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Almost 10,000 people viewed scenes of Dublin through the SIPTU website during the visit of the Tall Shops to the city in August.
You can view the city via the newly installed web cam on the top of Liberty Hall by logging on to the SIPTU website www.siptu.ie
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SIPTU Vice-President warns that outsourcing does not result in cost savings
 SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia King, has said that the outsourcing of public services will not lead to any considerable savings and are more likely to result in higher costs to the exchequer.
Responding to the ‘Report on the Review of the Central Procurement Function’ published today (Thursday, 6th September) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Patricia King also said that the Croke Park Agreement contains detailed and explicit provisions on various service delivery options, including outsourcing, which SIPTU expects will be honoured by the Government.
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Che's daughter comes to Liberty Hall
 Aleida Guevara March, eldest daughter of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and his wife Aleida March will be coming to Liberty Hall, Dublin on Thursday, 27th September, to promote her mother's book Remembering Che: My Life with Che Guevara. The highly anticipated book will be for sale on the night and Aleida will be available for signings. ALEIDA MARCH is now the director of the Che Guevara Studies Center (Havana).
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Target Express accused of ‘hiding assets’
By Scott Millar
SIPTU members formerly employed in the Target Express group of businesses have expressed concern that the company’s owner, Seamus McBrien, has attempted to place assets beyond the reach of liquidators.The members have drawn attention to the removal of vehicles owned by the company from its depot in Clones, Co. Monaghan, since its closure on Monday (27th August), to premises controlled by associates of McBrien.
Target Express vehicles and equipment moved from the Clones depot before liquidator moved in. (Photo: Oliver Corr)
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Irish Cement proposals ‘unacceptable’
Irish Cement workers representatives met with management on Tuesday (4th September) to discuss threatened job losses at the company’s production plant in Castlemungret, Co. Limerick.
Irish Cement Ltd is seeking to implement 48 redundancies at the plant and retain only a skeleton staff of 20 to maintain the facility’s operational capacity.
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SIPTU President says High Court decision provides employers with a licence to exploit
 The SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, said on Friday (31st August), that he was “shocked and appalled” at the High Court decision that restaurant worker Muhammad Younnis is not entitled to a €91,000 award made by an Employment Rights Officer after he was found to have worked up to 77 hours a week for seven years for less than the minimum wage in the Poppadom restaurant, Newlands Cross, Dublin.
The High Court found that Younnis’s contract was invalid because his employer, Amjad Hussein, had failed to renew the work permit.
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SIPTU expresses grave concern over HSE cut backs in the North East
SIPTU remains gravely concerned about the impact of cut backs in service provision within the Louth/Meath Hospital Group following the conclusion of initial talks with management at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) on Saturday (1st September). SIPTU Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “SIPTU representatives attended the LRC talks because of the grave concern expressed by our members across nursing, health professional and support grades. They believe that planned cuts in staffing levels at the Louth/Meath Hospital Group will expose staff and patients to clinical risks.
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SIPTU warns that hospital staff reductions will endanger patient safety
SIPTU has warned that a Health Service Executive (HSE) plan to implement a 50% reduction in the number of agency staff employed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co. Louth, and Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, Co. Meath, would result in an unacceptable risk to patients. Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, said: “The removal of these staff would lead to increased waiting times for patients, cancellation of elective procedures, increased pressure on Emergency Departments and a higher risk of infection as cleaning duties are cut back.”
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Education & Development Support
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SIPTU to fight HSE cuts to Home Help services
SIPTU will oppose an attempt by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to cut home care workers. SIPTU Organiser, Ted Kenny, said: “The HSE has announced on Thursday (30th August) that it intends to reduce the provision of Home Help services by 5.5%. What this means in reality is that the elderly and other vulnerable people who depend on these services are to suffer in order to satisfy a book keeping exercise which has already proven to be an abject failure. “The management of the HSE should be in no doubt that SIPTU home care workers will vigorously oppose this callous attempt to make the most vulnerable pay for the failures of an organisation that is unfit for purpose. The move also flies in the face of ongoing negotiations between the HSE and SIPTU concerning the issuing of contracts to home care workers.”
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SIPTU campaign to defend Home Help services in Waterford and Tipperary
The SIPTU national campaign to defend Home Help services is convening a series of meetings in Waterford and Tipperary during September. SIPTU Lead Organiser, Miriam Hamilton, said: “All HSE Home Helps in the Waterford and Tipperary areas are requested to attend one of the meetings. It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is for Home Helps to attend, so they can discuss the growing threat to services in their local area.
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Lagan Brick workers meet County Councillors to discuss dispute
Lagan Brick workers met with a delegation of councillors from Meath County Council on Wednesday, 29th August, to discuss the long-running dispute at the company’s manufacturing plant in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan.SIPTU Organiser, John Regan, said: “The workers had a productive meeting with the council delegation, which included representatives of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Independents.
“At the meeting it was highlighted to the councillors that it would be unacceptable for companies in the Lagan Group to be granted public contracts when the Group’s management is in breach of the State’s dispute procedures due to its failure to attend a Labour Court hearing or implement the resulting recommendation.”
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Public Meeting
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Right-wing media wants Labour out of Government
An editorial in the Irish Independent on Wednesday (5th September) called on the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to end coalition and form a government without the Labour party. The comment followed reported tensions within the Government over forthcoming budget cuts to health and other services. In particular, the editorial accused Labour of trying to “have its cake and eat it” by refusing to renegotiate the Croke Park Agreement while denouncing health spending cuts. “Mr Kenny has the numbers in the Dáil. If Labour isn’t prepared to accept the responsibilities that come with being in government during these difficult times then Mr Kenny should be prepared for the sake of the nation to govern without it.”
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Global Labour Column is mourning the dead Marikana miners
SIPTU General President, Jack O'Connor, Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe and South African ambassador, Azwindini Jeremaih Ndou at the Memorial Service for Lonmin Miners in the Methodist Church, Dublin on Thursday (30th August)
You have certainly heard, read or seen recent reports on the violence which has flared up in and around the platinum mines in Rustenburg, in the North West province of South Africa.
At least 46 people, most of them workers, have been killed; our first thoughts go to them and their families. Unfortunately, it looks likely that more, among the 78 wounded and the many missing, will perish. In the mainstream media, this is reported as the outcome of an internecine war between unions. This is only part of the truth. Fierce union rivalry already raged in the North West platinum mines in the 1990s, claiming many casualties. However this is very different from applying massive police force and killing many striking miners.
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Turn off the red light
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Pimps cannot be allowed to become Irish bosses
By Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of the Immigrant Council of Ireland You may have read or seen recent media coverage about the 'Turn Off the Red Light' campaign which is seeking to end exploitation and sex trafficking by making it illegal to pay for sex. The campaign is a group of 57 organisations, including SIPTU, which wants the law changed to target those who buy sex rather than victimising women forced to work under constant threats, abuse and violence.
Jack McGinley, SIPTU NEC member pictured with Nusha Yonkova (left) and Diane Kelly from the Immigrant Council of Ireland TORL Co-ordination Team on Friday, 24 August.
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Diverse Voices of Women Today breaking the silence on racism
The Irish Network Against Racism invites you to a conference on 2nd October.
A unique opportunity for women from minority ethnic communities to come together to explore the gender perspective of racism. This conference will provide a space for women from a wide range of backgrounds and other relevant stakeholders, to share their speci c experiences of sexism and racism and to generate ideas and commitments to work together towards equality and integration.
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SIPTU Basic English Scheme
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Home Insurance
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Exhibition on the History of Firefighting in Dublin
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TASC Forthcoming Events
There are now only a few places left for the forthcoming Nordic Models Seminar being hosted in Croke Park on September 17th by TASC in collaboration with the Embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The theme of the event will be Sharing the experiences of Education Reform and its challenges between the Nordic Countries and Ireland, and the keynote speaker will be Mr Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education and Skills.
Guest speakers will include Mr Anders Geersen (Head of Knowledge and Welfare, Nordic Council of Ministers) and education experts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as Ireland. Click here to download a draft programme.
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Jim Larkin Credit Union
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Study Visits for Education and Vocational Training Specialists and Decision Makers
Deadline 2 for Study Visits from March to June 2013 INFORMATION & APPLICATION PROCEDURES MEETING
(CHANGE OF VENUE) Dublin, Wednesday 12th September 2012, 14.30-16.00 Study visits provide education, vocational education and training decision-makers and specialists with an opportunity to spend up to one week in another European country, learning about practices and approaches in education. The visits provide a forum for discussion, exchange and learning on themes of common interest and on European and national priorities. By exchanging innovative ideas and practices, participants promote the quality and transparency of their education and training systems. Study Visits are also an invaluable networking opportunity and a chance to meet potential partners for transnational collaborative projects.
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