Red Flag Festival in Meath. Last year he addressed the SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference in the Mansion House, Dublin.

Congress General Secretary David Begg has paid warm tribute to the late Tony Benn, who died on Friday (14th March).

Begg said: “Tony Benn was the outstanding political figure of his age and, indeed, one of the brightest stars of the wider labour movement. He was a giant of his generation.

“His enduring honesty and integrity won him respect across the political spectrum, even as his insistence on speaking truth to power caused great discomfort in many circles.

“He had an unshakeable faith in human nature and this was the cornerstone on which rested a deep conviction that a better world was not only possible, but also necessary and achievable.

“It is our task to see that this work is carried on.

“On behalf of the Irish trade union movement, I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to his family, colleagues and comrades,” Begg concluded.

Local shop stewards and activists representing workers in the Health, Education, Manufacturing, Public Administration and Community sectors  questioned the Candidates on a variety of issues that are important to workers in this area.

Cavan/ Monaghan District Committee Chairperson Patsy Dowdall, said: “We were very pleased with the level of engagement with the three election hopefuls and we will endeavour to relay their responses back to our members.

SIPTU Cavan/Monaghan hope to meet with more local candidates in the near future to discuss issues important to workers .

The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) published its latest Quarterly Economic Observer on Tuesday, (25th March). In it, the economic think-tank examines the extent of low pay across Northern Ireland finding that 25% of workers earn less than the ‘Living Wage’.

The research found that young people, women and those in part-time work are most at risk of falling below a decent wage level. It also found that low pay is widespread in sectors such as accommodation, food, retail, residential and social care.

Commenting on the findings, NERI Economist Paul Mac Flynn stated that “Northern Ireland has significantly higher levels of low pay than any other UK region and low pay is of most concern in sectors of the economy that are growing. This level of low pay is a serious threat to the domestic economy and any chance of recovery”.

Mac Flynn added that consideration needs to be given to enforcing the national minimum wage, promoting the living wage across the Northern Ireland economy and examining the case for sectoral wage agreements.

Near Media Co-Op in partnership with CAPTCHA EU Culture Initiative and with the support of the Dublin Community Forum present a day dedicated to understanding best practices in archiving and how this can be applied to Community Media throughout Europe.

CAPTCHA funded through the EACEA Culture Programme includes partners Radio Corax (Germany), Central European University (Hungary); Radio FRO (Austria); and Near FM (Ireland). Participants from all of the above partners will be present at the seminar.

The Objectives of the CAPTCHA project include:

-          To explore innovative and creative ways to archive content online

-          To experiment with participatory open approaches

-          To lower the threshold to content

-          To promote Open Content

-          To find ways how to make content findable through time and location

-          To find ways to deal with qualitative aspects of archives, with copyright issues to be considered

Click here for further details.

Robert Tressell was the pseudonym of Robert Noonan, house-painter and sign-writer, who was born in Dublin in 1870 and died in Liverpool in 1911. He was buried in a pauper’s grave.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists was his only book and it was written while he lived in Hastings - “Mugsborough” in the novel.  First published in abbreviated form in April 1914, the novel has challenged, entertained and inspired countless readers. Robert Noonan was a passionate socialist and his scathing denunciation of apathy and hypocrisy, of injustice and inequality, is still relevant today.


Click here for more details.

The Citywide Drugs Rehabilitation Projects Consultation Report was launched by Peter McVerry on Tuesday, 11th March, 2014.  The report relates to the changes in Social Welfare that have created additional barriers for people who want to access CE Drug Rehab Programmes.  It also outlines how DRPs are responding to these additional barriers and makes a number of recommendations.   

We hope you find the document useful.  You can download the report here.

Two video clips that accompany the document:

The videos are short but very powerful and include interviews with DRP project participants and projects leaders.  The  first video covers how DRPs provide Lifelines and Value and the second covers the Support they offer and the opportunities for a Future for participants. Click here to view the videos. 

Karl Marx had his finger on the pulse of international trade and was well acquainted with conditions in Ireland. In one of his essays, he criticised working conditions in a shirt factory in Derry City – now demolished -  and condemned the “sweat shops” which the industry spawned in neighbouring counties such as Donegal and Tyrone. His daughter Eleanor is known to have visited the city.

Marx’s views were out of kilter, however, with those of workers in the so-called “sweat shops” of Donegal. Derry was the world capital of the white shirt industry and in the early 1900s had up to forty factories and 20,000 workers. As shirts were sewn by hand – and there were about 140 pieces in shirt-making – outstations were established by the city factories and women collected bundles which they brought back as finished shirts. Hours of work were long but the income boosted the household of many a farm family and kept bread on the table as well as paying the rent.

The Congested Districts Board was set up in 1891 to improve family income in western sea board counties. Textiles were among the targets and the Board set up Lace Schools where women learned basic skills not only in sewing but also in dress-making, embroidery and knitting. Donegal author, Seán Beattie has made a study of the work of the Board over a 32 year period in the dying days of the British Empire in Ireland. Lace schools feature prominently, and deservedly so as female emigration was greater than male. The Board not only taught women new skills but also embarked on a major marketing initiative. Two well-known London stores, Liberty and Debenham, agreed to stock Donegal lace and knitted goods while others brought the wonders of Donegal tweed, carpets and embroidery to an international audience by setting up exhibitions at World Trade Fairs in Paris and Chicago. By progressing the construction of railways – boosting employment for men – the Board used the new methods of communication to improve marketing.

Beattie’s book also examines the impact of the Board in fisheries, agriculture and poultry production and he argues that the Board – the first development agency in western Europe – was effective in improving living standards and modernising industry in forgotten regions of the country. It had limited resources but it made life bearable in rural communities although it had no success in stemming the flow of emigrants. As in our own time, it did succeed in improving skills’ levels which many emigrants put to good use in foreign lands.

Its greatest success story was Killybegs carpet factory with over 600 women being employed in carpet manufacture in south Donegal in the early 1900s. It lasted for over a century as the factory – on the cover of the book – is used today as a training centre. As we strive to promote entrepreneurship in our economy, Seán Beattie’s study has shown that prudent management of limited resources is the key to re-vitalising the Irish economy. This valuable and informative book reminds us of our potential as a nation and the hidden assets at our disposal. Jim MacLaughlin

Dr. Jim McLaughlin has lectured in UCC in the Dept. of Geography and is co-editor of Atlas of Donegal. Dr. Seán Beattie lives in Donegal and holds a Ph.D. in history from Magee College, University of Ulster. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary degree by NUI, Galway.