Mandate and SIPTU trade unions on Wednesday, 9th September, agreed to negotiations with the owner of Boyers department store on North Earl Street, Dublin, on the orderly wind down of the company.
Mandate and SIPTU trade unions on Wednesday, 9th September, agreed to negotiations with the owner of Boyers department store on North Earl Street, Dublin, on the orderly wind down of the company.
Mandate Official, Jonathan Hogan, said: “We intend to commence these negotiations as soon as possible with the aim of securing terms agreeable for both directly employed staff and those union members working for concession holders prior to the agreed closure date of the business on 31st January, 2016.”
SIPTU Services Division Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said: “The acceptance by the owner of the business, Noel Smyth, that the Boyers direct employees, workers for concession holders and contractors must be treated with respect is in stark contrast to the treatment of the Clerys workers. The coming weeks of negotiations will be difficult but we intend to ensure that an adequate agreement which suitably rewards the years of service of the Boyers workforce is agreed.
Approximately 100 workers, both directly employed and those working for concession holders are affected by the closure of Boyers.
On September 3rd 2015, a packed room in Liberty Hall took part in a meeting organised by SIPTU's Dublin District Council and SIPTU's Manufacturing Division on securing the Union's future.
On September 3rd 2015, a packed room in Liberty Hall took part in a meeting organised by SIPTU's Dublin District Council and SIPTU's Manufacturing Division on securing the Union's future.
SIPTU and IFUT have expressed outrage at the refusal by management at NUI Galway to attend a meeting at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to discuss an equality taskforce it has appointed.
SIPTU and IFUT have expressed outrage at the refusal by management at NUI Galway to attend a meeting at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to discuss an equality taskforce it has appointed.
Union members have expressed astonishment that a publicly funded institution would choose to disregard the State's industrial relations machinery. They stated that they have no confidence in the management appointed ‘gender equality task force’ and believe it will be neither independent nor effective.
SIPTU Organiser, Noel Maguire, said: “Both unions are ready to discuss all the issues using the LRC conciliation process. If the NUI Galway President is serious about ending discrimination and is genuine about co-operating with unions, then agreeing to attend the LRC would restore some semblance of confidence.”
SIPTU and IFUT have also called for the intervention of the Minister for Education, Jan O'Sullivan, to resolve the dispute.
A legal expert with the SIPTU Workers Rights Centre has been appointed to sit on a Committee of Investigation to oversee the liquidation process of OCS Operations, the company which operated Clerys department store.
A legal expert with the SIPTU Workers Rights Centre has been appointed to sit on a Committee of Investigation to oversee the liquidation process of OCS Operations, the company which operated Clerys department store.
Hugh Hegarty attended the first meeting of the eight-person Committee of Investigation on Monday, 8th September. The Committee includes five representatives of creditors of OCS Operations. Hegarty was nominated by former Clerys workers to represent their interests on the Committee.
The Committee has been established under the 2014 Companies Act. It sanctions the exercise of certain powers of the liquidator including any litigation it seeks to undertake, the payment of the liquidator’s fees and acts as a consultation body during the process.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Teresa Hannick, said: “The Clerys workers will not be giving up their campaign until the new owners of the department store meet them and explain why they felt they could treat people so appallingly. The workers have been protesting weekly outside the registered offices of Natrium in Dublin. They will be maintaining this protest and intensifying their campaign in the coming weeks.”
A petition, written and online, in support of the workers' call to meet the new owners has already received over 18,000 signatures. The workers are calling on the directors of Natrium, the consortium that bought the store on 12th June, to explain in a face-to-face meeting their decision to liquidate the business resulting in over 400 job losses.
Clerys Department Store Creditors Meeting in Dublin. KPMG, the liquidator for Clerys Department Store, held a creditors meeting in the Gresham Hotel on Thursday, 1st September. Photo shows John Crowe who worked in the store for 43 years speaking to the press. Photo: RollingNews.ie
SIPTU members will be nominated to sit on Joint Labour Committee (JLC) for the agricultural sector during September following the re-establishment of the body by the Labour Court.
SIPTU members will be nominated to sit on Joint Labour Committee (JLC) for the agricultural sector during September following the re-establishment of the body by the Labour Court.
SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, Gerry McCormack, said: “Legislation for the creation of this JLC has now passed all the necessary stages in the Oireachtas and is now being implemented by the Labour Court. The SIPTU Manufacturing Division has been contacted to nominate members to sit on the JLC to represent the interests of workers in the agricultural sector.”
He added: “The SIPTU objective will be to have the JLC agree terms and conditions for new Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) as soon as possible. The union will be seeking commitments from employers that the target rate of pay in the sector should reflect the Living Wage currently set at €11.50 per hour.”
It is estimated that up to 20,000 workers in the agricultural sector will have their terms and conditions of employment regulated by EROs agreed at the new JLC.
The Desmond Greaves Annual School takes place this weekend with a variety of high profile speakers discussing subjects ranging from future of the UK to World War I to the Irish media.
The Desmond Greaves Annual School takes place this weekend with a variety of high profile speakers discussing subjects ranging from future of the UK to World War I to the Irish media.
The SIPTU proposals for a progressive alternative to the Universal Social Charge (USC) have been the subject of seminars for union members across the country in recent weeks.
SIPTU Health Care Committee supporting the USC Campaign
The SIPTU proposals for a progressive alternative to the Universal Social Charge (USC) have been the subject of seminars for union members across the country in recent weeks.
The SIPTU Campaigns Department has presented the case for a Social Solidarity Charge (SSC) to replace the USC to District Council meetings from Cork to Cavan and also several union committees.
Among those delivering the seminars is SIPTU Researcher, Ger Gibbons.
He said: “The yield from the SSC would not go into central exchequer funds. It would be dedicated exclusively to redressing the ongoing social damage caused by the crisis and to addressing the key social challenges now facing Irish society.
“The SSC system would also remove the liability for payment completely from workers earning the living wage, of €11.50 per hour, or less.”
In the weeks up to the Budget in early October the SIPTU Campaigns Department will bring the union’s call for greater tax equality to hundreds more SIPTU members.
For further information on an alternative proposal to the USC click HERE.
I think it would be hard to find a family in Ireland which has not been touched by addiction. The effects and repercussions of both emotional and sometimes physical trauma experienced by those close to loved ones in addiction can be lifelong. RISE provides a refuge, a safe place to navigate past/present hurts through counselling by skilled professionals and 10 week family programmes to help empower those who are trapped in situations that they feel helpless to change. It struggles to survive and depends totally on fundraising initiatives to carry on providing this life-changing service. In early October I am undertaking a 6 day trek of the Camino, from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela, with a group who are all walking in aid of the RISE Foundation. I am seeking as much sponsorship as I can get in order to ensure that they can continue to give such very necessary support to Irish families of loved ones in addiction. Please dig deep and donate whatever you can afford, it will be money well spent. You can donate to RISE through my charity page here: https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/mary-s-camino
Many thanks, in advance Mary Tracey
I think it would be hard to find a family in Ireland which has not been touched by addiction. The effects and repercussions of both emotional and sometimes physical trauma experienced by those close to loved ones in addiction can be lifelong. RISE provides a refuge, a safe place to navigate past/present hurts through counselling by skilled professionals and 10 week family programmes to help empower those who are trapped in situations that they feel helpless to change. It struggles to survive and depends totally on fundraising initiatives to carry on providing this life-changing service. In early October I am undertaking a 6 day trek of the Camino, from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela, with a group who are all walking in aid of the RISE Foundation. I am seeking as much sponsorship as I can get in order to ensure that they can continue to give such very necessary support to Irish families of loved ones in addiction. Please dig deep and donate whatever you can afford, it will be money well spent. You can donate to RISE through my charity page here: https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/mary-s-camino Many thanks, in advance Mary Tracey
THE RISE FOUNDATION The RISE Foundation is a registered charity founded in 2008 by the well-known Irish singer Frances Black, who was inspired to help families of addicts during her own recovery. The focus is on the families of those with addictive behaviour (alcohol, drugs, gambling and food etc.) and not the person in addiction themselves. Its mission is to support families impacted by a loved one’s addictive behaviour through awareness, education and therapy, and to combat the associated shame and stigma. At RISE (Recovery In a Safe Environment), we are dedicated to working towards helping families to free themselves from the heartache of a loved one in addiction, and to rediscover relationships in families lost to addiction. We help families understand the nature of addiction, and teach self-help mechanisms to those suffering the devastation and heartache of having a loved one in addiction.
THE RISE FOUNDATION Educates families about addiction and addictive behaviour Supports families in their own recovery Breaks the cycle of addiction by helping the family members to care for themselves Helps the family member to emerge from their powerlessness with strength and courage Raise awareness about the impact of addiction on families We help families understand the nature of addiction and teach self-help mechanisms to those who are impacted by a loved one's addictive behaviour.
The Government must commit to removing the preferential VAT rate currently enjoyed by the profitable hotel and restaurant sector that includes many businesses that are exploiting low paid workers.
SIPTU Division Organiser, John King, said: “According to the most recent figures the hospitality sector is booming. Despite this employers in the sector represented by the Irish Hotels Federation and The Restaurant Association of Ireland are defying Government policy and refusing to engage in the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process.”
King added: “The Government introduced a 9% VAT rate for this sector in 2011. This has enabled increased profits. However, the Government has been stopped from ensuring workers also benefit from this upturn, through the creation of a JLC for the hotel and restaurant sector.
“The Government must state clearly that if these employers continue to subvert Government policy in this area the preferential VAT rate for the hospitality sector will be ended in the October budget. This situation needs to be tackled now. Otherwise, the Government’s entire strategy of protecting low paid workers is in real danger of being undermined.”
The Department of Transport has said that it is seeking a derogation for Ireland from the EU Commission supported ‘Fourth Railway Package’ which calls for greater market liberalisation and competition within the railway sector in each member state.
The Department of Transport has said that it is seeking a derogation for Ireland from the EU Commission supported ‘Fourth Railway Package’ which calls for greater market liberalisation and competition within the railway sector in each member state.
SIPTU Construction and Utilities Division Organiser, Owen Reidy, said: “SIPTU supports the Government’s attempt to secure a derogation from rail privatisation. This flawed EU proposal will do nothing to assist rail users and has the potential to undermine the operation of our coherent and integrated transport system.
He added: “SIPTU is the largest union in Irish Rail and will continue to lobby all political parties on this matter to seek to ensure there is universal support across political lines for this government, or any successor, to seek a derogation to these proposals.”
A Forum on the Living Wage, organised by Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash, will be held in Dublin Castle on Wednesday, 30th September.
A Forum on the Living Wage, organised by Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash, will be held in Dublin Castle on Wednesday, 30th September.
SIPTU Division Organiser, John King, said: “SIPTU supports the decision to hold this forum for employers, trade unions, workers, civil society groups and other interested parties to discuss how a Living Wage can be introduced in more workplaces in Ireland.”
He added: “SIPTU representatives will attend the Forum in order to advance the case for a Living Wage. It is hoped that it will mark the beginning of a major campaign to establish the payment of the Living Wage to lower paid workers as the target of not only unions but also progressive employers across the Irish economy.”
Representatives from Living Wage campaigns in London and Scotland are scheduled to address the Forum alongside representatives of large UK businesses who will explain why payment of a Living Wage also benefits employers.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Kathleen Lynn, who died in September 1955. To mark this anniversary the East Wall History Group will be hosting a memorial walk at Glenmalure, County Wicklow, on Saturday, 12th September.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Kathleen Lynn, who died in September 1955. To mark this anniversary the East Wall History Group will be hosting a memorial walk at Glenmalure, County Wicklow, on Saturday, 12th September.
Glenmalure was an area where Lynn spent many happy occasions in beautiful surroundings. Setting out at 1.00 p.m. from Glenmalure Hostel, there will be experienced guides leading the walkers on two separate routes – this will cater for all abilities and participants will have the option of a one hour walk or a two hour walk. In July the East Wall History Group and the Alternative Visions Oral History Group hosted the inaugural Sarah Lundberg Summer School on the subject of “Kathleen Lynn, a truly radical woman”, at which this event was proposed. This will be another opportunity to honour the memory of two remarkable women, and is being held with the support of "The friends of Glenmalure". In light of the tragic passing of our friend Sarah the walk will be include a fund raising aspect. Sponsor cards are available (or donations can be made) with all monies raised benefitting the Cycle Against Suicide initiative, which works with young people.
The suffering of those forced to seek refuge in the EU due to the destruction of their home societies is an indictment of the current Western political elite.
This is an elite which has cared little about the impact of ideological and financially inspired military adventures which have devastated imperfect but largely stable, societies, forcing millions to flee the resulting conflicts and instability.
In contrast, the reaction of large swathes of the people of Europe, offering accommodation, sustenance and demanding more assistance for refugees from their Governments, provides hope for the future.
In Ireland, some have claimed that aiding refugees should come second to dealing with our domestic social crises, not least of which is the level of homelessness resulting from a lack of affordable housing and widespread poverty.
The suffering of those forced to seek refuge in the EU due to the destruction of their home societies is an indictment of the current Western political elite.
This is an elite which has cared little about the impact of ideological and financially inspired military adventures which have devastated imperfect but largely stable, societies, forcing millions to flee the resulting conflicts and instability.
In contrast, the reaction of large swathes of the people of Europe, offering accommodation, sustenance and demanding more assistance for refugees from their Governments, provides hope for the future.
In Ireland, some have claimed that aiding refugees should come second to dealing with our domestic social crises, not least of which is the level of homelessness resulting from a lack of affordable housing and widespread poverty.
However, calculations of social solidarity are not a zero sum game. What is preventing us tackling our domestic social crises is not a lack of resources but rather a failure to understand that our society is better when people are imbued with a sense of solidarity and inspired to collective action.
The reaction to the refugee crisis should act as a catalyst to a wider resurgence of solidarity and collective action. If it does, not only will people forced to flee their homes due to conflict benefit but all of us who wish to build a society that values our shared humanity.
A link between alternatives to the neo-liberal food regime
The multiple global economic, financial, food and ecological crises are deepening. And yet, neo-liberal capitalism continues to reign supreme. Every crisis is responded to by further marketisation and commodification. ‘Free’ trade is deepened in negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), emission trading systems are one of the main strategies for mitigating climate-change. We suggest that the links between the concepts of ‘food sovereignty’ and ‘fair trade’ could promote connections between labour and community struggles and foster labour solidarity at both the transnational and local levels. Both concepts present challenges to the neo-liberal food regime.
The multiple global economic, financial, food and ecological crises are deepening. And yet, neo-liberal capitalism continues to reign supreme. Every crisis is responded to by further marketisation and commodification. ‘Free’ trade is deepened in negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), emission trading systems are one of the main strategies for mitigating climate-change. We suggest that the links between the concepts of ‘food sovereignty’ and ‘fair trade’ could promote connections between labour and community struggles and foster labour solidarity at both the transnational and local levels. Both concepts present challenges to the neo-liberal food regime.
The expanded free trade regime and tensions in the global labour movement Since the completion of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Uruguay Round in 1994, the expansion of the ‘free trade’ agenda into areas of trade in services, public procurement, trade related investment measures, intellectual property rights and agriculture as well as the highly controversial investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms has led to tensions within the global labour movement. Trade unions in the north especially in export sectors have tended to support free trade agreements, assuming that new markets will secure jobs for their members. By contrast, labour movements in the global south have generally voiced opposition since expanded free trade often means deindustrialisation and job losses for their countries (Bieler, Ciccaglione, Hilary and Lindberg, 2014).
The Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment is a group for organising trade union activists and members from all trade unions in the fight to repeal the 8th.
The 8th amendment and its removal are a key issue for working women and it is a struggle that we believe trade unions have a huge role to play in. It is important that members of unions show support for repeal, and that marches and protests have a visible trade union contingent.
Dear Editor,
The Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment is a group for organising trade union activists and members from all trade unions in the fight to repeal the 8th. The 8th amendment and its removal are a key issue for working women and it is a struggle that we believe trade unions have a huge role to play in. It is important that members of unions show support for repeal, and that marches and protests have a visible trade union contingent. The Irish trade union movement has a long and storied history in the defence of and implementation of women’s rights. Trade unionism has never just been about securing a decent wage or better conditions but about improving circumstance for all workers in all regards of life. This includes the fight for childcare, access to contraceptives, and the choice to use them, as well as campaigning for access to abortion care. Any barrier placed on workers that denies them full social, economic, and political access is one that trade unions are obliged to tear down.
The ‘Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment’ is continuing this tradition in calling for the repeal of the 8th amendment, which equates the life of mother and foetus as equal in all circumstances. The campaign believes that Trade Unionism has a huge role to play in securing repeal following from the ICTU and DCTU's historic roles in the 1983 anti-amendment fight.
Women make up more than 50% of all trade union memberships and almost 50% of all workers in this country. That is excluding the social reproductive work that many women do, such as care work, in addition to working outside the home. The majority of these women are in low paid, part time or precarious jobs. CSO figures show that 50% of working women earn €20,000 or less a year. A common misconception is that many of these women in lower paid jobs are students or new to the job market. This isn't the case, and increasingly so in recent years, they will often be the main income source for a family.
If one of these women finds herself in the position of a crisis pregnancy the 8th amendment forces her to travel abroad for routine medical procedure denied to her in Ireland. This can cost anything from €850 - €2,000, and for a low paid worker this can equate to 10% or more of their annual income. She may also be forced to take unplanned or unpaid leave or arrange childcare which would be an added cost. Repeal is a workplace issue for these women and one that trade unions needs to be strong on.
The situation is significantly worse for women with no income, those who are reliant on social welfare and migrant women. Migrant women in particular are unable to access abortion as a result of insurmountable travel and legal obstacles. They also face the hardship of accessing funding to travel. Which means that facing this dilemma falls hardest on the poorest. Repeal of the 8th amendment is a women’s issue, a workers issue but ultimately an issue of class.
We have seen the hypocrisy of this amendment exemplified many times over the past 30 years, from the X case in 1992, the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012 and the shocking obscenity of the treatment of the Y case as well as more recently the appalling incubation of a foetus in a medically dead woman. This is due to nothing other than this states refusal to deal with an archaic amendment that equates the life of a woman with that of a foetus. This is tantamount to reproductive slavery.
The 8th amendment is a barrier to progress and an extention of the church control that allowed the Magdelene laundries to exist. It denies women their rights and dignity further fuelling the shame that this state has heaped on women over the decades who may have found themselves in the position of a crisis pregnancy. The 8th amendment is not a moral issue and it has never been about protecting life. It is there to target and punish, working class, poor and migrant women for daring to think they deserve equality and control over their own lives and bodies.
All trade unions members must embrace the demands made by women for an equal society. All women in Ireland deserve to know that their choice, bodily autonomy, economic freedom, health and lives are theirs and theirs alone and repeal of the 8th amendment is a good step in the direction of achieving this.
The Trade Union Campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment is supported by Unite the Union, Unite Youth, Mandate Trade Union, Dublin Council of Trade Unions, Waterford Council of Trade Unions, CWU Youth Committee, Bray and District Council of Trade Unions and ICTU Youth Committee.
Liberty Online is produced by the Communications Department of SIPTU. Liberty Online is distributed on a regular basis to members who are on the SIPTU e-mail data base. In order to maximize circulation of this news bulletin and other messages and statements we urgently ask recipients to gather the e-mail addresses of other SIPTU members who are not already on the data base. Please forward e-mail addresses to communications@siptu.ie
SIPTU Head Office | Liberty Hall | Dublin 1 | Ireland
A link between alternatives to the neo-liberal food regime
Dear Editor,
