Vita Cortex workers protest at IBEC offices in Cork
The Vita Cortex workers, on their 62nd day of a sit-in over unpaid redundancy entitlements, protested outside the offices of Irish Business and Employer’s Confederation (IBEC) on Douglas Road in Cork on Thursday (16th February).
The workers organised the protest over what, they believe, is the failure of IBEC to use its influence to get their former employer, Jack Ronan, to pay the 0.9 weeks in outstanding redundancy payments owed to them.
The Vita Cortex workers, on their 62nd day of a sit-in over unpaid redundancy entitlements, protested outside the offices of Irish Business and Employer’s Confederation (IBEC) on Douglas Road in Cork on Thursday (16th February).
The workers organised the protest over what, they believe, is the failure of IBEC to use its influence to get their former employer, Jack Ronan, to pay the 0.9 weeks in outstanding redundancy payments owed to them.
“The workers believe that IBEC could use its considerable influence to get the owner of Vita Cortex, Jack Ronan, and his fellow directors, to pay this outstanding debt. It is not a huge amount of money given the wealth and assets they clearly enjoy and it would be the honourable thing to do for workers who between them have given over 900 years in service to the company,” said SIPTU Organiser, Ann Egar.
“It is now apparent that IBEC has become an impediment to the resolution of this dispute and the Vita Cortex workers would like it to state whether it believes their cause is just and that they are entitled to their promised redundancy payments.
“Other decent employers in the Cork area and across the country cannot be happy to support the actions of a maverick who is trying to evade his responsibilities to a loyal workforce. It is up to the employer’s organisation, IBEC, to get Mr Ronan and his co-directors onside and to resolve this dispute,” she said.
Last weekend, over 5000 people marched through Cork city in support of the Vita Cortex workers while on Monday last (13th February) the manager of Manchester United, Alex Ferguson, sent a widely reported message urging them to “stick in there”.
Previous expressions of solidarity have been made by former UN Human Rights Commissioner, Mary Robinson, the Bishop of Cork, John Buckley, the Cork hurling manager, Jimmy Barry Murphy, and author and political activist, Noam Chomsky.
On Friday, Christy Moore and Declan Sinnott will play a ‘sold out’ concert in the Triskel Arts Centre in support of the Vita Cortex workers.
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Campaign to protect construction workers' livelihoods
A nationwide campaign to resist an attempt by the Construction Industry Federation to slash workers’ wages by up to 40% and down to the level of the minimum wage will begin within days.
The campaign, which will include general meetings on building sites across the country, will be co-coordinated by a sub-group of the Construction Industry Committee of Congress (CICC) involving representatives drawn from all unions in the industry, including SIPTU, BATU, Unite, TEEU, UCCAT and OPATSI.
A nationwide campaign to resist an attempt by the Construction Industry Federation to slash workers’ wages by up to 40% and down to the level of the minimum wage will begin within days.
The campaign, which will include general meetings on building sites across the country, will be co-coordinated by a sub-group of the Construction Industry Committee of Congress (CICC) involving representatives drawn from all unions in the industry, including SIPTU, BATU, Unite, TEEU, UCCAT and OPATSI.
SIPTU Organiser and CICC Secretary, James Coughlan, said; “This campaign will involve meetings on building sites across the country. At these meetings workers will be informed of the threat to their livelihoods and consulted on what actions should be taken to combat attempts by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to drive wages down by up to 40%.
Late last month the CIF sent the CICC a letter outlining their demands, which include;
- All building workers wage rates reduced by 20%
- New entrants to the industry to be paid the statutory minimum wage of €8.65 per hour rather than the current hourly pay rate of €13.77. This is a reduction of nearly 40%.
- Overtime would apply only after nine hours work Monday to Thursday and eight hours on Friday (it currently applies after eight hours work Monday to Friday), with time and a half to apply until 4.00 p.m.) on Saturday (currently double time is paid on Saturday after 2.00 p.m.).
- Starting times would be 7.00 a.m., at the employers’ discretion, with crane drivers to start up to two hours before others.
- Travelling allowance would be paid only after 10 miles (rather than five miles) with a maximum payment of one hour per day. Employees would have to work atleast eight hours to qualify for a travel allowance.
SIPTU Utilities and Construction Division Organiser, Christy McQuillan, described the CIF demands as “an outrageous attack on workers’ livelihoods.
”Congress Industrial Officer, Fergus Whelan, said; “What the CIF is really about with their list of demands is getting rid of the construction industry’s Registered Employment Agreement. They want to de-regulate the construction industry so that everyone is working on the minimum wage.”
“Our Committee will discuss the employers demand with every worker - employed and unemployed - in the Irish construction industry. We will urge them to resist this attempt to return our industry to the 19th Century.
“Many of the employers demanding these cuts are bankrupt, or are on big retainer fees from NAMA. They are carrying out no construction work at present. What the Irish construction industry needs is investment and responsible employers who will carry out much needed infrastructural projects, such as hospitals, schools and public transport projects, to a very high standard with a skilled, productive and hardworking workforce" Fergus Whelan added.
A meeting between CICC and CIF representatives at the Labour Relations Commission on the 10th February to discuss the threat to worker’s wages adjourned after what one participant described as a ‘robust’ exchange of views. The next meeting between the two sides is scheduled for the Friday (30th March).
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SIPTU to meet with Balfour Beatty CLG Limited over proposed redundancies
SIPTU representatives will meet with management at Balfour Beatty CLG Limited on Monday (20th February) following the announcement that the company intends to restructure the business with the possibility of up to 76 job losses.
SIPTU Organiser, John Regan said; “The announcement by Balfour Beatty CLG Limited that it is seeking redundancies as part of a major restructuring of the company is extremely disappointing. SIPTU is already in a process of constructive engagement with the company and everything will be done to eliminate or reduce the number of proposed redundancies.”
SIPTU representatives will meet with management at Balfour Beatty CLG Limited on Monday (20th February) following the announcement that the company intends to restructure the business with the possibility of up to 76 job losses.
SIPTU Organiser, John Regan said; “The announcement by Balfour Beatty CLG Limited that it is seeking redundancies as part of a major restructuring of the company is extremely disappointing. SIPTU is already in a process of constructive engagement with the company and everything will be done to eliminate or reduce the number of proposed redundancies.”
The company is seeking 76 redundancies consisting of 32 indoor and 44 outdoor staff across the country. Balfour Beatty CLG Limited, which is based in Finglas in Dublin, was established in 2011 as a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and CLG Developments to carry out network services and works for Bord Gáis Networks. Among the depots affected by threatened redundancies are those in Cork, Carlow, Galway and Dublin.
Under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, 320 employees were transferred to the new company from Emerald Gas Limited, CLG Developments Limited and GMC Construction Limited. These companies had previously provided the services to Bord Gáis Networks that were taken over by Balfour Beatty CLG Limited.
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Privatisation could ‘turn ESB into another Eircom’
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has strongly criticised proposals to sell off State assets saying it “threatens to transform companies like the ESB or Bord Gais into another Eircom.
”Speaking after a meeting of the Congress Executive Council, General Secretary David Begg said: “Selling state assets will cost jobs and see Ireland lose control over crucial areas of the economy. It’s threatens a rerun of the Eircom fiasco.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has strongly criticised proposals to sell off State assets saying it “threatens to transform companies like the ESB or Bord Gais into another Eircom.
”Speaking after a meeting of the Congress Executive Council, General Secretary David Begg said: “Selling state assets will cost jobs and see Ireland lose control over crucial areas of the economy. It’s threatens a rerun of the Eircom fiasco.
“The Government says it will not sell ‘strategic’ assets, but the most valuable assets we own – energy transmission and distribution networks – are the most strategic. If the aim is to raise significant funds, those assets would have to be included in any privatisation programme, partially or in full,” he said.
“Companies like the ESB and Bord Gais - profitable and highly strategic - would be asset-stripped, weakened and eventually destroyed. Partial sales are the slippery slope to full privatisation.
“At a time when energy security is vital, we would lose control over the energy sector. The echoes of the Eircom fiasco are frightening: in that case we surrendered control of our telecom system just as the digital age dawned. Have we learnt nothing?"
He said that when Congress met with Troika officials to discuss this issue, the latter had described privatisation as “marginal” to the programme for Ireland.
“If job creation is the goal, then privatisation is putting the cart before the horse. Instead, we should involve the State companies actively in infrastructure development and new energy generation. We could make Ireland an exporter of green energy.
“The best way is to do this is through a State Holding Company structure that would leverage investment from private Irish pension funds that hold over €70 billion in assets.
“One of Ireland’s enduring vulnerabilities is the weakness of our indigenous industrial base. Looking to a future where Europe is more deeply integrated, it may be that our continued dependence on Foreign Direct Investment is not sustainable. In that context, to dispose of some of most successful indigenous industries is highly questionable," David Begg said.
David Begg pointed out that many state companies are already highly leveraged and have significant pension liabilities, which could complicate any attempted sell off.
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SIPTU Community Campaign joins S.P.A.R.K. to support lone parents
The SIPTU Community Campaign joined S.P.A.R.K. at a launch on Thursday (16th February) to highlight the effect of Budget 2012 on lone parents.
The S.P.A.R.K. Campaign (Single Parents Acting for the Right of Kids) is a diverse group of lone parents who have united to protect children from the effects of Budget 2012. Among the wide range of organisations supporting the S.P.A.R.K. Campaign is the SIPTU Community Campaign, OPEN, One Parent and Treoir.
The SIPTU Community Campaign joined S.P.A.R.K. at a launch on Thursday (16th February) to highlight the effect of Budget 2012 on lone parents.
The S.P.A.R.K. Campaign (Single Parents Acting for the Right of Kids) is a diverse group of lone parents who have united to protect children from the effects of Budget 2012. Among the wide range of organisations supporting the S.P.A.R.K. Campaign is the SIPTU Community Campaign, OPEN, One Parent and Treoir.
SIPTU Organiser, Paul Hansard, said; “While Budget 2012 affected lone parents in a number of ways, its impact on Community Employment (CE) is of grave concern. Not only have the opportunity for lone parents to avail of work and training through CE been effectively cut off but there will certainly be an impact on the delivery of local services such as community childcare.”
There are approximately 5,000 lone parents working in CE, providing them with employment and training opportunities. CE also enables lone parents to work in their local communities, providing vital services such as childcare, eldercare, meals on wheels and after school care.
Liz Ryan, a lone parent and CE worker in Dublin, said; “CE has been brilliant for me; it’s given me the chance to work, get training and be active within my community. I don’t know what I would have done without CE or what women in my situation will do in the future.”
Budget 2012 has affected lone parents on CE in a number of ways. New entrants to CE will no longer be entitled to their Single Parent Family Allowance on top of their income from the scheme. In practice, this makes CE a financially unviable option for lone parents as all household expenses, including childcare costs, must come out of this payment.
From Monday next (20th February), lone parents currently on CE will see a cut in their child dependent allowance. For a parent of three children, this will mean a drop in income of €51.90.
Paul Hansard added; “We are already hearing examples of CE schemes that can no longer recruit lone parents because it has become financially impossible for them to take up a position. This will have a knock-on effect on services like community childcare in the coming months as they struggle to fill positions previously held by lone parents”.
Community Childcare provides high quality childcare in areas of disadvantage at an affordable cost. There are approximately 2,100 CE workers working in this area, many of them are lone parents.
Paul Hansard added; “We are calling on the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton. to reassess the changes to lone parent payments in light of their impact on community services. Furthermore, we call on Minister of State for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, to ensure that community projects that support children with childcare and after schools services remain viable with well-trained staff."
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SIPTU Vice-President tells Oireachtas committee that removal of JLC system has created no extra jobs
Research carried out by SIPTU has discredited claims by employers’ organisations that the abolition of the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) wage-setting mechanism has resulted in the creation of extra jobs.
Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education on Tuesday (14th February) SIPTU Vice President, Patricia King, said that research carried out by the SIPTU established that no extra catering and hotel jobs have been created since a July 2011 High Court decision suspended the operation of the JLC system. The research was carried out over a three month period following the High Court ruling.
Research carried out by SIPTU has discredited claims by employers’ organisations that the abolition of the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) wage-setting mechanism has resulted in the creation of extra jobs.
Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education on Tuesday (14th February) SIPTU Vice President, Patricia King, said that research carried out by the SIPTU established that no extra catering and hotel jobs have been created since a July 2011 High Court decision suspended the operation of the JLC system. The research was carried out over a three month period following the High Court ruling.
She said it was a "myth" to suggest that new staff were taken on and this was evident from employment statistics. Staff hours had instead been cut since the ruling and the workload had been distributed across a broader number of workers, many of whom had been taken on part time.
Patricia King added that there was evidence that conditions and pay rates had deteriorated since the JLC system was ruled unconstitutional last summer.
Unite economist, Michael Taft, explained to the committee that rates of employment were more influenced by the amount of work a business required to be carried out rather than the wage level of employees. He explained to the committee that by reducing the wages of low paid workers their spending power was being reduced which directly led to further job losses due to less money being spent in retailers.
The trade union representatives were responding to claims by the Local Jobs Alliance, a newly created employers’ lobby group, that thousands of jobs have been created since the suspension of the JLC system.
The Local Jobs Alliance claims would seem to be based on a survey carried out by the Restaurant Association of Ireland last summer. It has since emerged that this survey was based on a tiny self selected sample of restaurateurs and as such provided no scientific basis for its findings.
Patricia King and Michael Taft addressed the Oireachtas Committee as part of a Congress delegation presenting a submission on the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill. The Bill is intended to give a firm, legal underpinning to Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) and Employment Regulation Orders(EROs).
Patricia King said that a proposal in the Bill to allow wage comparisons with ‘other states’ when setting pay rates in certain sectors here was “too simplistic, too loose and wide open to abuse. Theoretically, with this proposal, you could compare wage rates here with countries in the Developing World.
“No economist of substance would accept such an imprecise definition. Instead, the key is purchasing power – what your wages will buy you every week. In addition, factors such as taxation levels and public service provision need to be taken into account. For example, many EU countries provide free GP visits while Ireland does not. ”Concern was also expressed about the provisions in the Bill relating to an employer’s ‘inability to pay’ and the fear that changes urged by the Troika would see good employers disadvantaged by bad employers who use the provisions to gain competitive advantage when bidding for contracts.
To view a full copy of the Congress submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education click here
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Disruption to Tesco likely as distributor strike looms
SIPTU members driving for the British based distribution company, Eddie Stobart, have voted for strike action to highlight a number of grievances over their working conditions.
The industrial action by the Eddie Stobart drivers will, most likely, disrupt the business of the Tesco retail chain, said SIPTU Sector Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin.
SIPTU members driving for the British based distribution company, Eddie Stobart, have voted for strike action to highlight a number of grievances over their working conditions.
The industrial action by the Eddie Stobart drivers will, most likely, disrupt the business of the Tesco retail chain, said SIPTU Sector Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin.
“These heavy goods vehicle drivers have been trying to resolve a number of grievances around rest time, rosters and general working conditions for some time now but Eddie Stobart has consistently refused to deal with any of these issues. Issues such as fatigue for drivers are complicating the situation to the extent that the drivers are at the end of their tether and feel that they have no alternative but to withdraw their labour to draw attention to their plight.
“As Tesco is the main customer involved there is a danger that an interruption to supply will have a direct impact on the deliveries to its stores. It is not our intention to draw Tesco into this row but ultimately it has engaged Eddie Stobart to drive and deliver products to all its stores nationwide. The Tesco perspective on this dispute would be useful but so far the retail company has remained silent on the matter.”
Notice of the action is due to be served on Eddie Stobart imminently.
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SIPTU members at RehabGroup protest over its failure to implement Labour Court rulings
SIPTU members held a protest at the headquarters of the RehabGroup in Sandymount, Dublin on Monday (13th February) to highlight the failure of the company to honour two outstanding Labour Court recommendations. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Louise O’Reilly, said that the Labour Court has determined that staff at the company are owed money dating back several years.
SIPTU members held a protest at the headquarters of the RehabGroup in Sandymount, Dublin on Monday (13th February) to highlight the failure of the company to honour two outstanding Labour Court recommendations. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Louise O’Reilly, said that the Labour Court has determined that staff at the company are owed money dating back several years. “The company management has indicated that it will give consideration to the Labour Court recommendations but has not made any effort to implement them leaving our members with no option but to protest. “SIPTU members organised this protest at lunch-time on Monday to ensure that there was no impact on the people who depend on the services of Rehab. There is a clear imbalance between the top management of Rehab that enjoy lavish earnings, as has been widely reported over recent months, and those delivering front line services who are struggling to make ends meet. “Following the short protest SIPTU members presented a letter to the company asking it to honour the Labour Court recommendations,” Louise O’Reilly said.
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Bord na Móna workers to ballot on industrial action
The Bord na Móna group of unions will ballot members on industrial action later in February due to the refusal of management at the semi-state company to honour pay increases due to workers under the Towards 2016 transitional agreement.
The Bord na Móna group of unions will ballot members on industrial action later in February due to the refusal of management at the semi-state company to honour pay increases due to workers under the Towards 2016 transitional agreement.
SIPTU Organiser and Secretary of the Bord na Móna group of unions, Oliver McDonagh, said; “Unfortunately workers at Bord na Móna have been left with no choice but to ballot for industrial action. The Bord na Móna group of unions has followed all established industrial relations procedures in relation to this pay claim. The claim was originally lodged in 2009 and then referred to the Labour Relations Commission and subsequently the Labour Court in 2010.”
In 2010, the Labour Court ruled in favour of the Bord na Móna workers’ pay claim stating that their right to a 3.5% pay increase under the first phase of the Towards 2016 transitional agreement was valid and should be immediately granted retrospectively.
The Labour Court stated that Bord na Móna workers should not be treated any differently from their counterparts in other semi-state bodies who had already been paid the first phase of the Towards 2016 transitional agreement.
Oliver McDonagh said; “Management has consistently refused to honour the spirit of the Labour Court recommendation. Bord na Móna workers have shown great patience and dignity in dealing with this intransigence by the management of a consistently profitable organisation.”
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Public Accounts Committee hearing on ‘Skills Fund’ postponed
 A meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 1st March to discuss issues surrounding the Skills Training Programme Fund (known as the ‘Skills Fund’) administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and at which SIPTU was due to attend, has been postponed.
The PAC has decided to postpone the hearing following the decision by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), John Buckley, to continue his audit into the ‘Skills Fund’ including details of the ‘SIPTU Health and Local Authority Levy Fund’ (known as the ‘Levy Fund’ account) through which a portion of the grants from the Skills Fund were distributed. The Skills Programme was used to up-skill thousands of mainly low paid workers in the health and local authority sectors across the country.
A meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 1st March to discuss issues surrounding the Skills Training Programme Fund (known as the ‘Skills Fund’) administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and at which SIPTU was due to attend, has been postponed.
The PAC has decided to postpone the hearing following the decision by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), John Buckley, to continue his audit into the ‘Skills Fund’ including details of the ‘SIPTU Health and Local Authority Levy Fund’ (known as the ‘Levy Fund’ account) through which a portion of the grants from the Skills Fund were distributed. The Skills Programme was used to up-skill thousands of mainly low paid workers in the health and local authority sectors across the country.
The Comptroller and Auditor General’s decision to examine matters surrounding the Skills Fund followed correspondence to him from SIPTU on 2nd February last in which General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn, offered to assist Mr Buckley with any information he required from the union in order to resolve outstanding issues.
The letter to the C&AG followed a meeting of the PAC on 15th December, to which SIPTU was not invited, and during which serious, and false, allegations were made against the union concerning funds for which the Health Service Executive (HSE) has been unable to account.
A specific allegation was made by HSE officials concerning two amounts of €190,000 which they claimed were given to ‘SIPTU’ in 2001 and 2002, respectively, by the Office of Health Management of the Department of Health and for which, they claimed, no expenditure details had been provided by the union. SIPTU, in fact, had never received these monies and neither were they received by the ‘Levy Fund’ account which was never operated, nor audited, by the union.
Despite repeated requests by SIPTU to the HSE seeking documentation relating to the payment of these two amounts, no evidence has been produced by the agency by way of return cheques, bank account details etc. to date.
As the result of these false allegations and within days of the December PAC hearing, SIPTU made a complaint to the Garda Fraud Squad which is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the expenditure, or otherwise, of these monies (€380,000) by the Office of Health Management of the Department of Health in 2001 and 2002.
SIPTU also immediately contacted the PAC and asked that the union be invited to attend a hearing of the Committee as soon as possible in order to provide assistance to its members and to correct the misrepresentations and inaccuracies made to them in its absence.
In March last year, a sub-committee of the Trustees of SIPTU published a detailed report based on all the information available to it, including details obtained from the ‘SIPTU Health and Local Authority Levy Fund’ (known as the ‘Levy Fund’) account which was used to administer funds expended during the Skills training programme between 2001 and 2009.
Since the issues surrounding this fund emerged in mid-2010 SIPTU has established that the ‘Levy Fund’ was not a SIPTU account, the grants which went through the account were not received by SIPTU and it was not audited by SIPTU.
A link to the report of the SIPTU Trustees sub-committee is available below.
SIPTU has also written to the chairman of the PAC, John McGuinness (TD), to express concern over comments attributed to him and published last weekend (Sunday 5th February) in the Sunday Independent.
In his reported comments Mr McGuinness accused SIPTU of “playing games”, of trying to “muddy the waters” and of using the PAC as a “battleground to point the finger at the HSE” in relation to the administration of the HSE/Skills fund.
Responding to the remarks in a letter to Mr McGuinness on 8th February last, Joe O’Flynn said that the reported comments “have encouraged a public perception that SIPTU has misappropriated public money and that we have not co-operated with enquiries to date on identifying how public money was accounted for.”
“I suggest that in your capacity as Chairman of this highly respected and important committee, with your consequential responsibility for fair procedure, that you might reflect on the position which you have been reported to have adopted to date and which could reasonably be interpreted by any fair-minded person as being prejudicial, especially when the party to which you were reported to have referred, i.e. SIPTU, has not yet been given an opportunity to assist your Committee on the matter."
Click here to see the full letter from Joe O’Flynn to Mr McGuinness.
Click here to see the Report of the SIPTU Trustees sub-committee.
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SIPTU welcomes jobs plan which will be judged on results
SIPTU has welcomed the launch on Monday (13th February) of the Government’s multi-annual jobs plan but cautioned that it’s success can only be judged in terms of the extent to which it revives the domestic economy and creates employment opportunities in Ireland.
SIPTU economist, Marie Sherlock, said; “We welcome the establishment of a partial credit guarantee, a micro finance fund, a capital development fund and the other initiatives outlined in the plan that are aimed at sustaining existing companies and assisting start-up firms.”
SIPTU has welcomed the launch on Monday (13th February) of the Government’s multi-annual jobs plan but cautioned that it’s success can only be judged in terms of the extent to which it revives the domestic economy and creates employment opportunities in Ireland.
SIPTU economist, Marie Sherlock, said; “We welcome the establishment of a partial credit guarantee, a micro finance fund, a capital development fund and the other initiatives outlined in the plan that are aimed at sustaining existing companies and assisting start-up firms.”
Marie Sherlock said that SIPTU also welcomed plans for improved co-ordination between the various Government departments and state agencies involved in economic development, including Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.
She added; “The commitment by the State to maximise procurement opportunities for Irish businesses is a initiative that must be welcomed. However, the precise detail of the changes to the procurement criteria will be watched closely.
“The undertaking to establish a manufacturing development forum focused on assisting companies to re-organise and up-skill to new processes is also a step in the right direction. The exact details of how such a forum will operate are yet to be revealed but this initiative would seem to be in line with the type of forum which SIPTU has called on the Government to establish in recent months.”
However Marie Sherlock cautioned against the expectation of immediate results from the plan.
“The challenge faced by the current Government is on a scale few have faced before. By the end of this year, Ireland will have recorded the largest loss of jobs of any economy across the industrialised world since the Great Depression. Over the period 2008-2012, the numbers in employment will have fallen by close to 17%.
“It must be accepted that even with the introduction of the Government’s new initiatives it will take time to generate additional jobs in the Irish economy. Furthermore, the competitiveness gains anticipated by Government in the plan from reductions in labour and other costs are overstated.”
Click here to view ICTU's Response to Government's Action Plan for Jobs
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Jack O’Connor describes Finance Bill as ‘deeply disappointing and a lost opportunity’
SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has described the Finance Bill published on Wednesday (8th February) as “deeply disappointing and a lost opportunity”. The supports to new starts ups, to indigenous exporters, to FDI, to the international financial services industry and to R&D activities in SME’s may well provide a boost to all these sectors, but the impacts are likely to be very small in scale and are narrowly targeted, he said.
SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has described the Finance Bill published on Wednesday (8th February) as “deeply disappointing and a lost opportunity”. The supports to new starts ups, to indigenous exporters, to FDI, to the international financial services industry and to R&D activities in SME’s may well provide a boost to all these sectors, but the impacts are likely to be very small in scale and are narrowly targeted, he said. “Unfortunately, this Finance Bill ignores the potential benefit of infrastructural investment to the Irish economy and casts a blind eye to the possibility of incentivising the country’s private pension schemes to provide the finance for this,” Jack O’Connor said. With some €70bn on the balance sheets of Irish private pension funds and an infrastructure gap in the area of broadband, energy retrofitting and water treatment that have yet to be fully resourced and financed, the Government could have taken steps to incentivise the commitment of these funds towards projects in Ireland, he said. “This would have had a significant economy wide impact through the procurement of services, goods and the generation of employment. “An imaginative approach would have found a way of generating tens of thousands of jobs by exempting from the Pension Levy funds which invest more than 5% of their assets in the development of vital infrastructure and job creation. This could amount to some €3 billion to €4 billion in the generation of tens of thousands of new jobs. “Unfortunately, the Government has ignored this opportunity, amid an unemployment rate of more than 14%, while €70 billion ofIrish pension fund investments are contributing to the development of other economies across the world,” Jack O’Connor said. “It is still not too late to rectify this at the Committee Stage of the Bill.”
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Global Labour Column
According to this week’s contributor, on average, the world’s top 1% in the income distribution saw a threefold increase in incomes between 1970 and 2008, yet the salaries of the bottom 90% remained stagnant.
According to this week’s contributor, on average, the world’s top 1% in the income distribution saw a threefold increase in incomes between 1970 and 2008, yet the salaries of the bottom 90% remained stagnant.
This stark inequality is the subject of this week’s article which follows on from last week’s by looking at income inequality and the ways in which it can be alleviated.
In contrast to last week’s article though, Malte Luebker assesses the ways in which redistributive government policies in the form of taxes and transfers rather than minimum wages, can be used to decrease the level of inequality. By focusing on the “secondary distribution of disposable incomes”, some countries, especially European countries such as Finland and the Netherlands have had favourable results from the use of taxes and transfers as a means of offsetting inequality. With the use of redistributive policies, they manage to move from levels of inequality that are almost equal to or more than those found in countries such as the United States to levels much less than that.
It would seem obvious then that in order to offset inequality, redistributive measures that would ensure a more equitable share of income for all would be implemented. This does not always occur because, according to Luebker, the impact of redistributive policies depends on how responsive public policy is to the demands of voters and in turn, who the voters believe is responsible for the redistribution of wealth. In countries where they believe it is the responsibility of the government, there have been more favourable outcomes, while in countries where people believe in upward social mobility, the results have not been so good. Luebker concludes that the union movement and the ILO should use its power to garner support for social justice to ensure a more equal income distribution.
Malte Luebker is a Working Conditions Specialist with the ILO’s Conditions of Work and Employment Branch (TRAVAIL) in Geneva. His main research interests are wages and income distribution. Prior to joining the ILO, he was a lecturer in Political Science at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany).
Please click here to read the full article or on our blog: http://column.global-labour-university.org/
We encourage you to make comments at the end of the article.
The GLC editors, Nicolas and Phumzile
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Dutch Embassy Protest
 Anna Amelia Pimentel presenting a letter to a representative of the Dutch Ambassador on Tuesday (14th February). (Photo by Eira Gallagher).
A delegation of contract cleaners from SIPTU’s Fair Deal for Cleaners Campaign and workers from the Communication Workers' Union gathered outside of the Dutch Embassy in Dublin on Tuesday (14th February) in support of striking cleaners in the Netherlands. Thousands of Dutch cleaners have been on strike for more than 30 days in pursuit of fair working conditions and decent pay.
A delegation of contract cleaners from SIPTU’s Fair Deal for Cleaners Campaign and workers from the Communication Workers Union gathered outside of the Dutch Embassy in Dublin on Tuesday (14th February) in support of striking cleaners in the Netherlands. Thousands of Dutch cleaners have been on strike for more than 30 days in pursuit of fair working conditions and decent pay. The protesting cleaners who work in healthcare, transport and education sectors in Dublin received encouragement from passers-by as chants of support rang out for the Dutch cleaners for well over an hour. Anna Amelia Pimentel, a cleaner in the Blackrock Clinic, handed in a letter on behalf of the protesters addressed to the Dutch Ambassador calling upon the government of the Netherlands and Dutch multinationals to support the demands of the cleaners and settle the strike as a matter of urgency. As she handed the letter to the Ambassador’s representative, Anna explained “We are here today to show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Netherlands. They are demanding a better future for their industry and respect and dignity at work.” Contract cleaners in Ireland have recently organised a successful campaign through their union SIPTU to establish a new Registered Employment Agreement guaranteeing minimum terms and conditions for all contract cleaners. Ethel Buckley, National Campaigns and Equality Organiser for SIPTU pledged further actions in support of the Dutch cleaners: “We have received great support and encouragement from cleaners and their unions throughout Europe for our campaign for a Fair Deal for Cleaners. We are proud to stand in support of the Dutch cleaners. Their demands are just and reasonable-enough time to do the job, better job security and a fair wage to take care of their families. Today, we pledge our continued support until such time as this strike is settled.”
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Cuban Five supporter Cindy Sheehan visits Ireland
Cindy Sheehan will speak in Liberty Hall at 6.00 p.m. on Thursday 8th March - International Women's Day
Peace Activist to meet peace prize winners Hume and McGuire
Peace Mom and author Cindy Sheehan (54) visits Ireland from 4th - 8th March to highlight the case of the Cuban Five and support the work of the Irish campaign to free them. She will meet two of Ireland’s Nobel Peace Prize winners, Mairead McGuire and John Hume, to up-date them on the situation of the five men who were involved in actions to bring about peace between their country, Cuba, and the US.
Cindy Sheehan will speak in Liberty Hall at 6.00 p.m. on Thursday 8th March - International Women's Day
Peace Activist to meet peace prize winners Hume and McGuire
Peace Mom and author Cindy Sheehan (54) visits Ireland from 4th - 8th March to highlight the case of the Cuban Five and support the work of the Irish campaign to free them. She will meet two of Ireland’s Nobel Peace Prize winners, Mairead McGuire and John Hume, to update them on the situation of the five men who were involved in actions to bring about peace between their country, Cuba, and the US.
In these turbulent times, Cindy Sheehan believes her role and that of the mothers of the Cuban Five are a major contribution in the search for world peace.
Sheehan will also address a public meeting in Trinity College, Dublin at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday 8th March organised by the Amnesty International (AI) Society, TCD. Amnesty itself publicly called for a review of the case of the Cuban Five in October 2011.
Who are the Cuban Five?
After decades of attacks on Cuba emanating from southern Florida, a group of unarmed men and women left their country for the US to monitor the activities of those responsible so they could warn Cuba of their aggressive intentions.
In South Florida, September 1998, the FBI arrested five of these men, who became known as the Cuban Five. They were kept in isolation cells for 17 months before their case was brought before a Miami court. The flawed trial that followed saw them convicted of conspiracy. Their sentences ranged from fifteen years to two life sentences.
The death of her own son, Casey, who was killed during the Iraq War drew Cindy Sheehan into anti-war activism. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 when she camped outside President George W. Bush’s Texas ranch to protest against the war. Her courageous act drew passionate support and angry criticism. It gave her common cause with the mothers of the Cuban Five whose sons were also the victims of aggression and war. She is a vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. Her memoir, Peace Mom: A Mother’s Journey through Heartache to Activism, was published in 2006.
Cindy Sheehan’s visit to Ireland is part of an Irish Swedish initiative organised by the Free the Cuban Five committees in both countries.
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Haïti Solidarity Ireland
ETUI Job Vacancies
The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) is seeking to recruit:
a Senior researcher on multinational corporations
and
a researcher in industrial relations/collective bargaining
You can find the full text of the job vacancies on the ETUI website.
The deadline to apply is 11 March 2012.
Please feel free to forward this information to any person who might be interested.
The ETUI is financially supported by the European Union. ETUI, aisbl 2012
The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) is seeking to recruit:
a Senior researcher on multinational corporations
and
a researcher in industrial relations/collective bargaining
You can find the full text of the job vacancies on the ETUI website.
The deadline to apply is 11 March 2012.
Please feel free to forward this information to any person who might be interested.
The ETUI is financially supported by the European Union. ETUI, aisbl 2012
Motor bikes, buses and boats – new ITF Co-ordinator Ken Fleming has done it all
The new ITF Co-ordinator for Britain and Ireland Ken Fleming is a Dubliner, born and bred, from a strong trade union background. His father Jack was President of the Dublin Bus Branch of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, became Number One Executive Driver with Bus Eireann and drove the Apollo 8 Astronauts when they visited Ireland as part of President Kennedy’s entourage in 1963.
The new ITF Co-ordinator for Britain and Ireland Ken Fleming is a Dubliner, born and bred, from a strong trade union background. His father Jack was President of the Dublin Bus Branch of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, became Number One Executive Driver with Bus Eireann and drove the Apollo 8 Astronauts when they visited Ireland as part of President Kennedy’s entourage in 1963. Ken started work as a conductor with CIE straight after school. He became a senior shop steward in 1979, Vice President of the Dublin Bus Branch of the ITGWU in 1981 and President in 1985. In 1991, he became a full time Assistant Branch Secretary in SIPTU which was formed from an amalgamation of the ITGWU with the Federated Workers Union of Ireland. He became Secretary of the Branch in 1994. Ken was on secondment to the Construction Industry Monitoring Agency from 1999 to 2001 where he campaigned against the black economy in the building trade. In 2001, he became SIPTU Branch Secretary in Wicklow and then Secretary of the Clinical and Health Care Services Branch from later that year until 2006, when he was seconded to the International Transport Workers Federation to replace the late Tony Ayton. Ken not only campaigned effectively against exploitative employers in the industry but significantly heightened public awareness of the problems seafarers and their union representatives faced. At the beginning of this year he was appointed ITF Co-Ordinator for Britain and Ireland. “I am absolutely delighted and honoured to take on this wider role”, he said. “I believe we can make the ITF even more effective on these islands, enthuse our team and establish a presence in every port that will make the shipping industry realise there will be serious consequences for any employer who does not comply with decent standards and working conditions both at sea and in port. “I realise that this can only be done by ITF inspectors working as a team and by constant monitoring to ensure we are delivering the best service possible to our members, who are among the most exploited workers in any sector internationally,” he said. Ken is married to Adrienne and they have two daughters, Ashleigh and Stephanie. His other great passion is for motor bikes. He was back to back Irish champion in the 350cc class, 1980-1981. He is Vice Chair and Southern Irish representative of the Forgotten Era Motorcycle Club and a regular road racer.
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JLT Home Insurance
Filipino Human Rights Lawyer to Address Liberty Hall Meeting
 Filipino human rights lawyer, Edre Olalia, will address a meeting in Room 207, Liberty Hall at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 28th February. He will provide an up-date on the current political and human rights situation in the Philippines including an account of his efforts to establish the whereabouts of two students who were abducted by security forces over five years ago and to bring their kidnappers to justice.
Filipino human rights lawyer, Edre Olalia, will address a meeting in Room 207, Liberty Hall at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 28th February. He will provide an up-date on the current political and human rights situation in the Philippines including an account of his efforts to establish the whereabouts of two students who were abducted by security forces over five years ago and to bring their kidnappers to justice.
Edre currently serves as Secretary General of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) in the Philippines, President of the International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) and member of the Bureau of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL).
He has appeared several times before the UN Human Rights Council, special mechanisms and UN special rapporteurs and representatives. He has assisted in the special hearings on extra-judicial killings and disappearances before the pertinent committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives and also in filing successful complaints against extra-judicial killings before the UN Human Rights Committee.
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Irish Penal Reform Trust Concert
Whites Hotel Wexford
Trade Union Rights in Mexico
Last year more than 50,000 union members, students and human rights activists from some 40 countries participated in the Global Days of Action, launched on February 14 in Mexico and Australia simultaneously. For six days union members came together in an unprecedented show of solidarity. Thousands of letters were sent to the Mexican government, more than 50 meetings were held at Mexican Embassies throughout the world, and massive demonstrations throughout the week, inside and outside of Mexico, marked the strength and urgency of our message: STOP the attack on workers, we demand Trade Union Rights in Mexico, NOW!
Last year more than 50,000 union members, students and human rights activists from some 40 countries participated in the Global Days of Action, launched on February 14 in Mexico and Australia simultaneously. For six days union members came together in an unprecedented show of solidarity. Thousands of letters were sent to the Mexican government, more than 50 meetings were held at Mexican Embassies throughout the world, and massive demonstrations throughout the week, inside and outside of Mexico, marked the strength and urgency of our message: STOP the attack on workers, we demand Trade Union Rights in Mexico, NOW!
The impact of our global actions were felt around the world. On February 24, just weeks after Global Action Days launched, political prisoner Juan Linares of the National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union of Mexico was released from jail after being unjustly imprisoned for more than two years. Building on our 2011 actions, independent unions in Mexico, together with their respective global union partners, have come together as a movement of force, challenging regressive labour legislation, Mexico’s scandalous “Protection Contract” system, and exposing corporate and political corruption.
Despite an escalation in action and outcry from unions in Mexico and at the international level, workers continue to be denied fundamental rights, independent unions face violent and political attack, and corporate impunity is at an all time high.
During the week of February 19-25, 2012, in memory of the Pasta de Conchos miners who died in a mine blast on February 19, 2006, members of the international labour movement are again asked to take action.
POSSIBLE ACTIONS INCLUDE:
- Request a meeting with Mexican Embassy/Consulate representatives to discuss trade union rights in Mexico.
- Organise a small delegation to deliver a statement or letter to your local Mexican Embassy/Consulate (click here to see model letter).
- Send a letter (see model letter attached) to your local Mexican Embassy/Consulate
- Engage national policy makers to join meetings with Embassy representatives or to send similar letters to the Government of Mexico.
- Publicise actions taken in defence of trade union rights in Mexico on your union’s website and in its publications.
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS :Print-ready posters and model letters can be downloaded from the IMF website at:www.imfmetal.org/Mexico2012
The materials include:
- Campaign Poster (A2) - available in English, French, Spanish and Russian. The original Indesign artwork file is also available upon request if you wish to add logos or additional information, if required please contact: unionrights@imfmetal.org
- Model letter: - available in English, Spanish, French, Russian and German.
Please be sure to keep us informed of all actions taken, send photos, letters, and reports to: unionrights@imfmetal.org
Jyrki Raina
International Metalworkers’ Federation
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SIPTU Membership Benefits
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