SIPTU President claims Troika is sabotaging our chances of recovery
SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor has accused the EU/ECB/IMF Troika of sabotaging Ireland’s chances of recovering from the economic crisis.
“They are insisting on sticking to a strategy that has failed spectacularly in Ireland and across Europe piling misery on working people and their families. This is bad enough but they are also sabotaging anything the Government might usefully do in the very limited space available to them to stimulate the domestic economy and create jobs”, he said.
SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor has accused the EU/ECB/IMF Troika of sabotaging Ireland’s chances of recovering from the economic crisis. “They are insisting on sticking to a strategy that has failed spectacularly in Ireland and across Europe piling misery on working people and their families. This is bad enough but they are also sabotaging anything the Government might usefully do in the very limited space available to them to stimulate the domestic economy and create jobs”, he said.
“This is very clearly evident from the way in which they rubbished well researched and costed proposals for a €9bn infrastructural development programme over the next three to four years”.
Jack O’Connor described a letter issued on 17th October to Congress general secretary, David Begg, by the Head of the EU Commission section of the Troika as “the most cynical he had every read”.
“It simply listed the usual standard neo-liberal text book arguments to rubbish the idea without actually addressing the proposals at all. It then went on to cite ‘valid public health reasons’ for welcoming the decline in alcohol and tobacco sales. This deliberately ignored the fact that this decline was due to 100,000 people losing their jobs and 160,000 leaving the country since 2010 as a direct result of the policies being imposed by the Troika.
“The Troika’s concern for the public health doesn’t extend to recognising the implications of children being sent to bed hungry again in Ireland or families breaking up as a result of the kind irrational policies it is dictating.
“Of course they are quite consistent with remarks attributed to the same Head of the EU Commission team in the public media on the 12th October to the effect that the rich were contributing too much to the fiscal adjustment and that it should be spread more evenly – in other words that the poor should subsidise the wealthy even further,” Jack O’Connor said.
NEWS
Sit-in at Co-operative Poultry Products ends in agreement
Following intense discussions on Thursday (25th October) between SIPTU representatives and the receiver, Simon Coyle of Mazars, appointed to Co-operative Poultry Products Ltd, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, agreement was reached which resolved the impasse at the poultry processing plant.
SIPTU Organiser, Jim Finnegan, said; “The sit-in at the plant has now concluded and arrangements for the processing of the remaining product stored in the plant has been agreed. The full terms of the agreement are confidential to SIPTU, its members and the receiver.
Following intense discussions on Thursday (25th October) between SIPTU representatives and the receiver, Simon Coyle of Mazars, appointed to Co-operative Poultry Products Ltd, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, agreement was reached which resolved the impasse at the poultry processing plant.
SIPTU Organiser, Jim Finnegan, said; “The sit-in at the plant has now concluded and arrangements for the processing of the remaining product stored in the plant has been agreed. The full terms of the agreement are confidential to SIPTU, its members and the receiver.
“SIPTU wish to acknowledge the assistance given in resolving this situation in an amicable manner to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Shane McEntee, who chaired today’s meeting, and local TD, Heather Humphreys, who also assisted with today’s discussions.”
Workers had been staging a sit-in at the Co-operative Poultry Products production plant since Tuesday (23rd October) following the announcement that the company was closing with immediate effect on Monday (22nd October).
Sustainable Energy and Jobs Conference
The SEAI and SIPTU present "Sustainable Energy and Jobs" a conference aimed at raising awareness of the jobs potential associated with sustainable energy technologies. View the programme
The SEAI and SIPTU present "Sustainable Energy and Jobs" a conference aimed at raising awareness of the jobs potential associated with sustainable energy technologies. View the programme
Home Helps Rally
Unanimous Support for SIPTU Home Helps Campaign at Limerick City Council
There was a halt to “politics as usual” yesterday at Limerick City Council as councillors of all parties and none put aside their traditional differences to support a motion backing SIPTU’s Home Helps and Home Care campaign. Over 70 SIPTU Home Help workers were in attendance at City Hall to watch the debate.
Limerick Home Helps pictured alongside local Sinn Fein representative, Maurice Quinlivan
There was a halt to “politics as usual” yesterday at Limerick City Council as councillors of all parties and none put aside their traditional differences to support a motion backing SIPTU’s Home Helps and Home Care campaign. Over 70 SIPTU Home Help workers were in attendance at City Hall to watch the debate.
The motion, proposed by Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan, and seconded by Independent councillor, John Gilligan, called on city councillors to support SIPTU’s national Time to Care Campaign which opposes further reductions to Home Help and Home Care services. The motion also called on the HSE and the Minister for Health “to cease the practice of cutting home help hours due to financial considerations only and not the needs of the clients or the integral role home care workers play in the HSE.”
In his speech, Councillor Quinlivan condemned “the wholesale privatisation of the Home Help service which is now underway” and called for the immediate restoration of hours that have been cut in recent weeks.
Full support for the motion was received from all councillors present including the Fine Gael and Labour representatives.
Many Home Helps spoke beforehand of the impact of government cuts to the people they were looking after. Helen Ryan from Kilteely, Co Limerick, described how a 91 year old woman living on her own who is partially blind was told that she would have to do without the service on Tuesdays from now on. Geraldine Hickey from Pallasgreen explained how it was proposed to cut hours of support for another 91 year old client even though the individual in question is suffering from Alzheimer’s, is unable to walk and requires the highest levels of personal care.
SIPTU Campaign Co-ordinator Miriam Hamilton said; “We are delighted that every Limerick City councillor has chosen to back this campaign which is about fairness and dignity for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
“Minister James Reilly has cut over one million hours of care this year to elderly and disabled people. Many of these people have no other family to care for them. These cuts are also making life impossible for home help workers some of whom have been reduced to as little as two hours of work per week.”
The city councillors agreed to seek an urgent meeting with the Minister of Finance, Michael Noonan, on this issue. Home Help activists also pledged to take further action through their union to keep up the pressure on Government until such time as the cuts are reversed.
SIPTU meets with Abbott Nutrition to discuss proposed job losses
SIPTU has commenced a series of meetings with Abbott Nutrition Ltd to discuss members' concerns in relation to the announcement on Wednesday (17th October), of its intention to implement 180 redundancies at the company’s plant in Ballytivnan, co. Sligo.
SIPTU Organiser, Frank Jones, said: “Union representatives met with management on Wednesday (24th October). At the meeting members of the SIPTU Negotiating Committee, formed to represent workers in Abbott Nutrition, outlined to management proposals in relation to how the number of planned redundancies can be reduced and their concerns as to how the terms of any redundancy payment will be agreed.”
SIPTU has commenced a series of meetings with Abbott Nutrition Ltd to discuss members' concerns in relation to the announcement on Wednesday (17th October), of its intention to implement 180 redundancies at the company’s plant in Ballytivnan, co. Sligo.
SIPTU Organiser, Frank Jones, said: “Union representatives met with management on Wednesday (24th October). At the meeting members of the SIPTU Negotiating Committee, formed to represent workers in Abbott Nutrition, outlined to management proposals in relation to how the number of planned redundancies can be reduced and their concerns as to how the terms of any redundancy payment will be agreed.”
He added: “The Negotiating Committee has no reason to believe that there will be 180 workers in a position to volunteer for redundancy at the plant given the current economic climate. The union is not convinced by the business argument offered in relation to the need for redundancies on such a large scale.
“We expect a meaningful engagement with management in an effort to reduce the number of proposed job losses in order to avoid any forced or compulsory redundancies.”
SIPTU community activists call on Government to protect community services
SIPTU activists made a strong call for the protection of funding for vital Community Services in the coming budget at a meeting in the Oireachtas on Wednesday (17th October). The delegation from SIPTU’s Community Campaign was making a presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection on the value of Community Employment (CE) Schemes.
A range of essential community services across the state such as childcare, meals on wheels, eldercare and disability are dependent on CE workers and CE funding to remain in existence. However, due to budget cuts of between 30% and 40% last year to the training and materials grants many of these schemes are in difficulty.
SIPTU activists made a strong call for the protection of funding for vital Community Services in the coming budget at a meeting in the Oireachtas on Wednesday (17th October). The delegation from SIPTU’s Community Campaign was making a presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection on the value of Community Employment (CE) Schemes.
A range of essential community services across the state such as childcare, meals on wheels, eldercare and disability are dependent on CE workers and CE funding to remain in existence. However, due to budget cuts of between 30% and 40% last year to the training and materials grants many of these schemes are in difficulty.
Speaking after the meeting, SIPTU Campaign Co-ordinator Darragh O’Connor said “It’s critical that the number of CE Schemes and places are not subject to further cuts. The need for these schemes is greater now than at any time in the last 10 years. It is also essential that participants continue to have access to quality accredited training to assist them back into full time employment.”
The issue of cuts to payments of lone parents and people with disabilities who take up community employment was also raised. Describing the impact of these cuts CE Supervisor and SIPTU activist Seamie Briscoe said: “CE is no longer a financially viable path to employment and training for lone parents and people with disabilities. This is a tragedy because the progression rate for lone parents back into full time employment was close to 100% in many of these schemes. The additional expenses incurred by these groups must be addressed in the upcoming budget.”
The delegation also stressed the importance of maintaining placements for up to three years in order to facilitate completion of recognised training courses and work experience.
Darragh O’Connor concluded: “We welcome the establishment of an Employment Schemes Advisory Committee where the voices of CE supervisors, workers and other stakeholders can be heard with regard to the future shape, structure and funding of Community Employment.”
Solidarity Stroll for Domestic Workers' Rights
Watch this: Video of the Solidarity Stroll on Decent Work Day in Ireland on Saturday (6th October) to send a message to the Government to ratify C189 and to call for respect of domestic work.
Watch this: Video of the Solidarity Stroll on Decent Work Day in Ireland on Saturday (6th October) to send a message to the Government to ratify C189 and to call for respect of domestic work.
LIBERTY VIEW
Cut backs to Home Help services must stop
The Government must desist from its plans to cut back on the vital services provided by Home Help carers.
These carers provide services to the poorest and most vulnerable people in society who are the most affected by the drastic cuts in Home Help hours.
Money must be found elsewhere to meet budget targets rather than from those who depend on the home help services.
The policy of cutting resources for the poor and vulnerable while sparing the rich from contributing to economic recovery through a progressive taxation of wealth is no longer viable.
Jack O'Connor SIPTU General President
ECONOMY
SIPTU calls on Government to incentivise investment in infrastructure
SIPTU has welcomed the Government’s decision to commence with a credit guarantee scheme for businesses but with over 435,000 on the Live Register believes much more must be done to get people back to work.
Responding to the Government’s publication of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 Third Progress Report on Wednesday (17th October), SIPTU Economist, Marie Sherlock, said: “We are disappointed that the report indicates that there has been less progress than was planned in encouraging commercial investment into infrastructure development projects.
SIPTU has welcomed the Government’s decision to commence with a credit guarantee scheme for businesses but with over 435,000 on the Live Register believes much more must be done to get people back to work.
Responding to the Government’s publication of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 Third Progress Report on Wednesday (17th October), SIPTU Economist, Marie Sherlock, said: “We are disappointed that the report indicates that there has been less progress than was planned in encouraging commercial investment into infrastructure development projects.
“SIPTU and Congress have been consistently calling for the roll out of a major infrastructural investment plan which would be funded from a combination of sources including occupational pension funds and the European Investment Bank. The Government’s €2.25 billion package announced in July was a welcome first step but much more needs to be done.”
Marie Sherlock added: “The progress report highlights that investment into infrastructure has been delayed and notes that private pension funds have sought clarity on a possible rebate from the pension fund levy in exchange for investment. SIPTU calls on the Government to make clear its position and put in place an incentive to these occupational pension funds to invest in Irish infrastructure projects.”
News2
Pre-Budget Protest
Ideas Institute continues to benefit SIPTU members
Ideas Institute, the SIPTU partner training organisation, continues to assist members of the union at this most very difficult time. From its location at SIPTU College on the South Circular Road in Dublin the organisation delivers a wide range of training interventions to assist members of the union to secure employment, develop opportunities and improve employability where redundancy is threatened.
Participants on a Train the Trainer course in Carlow involved in some discovery learning as part of the course. Ideas Institute, the SIPTU partner training organisation, continues to assist members of the union at this most very difficult time. From its location at SIPTU College on the South Circular Road in Dublin the organisation delivers a wide range of training interventions to assist members of the union to secure employment, develop opportunities and improve employability where redundancy is threatened.
The one-day computer training course offered by Ideas Institute is proving popular throughout the country. This course is funded by the Department of Communications under the Benefit 3 program. The course provides union members with the opportunity to become acquainted with computers and in particular the Internet. Members wishing to participate in one of the institutes courses suit should contact the ideas Institute office immediately as places are limited.
Teaching people to become trainers has become very relevant in recent times and the Institutes specially designed Train the Trainer course is FETAC accredited. Recently the Institute has been delivering this course in Carlow with great success. The course is designed the course is designed to teach participants how to carry out training needs analysis, design a training course, deliver a training course and evaluate the course once it has been completed. Participants learn how to make presentations, deliver demonstrations and produce course proposals to force standards
Members wishing to take part in a Train the Trainer course should contact Pat Coughlan at the Ideas Institute office.
Many companies are undergoing major change and the introduction of team working is on the agenda for most meetings with SIPTU representatives. Ideas Institute has been to the fore in offering team working courses over many years and examples of our work can be seen in companies such as Anderson's in Limerick, Siaca in Ashbourn, Teo Benning in Carlow and Kirchhoff in Donegal.
More information can be obtained from Tony Murphy at the Ideas Institute office.
All in all Ideas Institute plays an important role in protecting members security of employment while at the same time offering support when employment is threatened. The decision of the SIPTU National Executive Council to establish Ideas Institute has proved to be a major success in defending members interests.
Trade Unions say ‘Turn Off the Red Light’ on EU Anti Trafficking Day
Trade union leaders representing workers across all sectors of the economy today marked EU Anti-Trafficking Day on Thursday (18th October) by calling on Irish politicians to take swift action to end sex trafficking and exploitation.
Voicing support for the Turn Off the Red Light (TORL) campaign, trade unionists from the ICTU, SIPTU, ASTI, ESBOA, CWU, IBOA and the PSEU said:
“We support the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and believe the best way to end the human rights abuses taking place in every county in Ireland is to target demand by making it illegal to pay for sex.
Trade union leaders representing workers across all sectors of the economy today marked EU Anti-Trafficking Day on Thursday (18th October) by calling on Irish politicians to take swift action to end sex trafficking and exploitation.
Voicing support for the Turn Off the Red Light (TORL) campaign, trade unionists from the ICTU, SIPTU, ASTI, ESBOA, CWU, IBOA and the PSEU said:
“We support the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and believe the best way to end the human rights abuses taking place in every county in Ireland is to target demand by making it illegal to pay for sex.
“We reject the notion that the traffickers, pimps and other criminals operating a sex ‘trade’ here will ever respect the rights of workers. Any suggestion that pimps will overnight become model employers flies in the face of reality and the experience in other countries.
“We fully support the efforts of the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and on EU Anti-Trafficking Day are proud to stand side by side with the survivors of sex trafficking, their support groups and all others fighting to bring about change.
“Today we are encouraging our individual members to contact their local politicians and encourage them to take swift action to shut down a trade which has become the scourge of Europe.”
The trade union officials taking part were: David Joyce, ICTU; Ethel Buckley, SIPTU; Pat King, ASTI; Gerry Breslin, ASTI; Sally Maguire, ASTI; Tom Geraghty, PSEU; Treasa Ni Mhurchu, ESBOA; Jessie Doherty, IBOA; Ian McArdle, CWU.
The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: An ILO landmark Convention
With serious economic difficulties confronting so many countries and workers in all regions, as Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office, I welcome the opportunity to share some very good news.
On August 20, 2012 the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines were, respectively, the 29th and 30th countries to have their ratifications of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), registered. The ratification by these two countries is significant as the 30th ratification, when combined with ratifications by countries representing over 33% of the world’s ships (based on gross tonnage), means that this innovative ILO Convention will enter into force (become binding as international law) for these 30 countries. With these 30 countries, the MLC, 2006 already covers almost 60 per cent of the world fleet in terms of gross tonnage of ships. Therefore, when the MLC, 2006 enters into force on 20 August 2013 it will establish minimum international standards for working and living conditions for seafarers working on more than 60 per cent of the world’s fleet of ships. Many more ratifications in all regions are expected over the next year or two.
With serious economic difficulties confronting so many countries and workers in all regions, as Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office, I welcome the opportunity to share some very good news.
On August 20, 2012 the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines were, respectively, the 29th and 30th countries to have their ratifications of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), registered. The ratification by these two countries is significant as the 30th ratification, when combined with ratifications by countries representing over 33 per cent of the world’s ships (based on gross tonnage), means that this innovative ILO Convention will enter into force (become binding as international law) for these 30 countries. With these 30 countries, the MLC, 2006 already covers almost 60 per cent of the world fleet in terms of gross tonnage of ships. Therefore, when the MLC, 2006 enters into force on 20 August 2013 it will establish minimum international standards for working and living conditions for seafarers working on more than 60 per cent of the world’s fleet of ships. Many more ratifications in all regions are expected over the next year or two.What is the MLC 2006 and why is it relevant to other sectors?More than 100 pages long, the MLC, 2006 is a comprehensive international Convention adopted in 2006 by the International Labour Conference of the ILO. It brings together and replaces 37 existing ILO maritime labour Conventions and related Recommendations adopted since 1920. The MLC, 2006 establishes minimum international requirements for almost every aspect of seafarers’ working and living conditions including, minimum age, medical fitness, training, conditions of employment including rights regarding wages, paid annual leave, repatriation, hours of work and rest, standards for onboard accommodation and recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, occupational safety and health, access to shore-based welfare facilities and social security protection. It also contains important standards for the regulation of the private recruitment and placement services, or manning agencies, as they are also sometimes called. Concerning the important issue of wages, the MLC, 2006 requires that wages must be paid at no greater than monthly intervals and payment of wages is one of the items that must be certified and is subject to inspection by port States that ratify the Convention at which ships call. The Convention also provides for a mechanism for setting and keeping under regular review the minimum basic wage through the ILO Joint Maritime Commission, an ILO permanent bipartite body representing Shipowners and Seafarers. This is the only sector of economic activity with such a mechanism at the global level.Download the full article here
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