Talks on the dispute in Irish Rail, where industrial action is due to commence on Friday 23rd October continue today.
SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen said that despite the marathon all night discussions Irish Rail management has not adequately addressed the issue of past productivity delivered by union members.
Talks on the dispute in Irish Rail, where industrial action is due to take commence on Friday 23rd October continue today. SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen said that despite the marathon all night discussions Irish Rail management has not adequately addressed the issue of past productivity delivered by union members.
“We are furious at the way management has behaved in these negotiations . The company representatives have engaged in what can only be described as satellite negotiations in these talks and appear to have been restrained from reaching any meaningful solution. If the discussions continue along these lines it seems inevitable that industrial action will proceed on Friday,” Paul Cullen said.
Singer Christy Moore played a solidarity concert in Liberty Hall on Friday 16th October, in support of the Clerys workers.
Clerys workers performing on stage with Christy Moore. Photo: Derek Speirs.
Singer Christy Moore played a solidarity concert in Liberty Hall on Friday 16th October, in support of the Clerys workers.
The workers are calling on the directors of Natrium, a consortium that bought the store in June, to meet them and explain their decision to liquidate the business resulting in over 400 job losses.
During the concert SIPTU President Jack O’Connor presented Moore with a copy of the new SIPTU publication The Workers Republic, a collection of all the issues of that paper which was edited by James Connolly.
There was also a performance of an extract of the play entitled ‘Rebel, Rebel’ by the drama group ANU.
“We’re not just fighting for Clerys workers, we’re fighting for all workers”, former Clerys worker Susie McGowan told the audience in a speech from the stage. She said that the workers would now be intensifying their fight with a series of protests in the run up to Christmas.
The night concluded with an emotional rendition of ‘Molly Malone’ during which the Clerys workers joined Moore on stage.
Proceeds from the concert when to Cawrickminis Tragedy Fund, the Rise Foundation and the Clerys workers fighting fund.
Jack O'Connnor, SIPTU President presents Christy Moore with a copy of the Workers' Republic
Robbie O'Connor and Aisling O'Mara performing "Rebel Rebel"
SIPTU President, Jack O’Connor, has announced a major campaign against low wages and exploitative work practices and contracts.
SIPTU President, Jack O’Connor, has announced a major campaign against low wages and exploitative work practices and contracts.
In his opening address to the SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference in City Hall, Cork, on Monday, 5th October, Jack O’Connor said that this campaign will include lobbying all political parties to embed a commitment to fair employment rules in their forthcoming election manifestos.
The SIPTU president called for “the development of a society where every person has a right to a fully comprehensive modern health service that is free, a right to decent housing, proper childcare, fully comprehensive free education, a decent job with a living wage and proper care when they become old and infirm.”
“Our economy will generate, over the next seven years, the necessary resources to enable all of this to happen, but it means prioritising investment in public health, housing, education, eldercare and childcare over cutting taxes.
“Such a project is entirely feasible [and would implement] an all-island concept of a sustainable society underpinned by a sustainable economy and fair taxation.”
To read Jack O'Connor’s full speech to the SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference 2015 click here:
An urgent and wide-ranging fire safety audit of properties is needed due to the number of serious breaches discovered in buildings across the country, according to SIPTU firefighters.
An urgent and wide-ranging fire safety audit of properties is needed due to the number of serious breaches discovered in buildings across the country, according to SIPTU firefighters.
“Silence and inaction by the relevant authorities, including the Health and Safety Authority, alongside the so-called 'light touch' regulation of construction projects have allowed a situation to develop where risks for the public and fire service personnel have been significantly increased,” Con Casey, SIPTU National Retained Fire-fighter Organiser, claimed.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O’Brien, said: “For several years we have requested that our fire services be resourced to conduct these audits to confirm the level of compliance with fire safety standards of buildings in Ireland. These requests have been ignored and the management of the fire service has refused to share vital information on known defects with operational officers.”
He added: “We support the recent call by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, for a wide-ranging safety audit of premises. However, it must be backed up by resources to make such an audit an immediate reality.”
SIPTU members working as security guards at the Shell gas terminal in Bellanaboy, county Mayo, conducted a 12-hour work stoppage on Monday, (19th October) in a dispute related to the unilateral implementation of job losses and reduced hours by the security contractor Senaca Group.
SIPTU members working as security guards at the Shell gas terminal in Bellanaboy, county Mayo, conducted a 12-hour work stoppage on Monday, (19th October) in a dispute related to the unilateral implementation of job losses and reduced hours by the security contractor Senaca Group.
Security guards at the site conducted their work stoppage between 6.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.. For the duration of this industrial action official pickets will be placed on the entrances to the Bellanaboy gas terminal.
SIPTU Organiser, Ed Kenny, said: “This action has been necessitated due to the company terminating SIPTU members' employment without agreement and its unilateral reduction of workers contracted hours. While our members have sought a negotiated solution to this dispute the company has refused to agree to attend the Labour Court as agreed following conciliation talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.”
SIPTU Shop Steward and Senaca security guard, Michael Leneghan, said: “The workers have been left with no option but to conduct this industrial action due to the intransigence shown by management in this dispute. Our members are open to engaging in negotiations but will also intensify their industrial action if necessary.”
From Monday, SIPTU members working as security guards at the terminal will also engage in a work to rule in relation to certain functions they carry out on the site.
The failure of the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, in Budget 2016 to end the preferential VAT rate enjoyed by the hotel and restaurant sector, which includes many businesses exploiting low paid workers has been condemned by SIPTU.
The failure of the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, in Budget 2016 to end the preferential VAT rate enjoyed by the hotel and restaurant sector, which includes many businesses exploiting low paid workers has been condemned by SIPTU.
SIPTU Services Division Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said: “The cost in lost revenue to the State of the reduction of the VAT rate in the sector from 12.5% to 9% introduced in 2011 has been €1.4 billion.
“This cost has been met directly by workers. The private sector pension levy was also introduced in Budget 2011, and the finances it generated were used to offset the cost of the tourism and hospitality subsidy.”
She added: “Despite steady growth and increased revenues, employers in the hospitality sector are continuing to veto the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process established by the State in January 2014 for agreeing statutory minimum wages and conditions for workers in the sector.
“The continuing hostility and lack of engagement from employers in this regard is totally incompatible with the maintenance of State subsidies.”
SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), on Friday, 2nd October, accepted Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) proposals on a recruitment plan that will see numbers in the service brought up to safe minimum manning levels within an agreed timeframe.
SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), on Friday, 2nd October, accepted Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) proposals on a recruitment plan that will see numbers in the service brought up to safe minimum manning levels within an agreed timeframe.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O’Brien, said: “Dublin City Council and SIPTU firefighter representatives have agreed to a set of proposals tabled by the WRC. They include a commitment by both parties that numbers in the DFB should be brought up to 963, in line with the agreed safe manning levels in place since 1991.
“In order to meet this commitment a time lined recruitment and promotion programme within DFB has been agreed. Also, it has been agreed to establish a joint working group to look at ways to address the current shortages in firefighters pending the arrival of the new recruits.”
SIPTU DFB Convenor, Gerry Harris, said: “This agreement, once implemented, will ensure that firefighters can provide the best service possible to the residents of Dublin."
SIPTU has called on the board of management of the Roscommon Leisure Centre to respond to a request for its representatives to attend a meeting of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to discuss a dispute concerning workers’ wages.
SIPTU has called on the board of management of the Roscommon Leisure Centre to respond to a request for its representatives to attend a meeting of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to discuss a dispute concerning workers’ wages.
SIPTU Organiser, Sandra Flanagan, said: “In July, the Commission contacted Roscommon Leisure Centre inviting it to attend a hearing to discuss why workers have not been paid their increments and their claim for a pay rise.
“However, the leisure centre’s board of management has failed to respond to this request. This is unacceptable, particularly because the leisure centre is funded by Roscommon County Council, which also has a responsibility to ensure there is engagement with the LRC on this matter.”
She added: “Our members have not received a pay rise or the pay increments owed to them since 2009. Many are on very low wages. Some of the part-time workers receive only just above the minimum wage.”
This Seminar will examine the implications of the UK’s renegotiation of its EU membership and the impact of a Brexit for the UK, Ireland and Europe. For Ireland, even if the UK retained access to the Single Market the likely consequences are still significant. While overall Irish exports to the UK for goods and services are 16% to 18% of the total respectively, the indigenous sector, which is labour intensive, is 43% and the agri-food sector is over 50%. Currently, non EU countries in the Single Market do not have free trade in agricultural products, and significant tariffs apply. Even if a free trade agreement was possible in agricultural products, costly customs procedures would apply to all trade. There could be gains in areas such as financial services but the overall impact would be negative for jobs particularly in manufacturing. Also there would be major implications for North/South relations if Scotland were to exit the UK following a Brexit.
This Seminar will examine the implications of the UK’s renegotiation of its EU membership and the impact of a Brexit for the UK, Ireland and Europe. For Ireland, even if the UK retained access to the Single Market the likely consequences are still significant. While overall Irish exports to the UK for goods and services are 16% to 18% of the total respectively, the indigenous sector, which is labour intensive, is 43% and the agri-food sector is over 50%. Currently, non EU countries in the Single Market do not have free trade in agricultural products, and significant tariffs apply. Even if a free trade agreement was possible in agricultural products, costly customs procedures would apply to all trade. There could be gains in areas such as financial services but the overall impact would be negative for jobs particularly in manufacturing. Also there would be major implications for North/South relations if Scotland were to exit the UK following a Brexit.
Presentation by Joe O'Flynn, SIPTU General Secretary to Margaret Fitzpatrick, school bus driver representative on the occasion of her retirement from the National Committee of Representatives in June 2015.
Presentation by Joe O'Flynn, SIPTU General Secretary to Margaret Fitzpatrick, school bus driver representative on the occasion of her retirement from the National Committee of Representatives in June 2015.
Catherine O Malley, WRC, Annette Carpenter, Organising Department and Karan O'Loughlin, National Campaigns and Equality Organiser - first SIPTU graduates from the ICTU/UCC Diploma in Adult Learning and Development who will be putting their skills to use in the Workers College when it is up and running.
Catherine O Malley, WRC, Annette Carpenter, Organising Department and Karan O'Loughlin, National Campaigns and Equality Organiser - first SIPTU graduates from the ICTU/UCC Diploma in Adult Learning and Development who will be putting their skills to use in the Workers College when it is up and running.
The Bord na Móna Group of Unions has expressed disappointment at the company’s announcement that it is to phase out the harvesting of peat for energy and the lack of consultation with workers concerning the move.
The Bord na Móna Group of Unions has expressed disappointment at the company’s announcement that it is to phase out the harvesting of peat for energy and the lack of consultation with workers concerning the move.
Bord na Móna Group of Unions Secretary and SIPTU Organiser, John Regan, said: “Workers in Bord na Móna were disappointed to only learn of this move through the media. However, they were not surprised as this fits into a pattern of behaviour by Bord na Móna management.”
Unite Official, Ed Thompson, said: “The company’s announcement seems to stand in stark contradiction to the recent agreement with the ESB to continue supplying peat to the West Offaly and Lough Ree power stations up to 2030. The Bord na Móna Group of Unions is seeking clarification on whether the announcement has any impact on it.”
SIPTU members working in the cash-in-transit section of Brinks Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new agreement with management on Friday, 1st October.
SIPTU members working in the cash-in-transit section of Brinks Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new agreement with management on Friday, 1st October.
SIPTU Organiser, Brendan Carr, said: “This new agreement will protect our members’ terms and conditions of employment into the future. It also ensures the continued operation of Brinks Ireland.
“The company is currently undergoing a major restructuring and it was essential that SIPTU members ensured their interests would be adequately protected during this process. The deal includes a number of voluntary redundancies on terms acceptable to our members.”
Brinks Ireland employs approximately 200 people in its cash-in-transit operations around the country.
The fire that led to the deaths of ten members of the travelling community, including five children, at a halting site was an accident waiting to happen. For decades, travellers in Ireland have been treated like second, or third class, citizens with many hundreds of families forced to live on the side of the road in unhygienic conditions without adequate water, electricity and other basic services.
The fire that led to the deaths of ten members of the travelling community, including five children, at a halting site was an accident waiting to happen. For decades, travellers in Ireland have been treated like second, or third class, citizens with many hundreds of families forced to live on the side of the road in unhygienic conditions without adequate water, electricity and other basic services.
That the Connors, Lynch and Gilbert families who lost their lives in the Carrickmines tragedy were living in this ‘temporary’ site for over ten years underlines the complete failure of government and local authority efforts to provide decent housing for the traveller community, settled or otherwise.
There are complex issues arising from the culture and ethnicity of the Irish traveller community but there can be no excuse for leaving young families in the squalor and deprivation evident at the Carrickmines site. Is it too much to ask that this tragedy which took the lives of five adults, five children and an unborn child can never be allowed to happen again?
Budget 2016 contains positive measures that will see workers make the first real financial gains from a budget in almost eight years, according to SIPTU researcher, Ger Gibbons.
Budget 2016 contains positive measures that will see workers make the first real financial gains from a budget in almost eight years, according to SIPTU researcher, Ger Gibbons.
Public service commitments, including the restoration of the Christmas bonus by 75% for hard-pressed social welfare recipients, the increase in the minimum wage, the restoration of the respite care grant and the extension of free childcare will help improve the living conditions of some of the most vulnerable in society, he said.
“Budget 2016 however represents a missed opportunity to recover from the social damage caused by the crisis.
“The resources available as the economy recovers should have been allocated over the medium term in a 2:1 ratio, with two-parts going towards rebuilding public services, and one-part towards tax reform.
“The Government’s decision to opt for a 50:50 split leaves insufficient resources to start repairing the damage of recent years.
“We welcome the reversal of some of the most egregious cuts implemented from 2008 to 2014 but are disappointed that others, such the cut to the standard Jobseekers’ Allowance for those aged 26 and under, were not addressed.”
The surprise announcement in July of plans to introduce a ‘national living wage’ for workers over 25 in the UK has generated much debate. In effect a higher minimum wage for adult workers, the living wage will initially be set at £7.20 per hour and will be reviewed each year by the Low Pay Commission. The current Conservative government, who are responsible for the policy, have made clear their intention to increase the living wage to £9 per hour by 2020. Although this appears to be high, the living wage would still be less than two-thirds of the median wage in the UK.
The surprise announcement in July of plans to introduce a ‘national living wage’ for workers over 25 in the UK has generated much debate. In effect a higher minimum wage for adult workers, the living wage will initially be set at £7.20 per hour and will be reviewed each year by the Low Pay Commission. The current Conservative government, who are responsible for the policy, have made clear their intention to increase the living wage to £9 per hour by 2020. Although this appears to be high, the living wage would still be less than two-thirds of the median wage in the UK.
The 2015 European Week for Safety and Health at Work, a highlight of the ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress Campaign’, started on 19th October. Events are being held across Europe to mark the occasion and put stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace in the spotlight. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and its network of partners aim to get Europe talking about how we can tackle these risks together.
The 2015 European Week for Safety and Health at Work, a highlight of the ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress Campaign’, started on 19th October. Events are being held across Europe to mark the occasion and put stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace in the spotlight. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and its network of partners aim to get Europe talking about how we can tackle these risks together.
EU-OSHA’s network of national focal points is hosting numerous events in more than 30 countries to highlight the campaign messages. Topics include stress and psychosocial risk in relation to working hours, a new protocol dealing with bullying and harassment, evaluation of psychosocial risks in small companies or the relationship between occupational safety and health (OSH) institutions, the educational sector and companies in the management of psychosocial risks. Conferences presenting activities implemented during the two years of the campaign are scheduled in Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Spain and Sweden.
While the situation in Syria understandably dominates media coverage of the Middle East and domestic tragedies take priority within the national media, there has been a serious escalation in the situation within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In the past three weeks, 47 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,500 shot with live fire or steel coated rubber bullets by the Israeli military. These include two thirteen years olds, a fifteen year old, a three year old child and a pregnant woman. Documented Acts of violence (beatings, shootings, indiscriminate use of live ammunition) are currently being carried out by the Israeli military and heavily armed groups of settlers against the unarmed citizens of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are unprecedented in the context of the Palestinian/Israel situation.
Dear Editor,
While the situation in Syria understandably dominates media coverage of the Middle East and domestic tragedies take priority within the national media, there has been a serious escalation in the situation within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In the past three weeks, 47 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,500 shot with live fire or steel coated rubber bullets by the Israeli military. These include two thirteen years olds, a fifteen year old, a three year old child and a pregnant woman. Documented Acts of violence (beatings, shootings, indiscriminate use of live ammunition) are currently being carried out by the Israeli military and heavily armed groups of settlers against the unarmed citizens of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are unprecedented in the context of the Palestinian/Israel situation.
The situation has ‘escalated to reach the level of crimes against humanity’ according to Dr. Nabeel Shaath, Commissioner General of the Foreign Relations Commission in Fatah, who has issued a powerful statement calling on the international community to provide international protection to the Palestinian people (attached).
The international community must take responsibility for its full complicity in allowing Israel to act with total impunity over the past 50 years and for its deafening silence as shocking acts of violence are currently being carried out either directly by the Israeli state or under its protection.
We ask that you use your influence to lobby our elected representatives to act on its clear calls to the international community as a matter of urgency.
If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact us,
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The 2015 European Week for Safety and Health at Work, a highlight of the ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress Campaign’, started on 19th October. Events are being held across Europe to mark the occasion and put stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace in the spotlight. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and its network of partners aim to get Europe talking about how we can tackle these risks together.
