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54 VOL: 17
NO. 4
Season’s Greetings to All Our Members
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Editorial
Dear Colleague, Contents Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2-3
TASC Analysis of Budget 2016 Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
FM Downes Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Fiddling while the homeless get colder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6-7
Telecoms Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8-12
ESCCU Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
Safety Begins with your Union Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
Health & Safety Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
Halligan Insurances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
Congress: The High Cost of Low Hours Work . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Justice for Clerys Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18-19
Organising Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20-23
Postal Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24-29
The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
They’re Losing the Game but they have to fight on . . . . . . . . .
32-33
Right2Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34-42
A New Fiscal Framework for a Progressive Government . . . . .
43-50
CWU Charitable Fund Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50
Climate Change is Union Business - Paris 2015 . . . . . . . . . . .
51
Education Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
52-53
Forget ATMs, send the army in to guard Enda’s gob . . . . . . . .
54
CWUHA Convoy Report 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
55-57
Labelling of Israeli Settlement Goods: EU Interpretive Notice .
58-59
Equality Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60-61
Suas Educational Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
62
Working Time Judgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63
CWU People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64-69
Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
CWU Membership Application Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
71-72
Editor: Steve Fitzpatrick Sub-Editor: Imelda Wall Issued by: Communications Workers’ Union, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1. Telephone: 8663000 and Fax: 8663099 E-mail: info@cwu.ie Incorporating the PTWU Journal, THE RELAY and THE COMMUNICATIONS WORKER The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the CWU.
Photographs: John Chaney Printed by Mahons Printing Works, Dublin.
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Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you and your families a very Happy Christmas and a healthy & prosperous New Year. I hope you all enjoy the well-deserved break and that you use it to recharge your batteries as we face into another year, which will be full of many challenges. Of course the coming year, 2016, will see the centenary celebrations of the Easter Rising and I am sure we will be bombarded regarding that event by many groups holding diverging views, but hopefully you will see the event celebrated in an open fashion which is fair to all sides of the debate. Prior to the actual Easter celebrations, we will have the small matter of a General Election and it is hoped that the Election is not used in an opportunistic way to highjack what should be a national celebration. Talk of the General Election has shone a spotlight on the CWU’s involvement with the Right2Water movement and the Right2Change movement. Members have raised questions, and in some cases expressed concern, about our involvement in those movements. I thought, therefore, that it would be worthwhile to outline the journey we have taken with those movements; in order to assist with that process, you will see later on in this issue of Connect, the Policy Principles of the Right2Change movement and also a copy of the Fiscal document, which shows some options available to the Irish people to pay for such policies. CWU’s involvement in the Right2Water movement came about as a result of a motion to our Biennial Conference in 2010 from the Dublin Postal Delivery Branch, calling for us to campaign against the introduction of water charges. This motion was unanimously passed by Conference. In order to give effect to that motion, the Union affiliated to the Right2Water movement, which is the umbrella group in Ireland formed by trade unions, politicians and community groups to fight water charges and to protect the ownership of Irish Water through a Constitutional Referendum. The Right2Water movement has seen some strange bedfellows coming together and to say the least, it has been an interesting, if somewhat difficult, journey. Initially, there were five trade unions involved in the union pillar of the Right2Water movement: namely CWU, Mandate, UNITE, OPATSI and the CPSU. Since then the TEEU has joined the campaign. Since its inception, Right2Water has organised a number of national demonstrations which have seen tens of thousands of people on the streets of Dublin and thousands of people on the streets over the length and breadth of the country. We have forced the government to reduce considerably the charges that were to be imposed on the Irish people, to the extent that the present pricing structure is some
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up to support the Right2Change principles, up to and including giving a commitment to championing those policies in the unlikely event that, as a group, they form the majority following the next Election. The unions in Right2Change will furnish our members with a list of all candidates for the upcoming General Election and that list will identify those candidates who supSteve Fitzpatrick, port the Right2Change General Secretary, CWU principles. It will, of course, be a matter for each individual to make up their own mind in relation to that Election and the unions will not be recommending any candidate over another. The purpose of this exercise, since the evolution of Right2Change, has been to try and present an alternative government to the Irish people in the next General Election. Every government in living memory has been led by either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael (‘tweedledee or tweeledum’) and the reality is we have never had a choice other than one of those two parties as the leaders of our government. The Labour Party, who I have personally supported most of my adult life, has already decided to enter into a voting pact with Fine Gael (although it will not appear on its literature) and therefore will not be part of any possible alternative government. In providing the Irish people with a real choice, I believe the Union, through its involvement with the Right2Water and Right2Change movements, is providing a service to the country. Even if there is no real prospect of breaking the cycle of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael led governments, there is the likelihood that many of the policies we are outlining will be adopted by those parties in order to seek popular support. Some members have become concerned at the Union becoming involved in politics and believe we should concentrate on industrial issues. The reality is that all of our members’ daily lives are impacted by political decisions. The privatisation of Telecom Éireann was a political decision. The deregulation and liberalisation of the postal market was a political decision. The attitude in forcing unfair competition on our members by the Regulator is based on a political decision. Two-thirds of our members are employed by the State and are thus subject to political decisions. As outlined in previous issues of Connect, the reduction in the social wage, the attack on public services and the repayment of bankers gambling debts by the Irish people are all political decisions. There is little point in being successful industrially if meagre pay rises and existing pay are quickly swallowed up by increased service charges for public transport, health, education, etc. This is no silver bullet, but I hope it does, for once, articulate what the vast majority of people in Ireland want and I hope it does spell out the choices that need to be made to see some of those changes happen. Finally, I hope it gives you, as a CWU member, a choice in the upcoming Election that you have not had before.
€500 a year less than the recommended pricing from the Water Regulator. It is now widely accepted that, from day one, Irish Water has been an unadulterated debacle with almost no saving grace. It must be stressed that the Right2Water movement has always accepted that water has to be paid for and that investment is needed in the Irish water system. Our concern has always been the manner in which Irish Water was set up. Indeed, the indecent haste to install water meters was about setting up an income stream in a separate organisation, which could be easily be privatised, as has happened in Portugal and Greece. It has recently emerged that legislation which the Government claimed would prevent the sale of Irish Water does nothing of the sort and all that is needed is the signature of two Government Ministers to allow privatisation to go ahead. Irrespective of your views on our involvement in this movement, it is telling that to-date we still face opposition from the Government parties for a referendum on the future ownership of Irish Water. If the Government is honest in its claim that there is no desire to privatise Irish Water, then it makes it even harder to understand why it won’t copper-fasten that guarantee, giving the Irish people the opportunity to have a say on the matter. In organising the meetings and the demonstrations through the Right2Water movement, it very quickly became apparent from the community groups that, while Irish Water was a catalyst for bringing them together, it was but one of a list of issues that were causing grief in working-class communities throughout the country. As a result of those feelings, two meetings comprising of representatives of the three pillars (union, political and community) met on two occasions in CWU Head Office to discuss the key issues that were impacting on communities on a daily basis. At the first meeting, a list of Policy Principles was drawn up and an intensive consultation process with all of the groups then took place on those principles. Hundreds of inputs were distilled into what is now the most up-to-date document headed “Right2Change, Equality, Democracy and Justice”. So very quickly the Right2Water movement evolved into a movement for change. It is a movement from which the Policy Principles have come and it is a departure in Irish politics for people to listen to what our communities want rather than tell them what they are getting. So in a nutshell, you could argue that this document is “mum and apple pie”; but it has always been my view that, if you are going on a journey, you have to decide where you are going before you can decide whether you can get there. The accompanying Fiscal document gives us options on how those Policy Principles could be achieved. It spells out clearly how business, corporations and wealthy individuals escaped paying their fair share of tax in this country and it shows in a gradual way, how that balance can be shifted to help us achieve our goals. Right2Change is not a political party. It has, however, designed Policy Principles which are attractive to many political parties and Independent TDs and Senators. In order to gauge the possible support for those policies, the Right2Change trade unions held a meeting with all of the Opposition Parties and Independents, with the exception of Fianna Fáil, Renua and the Greens, whose policies on water are strictly at odds with the Right2Water movement. Following a series of meetings, Sinn Féin, People Before Profit, Democracy Ireland, the Communist Party of Ireland and almost all the Independents have signed 33
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TASC today released an equality analysis of Budget 2016, which analysed both the tax and spending changes. It shows that the tax cuts announced will give the greatest benefit to a single person earning €70,000, which is the same “sweet spot” as last year’s budget.
T
he report notes that changes announced in the Budget have to be considered in light of the fact that three-quarters of the pre-tax income gains in the last five years have gone those earning €70,000 and above.
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A single earner on €70,000 will gain €902 per year which is 2% of their take home pay.
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A single person on a middle income of €25,000 will gain €227 for the year, about 1% of their take-home pay.
“The spending allocations for future years show that there are no plans for significant increases and that spending will in fact fall as a proportion of GDP. According to the Government’s own figures, by 2019 we are likely to end up with the lowest government expenditure in the EU at just over 30% of GDP, against a Euro area average that will be closer to 50%.” The report analyses changes in Budget 2016 in relation to income, wealth, public services, taxation, family, personal capacities and the cost of living. “Given the scale of the adjustments that have taken place over the crisis period, and the increases in income by those already earning the most, cuts to income tax which benefited higher earners at the expense of public investment will increase economic inequality” concluded Dr Hearne. The report notes that “this approach will leave Ireland extremely vulnerable and unprepared for the inevitable slow-down in economic growth, which could come sooner than currently projected given the fragility of the international economic context and rising global inequality.”
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A person on €35,000 will gain €377 – just over €30 per month or 1.3% of their take home pay.
TASC recommends that in future Budgets should:
“Our research shows that as the economy recovers, more than half of the gains in incomes before tax are going to the Top 10% of earners. While income tax and USC mitigate this, the regressive nature of the tax changes announced in Budget 2016 give the greatest benefit to higher earners, and undermine the ability of the tax system to deal with rising market inequality,” says TASC Policy Analyst Cormac Staunton. Key findings of the analysis include:
In the run up to the Budget, TASC recommended focusing on increased public spending rather than on tax cuts as a way to make the recovery more inclusive and to create a more equitable and sustainable economy. “While there are some welcome announcements, particularly in the area of childcare, the increase in spending is insufficient to address the various social crises and austerity-related underinvestment” added the report’s co-author and TASC Policy Analyst, Dr Rory Hearne. 4
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Focus on public investment rather than tax cuts to increase spending as a proportion of GDP. This will benefit both the economy and society.
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Re-balance Ireland’s welfare model so that public services play a much greater role, rather than the current over reliance on direct welfare payments to access necessary goods through the private market.
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Involve greater openness in the Budget making process, including an Equality Impact Analysis prior to the Budget being published.
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Call 01 855 6666 or email info@fmdownes.com
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Fiddling while the homeless get colder It’s not just rampant incompetence. Ministers share a stagnant and failed ideology, writes Gene Kerrigan 08/11/2015 – Sunday Independent
Wasn’t it fun? All those weeks of playacting, with Fine Gael making nasty remarks about Alan Kelly, the Minister for Prolonging the Housing Crisis. How we laughed when an anonymous Fine Gael cabinet minister told the Sunday Independent, of Kelly: “It’s not that he cares about the homeless crisis but he wants to be the person who fixes it.” Biting, hurtful and nasty. And perhaps true. After all, Fine Gael know him better than we do. And what fun we had when Alan called his tormentors “cowards”, for hiding their identities. Meanwhile, “sources close to” Alan anonymously bad-mouthed Michael Noonan. According to David Davin Power of RTE News, during this playacting Kelly and Noonan were seen amiably enjoying a pint in the Dáil bar. We were told there was a serious conflict within the coalition Government. Hand-to-hand ideological combat. It was, of course, a staged spectacle. It’s the kind of thing guaranteed to stoke up the Fine Gael and Labour troops, so they’ll work their asses off to re-elect Alan and Michael and the rest of those wonderful people.
A nice tonic for the troops. And a wee bit of entertainment for the masses. Thank the Lord all this merry-making didn’t involve serious stuff, such as families being evicted because they can’t afford rising rents and people dying in lanes and doorways. Why are our politicians so bad at things like housing and health? Here is my favourite-ever quote from a politician. It’s from Brendan Howlin, the current Minister for Thrashing the Social Infrastructure. No, it’s not the quote from 2011, just before the election, when he asked for our votes and told us: “We are against water charges.” No, it’s from an interview Brendan gave about a decade after he was Minister for Health. Being a thoughtful man, he had spent some time reflecting on his experience in coalition. He wondered why he and others had failed to deliver “a first-class public health system”. He had since realised, he told author Maev-Ann Wren: “If we did that, there would be no reason for sustaining a private system.” And the right-wing want a thriving private health 6
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market. They want, according to Brendan, around 30pc of people to pay for private health products. However, he said: “In order for that to happen, they really required the public [health] system to be inferior. Why else, if it was first-rate, would people pay for a private system?” That’s the sound of a penny dropping. It dawned on Brendan, in between shifts as a prop for right-wing governments, that such governments are obsessively committed to cutting state spending and generating profits for private investors. Sometimes, the failure to provide accommodation to match the needs of the citizens, or the failure to provide for the medical needs of the sick, seems a result of incompetence beyond belief. It’s not. It’s the result of efforts to meet those needs while protecting the rights and opportunities of those who profit from the market. It’s your friendly right-wing politics in action. Belatedly, it dawned on Brendan Howlin. As Minister for Health, he could not take only our medical needs into account - the Cabinet and the civil service and the rest of the free-market clergy would ensure that he would do so only if it involved a nice little earner for private investors. A hospital isn’t just where medics seek to preserve and repair our bodies and minds. It’s an investment opportunity. Housing isn’t just where we hang our hats. There’s big money to be made. Schools aren’t just places where teachers pass on the accumulated knowledge of generations. Just about everything is an opportunity for speculative investment. And it doesn’t end there. In order to ensure the freedom of the market, all the activities of the State must be subordinate to the market. It is better that families go through the trauma of eviction, of living for months or years in small hotel or B&B rooms, of bunking with relatives or sleeping in a car, than that the freedom of the market should be interfered with. This is the dominant political theme of our age. It’s observed with religious fervour by politicians, the media and the civil service. It applies to housing and health and education just as it applies to iPods and cars. The same quick-buck ideology that brought the crash dominates the chaos of the housing market. Blind belief rules all. So it was that an NESC report encouraging rent control was pigeon-holed, while “experts” emerged from the woodwork to assure us that rent controls would do more harm than good. Experts are always available to justify not doing something. Or to tell us we can count on a soft landing. Now, after weeks of playacting, as well as the odd pint in the Dáil bar, Alan Kelly and Michael Noonan emerge with a partial rent cap. This pleases those who are desperate to ease the housing crisis.
But that’s just one of the measures on which Alan and Mick have agreed. Building standards are to be lowered. In the age of Priory Hall and Longboat Quay, the market now rules that current building standards are too high. Speculators will be encouraged to throw up more dogbox apartments. There will be relaxation of rules about, for instance, the amount of light available to each dwelling. Get ready for clusters of small, dark dwelling units and all in the name of helping the homeless. Landlords have been refusing to accept tenants who receive rent supplement, forcing them into homelessness. Under Alan and Mick’s new rules, landlords will get a 100pc tax incentive to accept people on rent supplement. The sensible, more direct way of ending the discrimination would be to use the stick, not the carrot. If you discriminate against any sector of the population you will be stopped from renting to any other sector. That would work, quickly, but it would “interfere with the market”, so it’s a no-no. Landowners hoard their land until they see prices rise - take it off them at the price they paid. Speculators get planning permission, then hold back, hoping to force up prices. Use it or lose it. Small businesses are still forced to the wall by predatory landlords operating unfair rent reviews. Use the tax system to break their grasping hold. Meanwhile, some wonder why NAMA is selling bundles of properties so large that only a handful of vulture funds can bid for them - at knockdown prices. Because it provides quick money for the Government, and because of reverence for the market. Furthermore, our Government has expressed a reverence for vultures. In September 2014, the United Nations moved to limit the damage being done by vulture funds, passing a draft resolution proposed by Bolivia. The Kenny/Burton government is so committed to the free market that it voted to support the vulture funds against those on whom they prey. Too often, we see incompetence where the real problem is ideological stagnancy. Yes, you look at the housing crisis and recall Alan Kelly’s predecessors - Phil Hogan, Martin Cullen, Noel Dempsey. Not, perhaps, the sharpest tools in the box. But they also shared a reverence for the market. In Health, James Reilly, Micheál Martin, Mary Harney, Brian Cowen. All sharing a belief in the primacy of the market hierarchy. Meanwhile, for the second week, the retiring governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan, has warned that the growth figures on which the government relies are unreliable. Not, of course, that there’s anything to worry about. 7
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Telecoms Update
CWU Calls for Decent Work Standards in National Broadband Plan In a recent consultation process that the Department of Communications opened in advance of going to the tender phase of the National Broadband Plan the CWU called for government to ensure that tax payer funding only goes to companies who maintain the highest employment standards.
like a utility given the economic and social dividends that it produces. In addition to the very real economic imperative for developing a next generation network, there are considerable social implications arising from decisions in this area, as alluded to in the NGBT report. As a small open economy on the fringes of Europe with a substantial rural and dispersed population, access to high-speed broadband will become an increasingly vital part of our sense of social cohesion and connectedness. Those areas that are left behind and denied access to this infrastructure will be at a serious economic and social disadvantage, and it is the view of the CWU that a genuine knowledge economy must be all-inclusive; access to Next Generation Broadband would be based on the principle of equal access regardless of location. The reality is that Ireland has a substantial rural (40%) and highly dispersed population. The average for Western Europe is around 5-10%. In contrast to this, 40% of the country’s population live in the greater Dublin area – a stark indicator of the extent of the urban-rural divide that exists on this island. Furthermore, it has been suggested that, in looking at CSO data, 70% of the population live on just 10% of the land mass available. Notwithstanding that, this initiative should be welcomed as an opportunity to finally address the serious shortcomings that exist within telecoms infrastructure in Ireland, with a view to meeting the targets that have been set out within the Digital Agenda for Europe, which strongly argues that “ultra fast internet access” is a critical building block for jobs and growth.
The tendering process that will see hundreds of millions of euro being invested in telecoms infrastructure will get under way in the coming months if the process remains on schedule. This represents a very significant government intervention in the market and it is deemed necessary to provide high speed broadband to those parts of the country which are not going to attract commercial investment. It should be noted that the land mass covered by this investment is around 96% of the country which underlines just how serious the digital divide has gotten in rural Ireland despite recent positive developments regarding investment and build outs. The CWU maintains that the procurement process should ensure that the winning bidder maintains the highest employment standards whether that is in relation to direct employees or sub-contracted workers. It is not acceptable that state funded contracts do not hold employers and sub-contractors to account where appropriate standards of employment including collective bargaining are not respected. In broad terms the telecoms market is unionised and it would not be acceptable for such a major intervention in the marketplace not adhere to this standard. As such the procurement process should ensure the winning bidders can demonstrate a strong track record of decent work standards, respecting workers’ rights and most importantly the basic human right to collective bargaining. Respecting the right to collective bargaining should be a condition of the bid. This will help to ensure that decent standards are maintained and the project is delivered to a high standard. In addition to this the CWU continued to argue its position that high speed broadband should be treated
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Telecoms Update Framework Agreement
continue indefinitely the resource plan for a storm needs to be dimensioned to ensure that normal fault levels are restored within a period no greater than two weeks. A storm will be declared by the Field Operations Director.
The National Executive recently agreed the following Access Network Operations Framework agreement. A number of issues in relation to Access Networks Operations have been under discussion between the Company and the CWU (the parties) for some months as follows:
The key parameters for a storm are:• Fault carry-over levels at twice the normal volume at National or Service Operations Manager (SOM) level and • Normal carry-over levels cannot be attained from within the Fixed Access Service Teams (FAST) resource pool within five working days.
• Field Technicians subsistence arrangements • NRT resourcing • Response to Force Majeure or storm situations. The purpose of this framework agreement is to record the following agreement in principle between the parties:
Current Situation The key to preparing and implementing an effective recovery plan is the rapid deployment of all available resources to the areas most affected by the storm. Heretofore a key element of our response has been to stand down all provisioning activity and deploy those resources onto repair. This provisioning activity is now carried out by contractor resources.
• In general Field technicians will be assigned to the role of NRT team member and their terms and condition's amended to reflect the role including the payment of €2000 per year in addition to their pay platform and the application of COT subsistence regulations • Response to Force Majeure or storm situations arrangements as detailed below
Proposal In order to restore normal fault levels within the two week target it is necessary going forward to deploy all available resources on repair activity for the duration of a storm event.
Storm Response Context
It is proposed to deploy resources in the following sequence:-
Field Operations has developed a standard approach for responding to Force Majeure or storm situations. It outlines the sequence of events from the time that initial indications are received until a return to normal fault volumes is achieved. A Force Majeure is defined as an event that causes major damage to eir plant, which usually leads to an abnormal rise in the number of fault reports. For the purposes of this document a force majeure event will be referred to as a storm. In order to provide predictability to customers, and to ensure that high fault volumes are not allowed to
Fixed Access Service Team (FAST) Fixed Access Build with appropriate fault localisation skills Overtime External contractors The scale of the deployment of resources under each resource category will depend on the severity and the geographical impact of the storm.
Pay negotiations commence with
The Union and HCL have commenced negotiations on the Union’s claim for a pay increase for members in HCL following the expiry of the last agreement and further meetings are planned with the company to progress the claim.
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Telecoms Update
Access Platforms Safety Review
a utility vehicle where this is not already the case. All heavy stores and equipment must be carried in the UV truck.
CWU Health & Safety Representatives have, for the last number of months, raised the issue of access platforms’ weight loads, in which some vans were in excess of the design gross vehicle weight. A joint CWU/Company review took place in late September 2015 and the problem was most common in the FAST Cabling work streams. The review of the four work streams, which use access platforms, identified the recommended tool kit, signage, PPE, stores and associated recommended weights for each work stream as set out in the table below. Work Stream
Recommended weight of kit, PPE, stores, etc
Fast Repair Fast Cabling Build UV Build General
250kg 340kg 118kg 263kg
1.
The review has identified that there are now 30 platform vans in the incorrect work stream. In order to comply with road safety legislation, it will be necessary to arrange for van platform transfers so as to match the load requirement with the load carrying capacity of the platform. 30 vans will be transferred in the coming weeks. Detailed instructions will issue to FLMs.
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The Opel Vivaro platform, which has a limited load carrying capacity of 125kg, will be twinned up with
3.
The FLM will include Access Platform tool and stores compliance checks per work stream and vehicle type as part of their regular safety checks.
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All platform vans will be weighed three times per year – once during the CVRT test and twice per year during the statutory inspection of the platform. Where vans are found to be overweight, the Technician must consult with the FLM to reduce the load to the design limit.
A further review of access platforms is underway to determine if the weight carrying capacity can be increased through improvements to the fit out of the van. Details will be made available from this review in the coming weeks and it is also expected that any new access platforms that will be introduced into the fleet will where possible be issued to the FAST cabling teams. A document which sets out a detailed schedule of tools, equipment and stores for each work stream, together with load carrying capacity of the platform van will be circulated to all drivers via their FLMs. We understand that the van transfers may cause inconvenience for drivers and we would ask for your cooperation. Drivers must not carry loads which exceed the load carrying capacity of a vehicle. Where a Technician is concerned that his/her van may be overloaded, the Technician must consult with their Front Line Manager to make arrangements to store excess tools and materials in the team lockup.
Ruthless employer CPM acts in an unjust and inhumane manner
report in which he found the member concerned had been unfairly dismissed and CPM showed “absolutely no regard for fair procedure” and he awarded compensation in the amount of €20,000. The Union also made claims in respect of CPM’s illegal salary reductions and these came about when having told the member concerned of its intention to make him redundant, CPM informed him it did not expect him to work on that day because of the news he had received and advised him he should go home. However, CPM subsequently deducted one day’s salary on the grounds the member concerned was absent from work. CPM also made a deduction for alleged damage to a company vehicle and in response to these complaints, the Rights Commissioner stated; “I find the complaints in respect of wages for the 16th January and deduction of the excess in relation to the car well founded and I hereby require that the respondent pay the claimant
In the Spring 2015 issue of Connect we published an article on the outcome of a case taken by the Union on behalf of a member who was unfairly dismissed by Counter Products Marketing Ireland (CPM), a company employed by eir to provide customer winback and sales services. Following a hearing at the Labour Relations Commission, the Rights Commissioner issued a damning 10
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Telecoms Update
Walking on
thanks to new branding
Owen Murphy, eir product quality officer, with the first eir van in Kerry. EIRCOM has a new name, “eir”, and a new logo after going through a €16m rebranding. The changes include a new range landline, TV, mobile phone and fast broadband bundles. Owen Murphy, eir product quality officer, can now be spotted driving the county’s highways and byways in the first eir van in Kerry. Owen, from Barradubh, started his career with the P & T company 42 years ago. “During my time with the company I have seen it change to Telecom Éireann, then to Eircom and now eir,” said Owen. Covering East Kerry, South Kerry and West Cork as quality officer, Owen
loves his role. He also spent three years in England, from 1993 to 1996, working with British Telecom. “My colleagues and I were carrying out underground and overhead cabling in areas like Basildon and Dunmow,” he said. In the past months, Owen has also been busy working on the eir’s fibre-optic cable project from New York to Ballinspittle. The eir rebrand comes as part of a €16m investment that will mark the largest rebranding exercise in 20 years in Ireland, replacing 1,500 uniforms, 1,500 vans branding, and over 110 stores nationwide.
compensation in the amount of €674 for breach of the Act”.
position to continue working that day and I needed to go home. HR informed me they could not authorise my absence. The following week, CPM deducted a half day’s pay from my salary and when I questioned why this had happened, I was informed it was company policy not to pay an employee if he goes home sick.”
It was too much to expect, that in the aftermath of the above finding, CPM would treat its employees with dignity & respect and comply with the law, however, this is not the case. Below is a frightening report of an incident involving a member in CPM who was going about his daily work selling services on behalf of eir.
It is inconceivable that a company could act in such an inhumane way. At no stage did CPM contact our member to enquire about his wellbeing following the attack and their priority was to ensure he did not get paid for the absence. CPM is the most ruthless employer the Union has had to deal with and as we have demonstrated to date, we will not be found wanting in supporting our members in CPM.
“On the 25th September 2015 at 1:30 p.m., I entered an estate when a group of youths attacked the van which I was driving with sticks and rocks and as you can expect I was very shaken by this. I followed company policy and informed the Gardaí, Leaseplan who own the van, and CPM HR Department. I informed HR I was very stressed and nervous following the incident and I was in no 11
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Telecoms Update AR 616 - Performance management and bonus out turn 2014/2015
J
“meet” or “exceed” => 12 get 0.5% (team element only) for those “who did not meet”
OINT CONCILIATION COUNCIL (JCC) AGREED REPORT 616 provided for performance management process for graded employees who prior to this agreement were not in receipt of a bonus opportunity and certain NMCT graded employees. Below is a summary of the out turn for the first year. As members are aware there is an individual/team element to the scheme for the first two years. The table below confirms that in Networks 85% of participants recorded either a “Meets” or “Exceeds” rating for the year. The out turn for a number of groups and some individuals is, at the time of writing, close to completion and these payments should be made in the coming weeks
In some cases the individual/team element is not relevant to the roles of some members and in such situations is not applied.
Thrive/TalentEvo Following the October SEC meeting the memo below regarding the use of TalentEvo for some graded staff issued via the Branches to all members:
2014/2015 out turn
“Sent: 22 October 2015 16:18 Subject: Thrive TalentEvo
The end of year performance ratings for the over 1,500 graded staff in Networks is as follows:
3. Exceeds
20%
2. Meets
65%
1. Did not Meet
15%
To: Eircom SEC and Scale A District Branch Secretaries Colleagues, A number of queries have been made regarding the use of Thrive/TalentEvo for Performance Management in the case of a low number of graded members. The matter was discussed at the SEC meeting today and some members have already signed up on the system. We have agreed with the company that in these circumstances where Thrive/TalentEvo is used the output will map directly to the graded three point system i.e. “does not meet”, “meets” and “exceeds”. Please bring to the notice of members.”
Individual/Team calculation The agreed calculation formula applied to cater for the individual/team element for the first two years of the scheme is set out below: If “y” = no. of members in team and “m” = no. of members in team who meet or exceed target Then team element “t” may be calculated by: “m” x 1.5%/ “y” = “t” (team element) “i”= individual element (i.e. 1.5%) for all team members who meet or exceed Bonus = “i” + “t”. This is best illustrated with an example
Sick Leave and Performance Management S/L guidelines were also presented to the SEC at the October meeting. It is important that all members understand that these guidelines are not black and white rules or intended to be punitive – they are intended to ensure that consistency and fairness apply. There will always be individual circumstances that need to be taken into account when assessing the impact the S/L has relative to this scheme. In the case of incidental-normal sick leave, 1 month or less, no impact, productive time only i.e. sick leave is not factored in calculation and there is no impact on the bonus available. Sick leave greater than one month less than six then bonus paid pro rata. Sick Leave greater than six months – examine each case individually
Example 1 (18 member team): 12 members “meet”, 6 do not => “i” = 1.5% for 12 members => “t” = 12 x 1.5% / 18 = 1% => 12 get 1.5% + 1% = 2.5% ( “i” + “t”) for those who “meet” or “exceed” => 6 get 1% (team element only) for those who “did not meet”
Example 2 (18 member team): 6 members “meet”, 12 do not => “i” = 1.5% for 6 members => “t” = 6 x 1.5% / 18 = 0.5% => 6 get 1.5% + 0.5% = 2% ( “i” + “t”) for those who 12
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esccu Christmas Opening Hours 2015
Members The credit union will close on Wednesday 23 rd of December at 5pm. We will re-open on Wednesday 30 th of December from 9am to 5pm. We will be closed on Thursday 31 st December and re-open fully on Monday 4 th of January 2016. The last Credit Committee meeting for loan approval will take place on Tuesday 15 th of December 2015 - however we would recommend that with postal applications you have your loan application in by the week before 8th of December 2015. Don’t forget to register for online access on www.esccu.ie We would like to wish all our members a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year
55 Dawson Street, Dublin 2.
Phone: 01-6792344
Fax: 01-6790802
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Email: info@esccu.ie
Web: www.esccu.ie
e-services & communications credit union ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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Safety Begins with your Union Workshops As advised in the last journal a fantastic new resource for Safety Reps was launched on Workers Memorial Day by the Minister for Business and Employment, Mr. Ged Nash TD. The publication of this resource was an initiative of the ICTU Health and Safety Committee with the support of the Health and Safety Authority. In order to publicise the book the Irish Congress of Trade Union organised a number of Training events around the country which were well attended by CWU Safety Reps. These training events also included workshops where Safety Reps addressed topics such as; why is there not enough safety Reps, what resources
safety reps need, how can the role be re-energised and how can we create better links with the Branch structure. The CWU Safety Reps were vocal in their views and made an extremely important contribution to the training events which will in turn drive the ICTU and CWU agenda with regard to Safety Reps going forward. It is important to remember that Health and Safety is a Trade Union issue and Safety Reps play a vital role is protecting our members Health and Safety. We must ensure that Safety Reps are elected and receive the full support of the Branch and Union. In all 67 CWU Safety Reps and activists attended the course with 36 from Postal Branches and 31 from eir Branches.
Safety Representative Training – eir Following discussions at the eir National Health and Safety Committee the Company has advised of four indicative dates for the three day Safety Reps courses. The intention is to offer the training to all 100 Safety
Reps. Due to unavailability etc. not all Safety Reps may be able to attend but it is expected that up to 80 Safety Reps will attend. If necessary eir has advised that a further course will be organised.
The venues for the training are: Date
Venue
Number
Course 1
14th – 16th December 2015
Castlebar AEH
20 from Sligo / Galway Region
Course 2
27th – 29th January 2016
Dublin – Walkinstown AEH
20 from Dublin
Course 3
16th – 18th February 2016
Cork (Churchfield)
20 from Cork
Course 4
23rd – 25th February 2016
Portlaoise (knockmay)
20 from Laois / limerick
Safety Reps – An Post In the last issue of Connect the Union highlighted concerns it had with regard to Health and Safety Training and in particular the training of Safety Representatives. In that regard the Union recently met with the Company and we have agreed a requirement to draw up an agreement regarding Safety Reps. Discussions have commenced and we would expect to have an agreement concluded quickly.
• • •
•
The issues we intend to cover include the following: • •
The Role of the Safety Rep Where Safety Reps are required ➣ Size of unit ➣ Number of employees ➣ Type of Work
• •
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How Safety Reps are selected Safety Committees Training of Safety Reps ➣ Course Syllabus ➣ Union Input ➣ Expenses How Safety Reps carry out their duties? ➣ Engagement with management ➣ Engagement with Union ➣ Raisin matter of concern ➣ Escalation of issues ➣ Safety Audits ➣ Interactions with Inspectors Facilities made available to Safety Reps Arrangements to consult and liaise with other Safety representatives in the Company
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Health & Safety Update
Safety Footwear – An Post Members continue to raise concerns with the Union in relation to the Safety Footwear. Within An Post the Safety Footwear is an item of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and as such is covered by the Health and Safety regulations governing the wearing of PPE. In that regard all staff members, including casuals and Managers, are expected to wear Safety Footwear where it is prescribed. The Union has been advised that the tendering process for new safety footwear is underway following which a new two year contract will be signed. Given the levels of concern expressed by members and discussions at the National Executive Council the Union has written to the Company requesting a review of the Safety Footwear. In our correspondence we expressed the view that the awarding of the contract provided us with an opportunity to review the provision of the footwear with a view to examining all options. This is provided for in the regulations governing the wearing of PPE.
Footwear is detrimental to their health as it is uncomfortable and in their view not designed for long term use.
We have highlighted the following areas that require discussion: 1.
The same footwear is currently provided to staff regardless of where they work. Regulation 63 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 requires the employer to make an assessment of the hazards in the workplace to identify the correct type of PPE to be provided so that it is appropriate to the risk. We do not believe that a one size fits all approach is appropriate now particularly given the changing profile of mail work and the different types of risks. We see a requirement to look at each staff grouping separately with a view to examining which option is most suitable for them i.e. Mail Centre staff Delivery Staff using vans / trucks Delivery staff using bicycles Delivery staff on walking routes Other staff
2.
3.
We should assess the Safety Footwear to see if it is appropriate for the risks and conditions that apply.
4.
The unavailability of half sizes creates difficulties as the Safety Footwear does not fit correctly. This appears to be a particular difficulty for female Postpersons
5.
The changing profile of Delivery Offices following redesigns i.e. longer deliveries.
6.
The provision of only one pair per year causes difficulties as on some occasion wet safety wear must be worn which creates health difficulties for the members concerned
7.
The replacement of Safety Footwear remains a difficulty. While we have an agreement that defective Safety footwear will be replaced within a week this does not happen in practice with staff forced as a result to either wear no protective footwear or defective footwear
8.
The failure of the Company to provide Casuals with Safety Footwear in a timely manner continues to cause difficulties despite the fact that we have an agreement on this issue which provides for the Safety Footwear to be supplied as soon as possible after employment
9.
The failure of some Managers to wear the Safety Footwear continues to be a cause of concern. This is particularly true of Senior Managers. This is regularly brought to our attention following the publication of Postnews which highlights the number of Senior Managers, up to and including the current Director of Mails, who appear on the floor of DSUs or Mail Centres without Safety Footwear. These Managers should be leading by example
The Company has indicated that it is amenable to this review. In order to prepare for these discussion it is the Union’s intention to survey the membership in the New Year on the issue and we would ask all members with concerns to complete the survey.
We have concerns about the health issues that are arising as a result of the long term use of the Safety Footwear. Members have expressed the view that the long term use of the Safety
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CWU Home Insurance
CO
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E R S’ U N
Tailor made, affordable home insurance policies with a No Claims Discount of up to 33%
Happy Christmas from Halligan Insurances LoCall 1890 125 100 or visit www.halligan.ie
Arranged by Terms and Conditions apply. 33% No Claims Discount is available to new business policies, if claims free for seven plus years. Information correct at time of going to print November 2015. Halligan Life and Pensions 16 Ltd. t/a Halligan Insurances is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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CONGRESS WEEKLY BLOG
CONGRESS WEEKLY BLOG
CONGRESS WEEKLY BLOG
The High Cost of Low Hours Work Posted on November 05, 2015 at 11:40 PM formulate stronger legislation to protect workers – the majority of them female and low paid – and stop their corrosive impact on wider employments standards. In reality, the study carried out by the University of Limerick (UL) expert group was initiated to discover just how deep and widespread these problems were. The Nevin Institute recently pointed to the spread of precarious work, as it impacted “not only on young people, women and migrants but on older workers too and not always in the more traditional areas of construction, retail, hotels and restaurants." Indeed, the recent Dunnes dispute graphically illustrated a key element of this new employment culture: the use of low hour rosters on an industrial scale, as a means of cutting employer costs and a none-too-subtle ‘control’ mechanism for staff. In the aftermath of April’s 24 hour stoppage, some Dunnes workers suffered significantly for the brave stand they took. Unfortunately, the new UL study has merely confirmed our worst fears, as it outlines how ‘If and When’ contracts are prevalent across key areas of the economy, from: accommodation/ food and retail and key areas of the health and education sectors. They undermine existing employment protections and threaten peoples’ security of income. Ironically the study reveals that some employers attempted to argue that low hour flexibility saved the state money through non-payment of social welfare. But the reverse is the case, with the social welfare system providing an annual de facto subsidy to bad employers through social welfare supports. In reality, we all end up bearing the cost of low hours work and low pay. It was partly to address these obvious concerns, that Congress launched the Charter for Fair Conditions at Work, which aims build a national conversation about the importance of decent work across this island. Although the UL study does paint a somewhat grim picture, it also presents us with a critical opportunity to address it. In that respect, the report’s key - and very positiverecommendations need to be acted on with urgency. This particularly applies to proposals for an ‘hours floor’, along with a deterrent in the case of employer abuse of the 72 hour notice period and a wider review of the entire ‘If and When’ culture. Government please take note.
Congress General Secretary Patricia King on the damage done by low hours work practices
Almost as soon as key details from the new study on low hours work found their way onto the front page of the Irish Times, employer and business interests were busy claiming vindication. No problem with zero hour contracts in Ireland. Case closed, nothing to see here. In fact, the very morning these details appeared, I attended a gathering at which employer representatives made that very claim. It was a clever, if somewhat dishonest attempt to obscure a reality that is actually far more troubling and damaging than it may at first appear. Anyone familiar with this issue will know that, unlike the situation that obtains in the United Kingdom, ‘zero hour contracts’ have been effectively outlawed in this jurisdiction since 1997, as Minister Ged Nash pointed out in a recent article. The 1997 legislation was introduced following campaigns mounted by trade unions and effectively set a 15 hour weekly minimum threshold for workers. So ‘zero hours’ was not the story here and it never would be, making the loud employer protestations of innocence very hollow and somewhat suspicious. But the growth of low hour and precarious work has been a feature of every developed economy in recent years and there was never any reason to believe Ireland was an exception: quite the contrary, with the economic crisis providing fertile ground for the spread of such abusive practices. Trade unions have consistently argued that the prevalence of these practices meant the state had to 17
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JUSTICE FOR CLERYS WORKERS Article by Ethel Buckley, Divisional Head, Services Division, SIPTU
CWU is supporting the Justice for Clerys Workers campaign. The campaign was launched following the sudden closure of Clerys, which resulted in the dismissal of hundreds of workers who are members of SIPTU and Mandate.
“On Friday 12th June 2015, at around lunchtime, a statement was released to the Clerys SIPTU and Mandate Shop Stewards and their Organisers that the department store had been sold to a consortium called Natrium, headed by Irish businesswoman Deirdre Foley. After lunch on 12th June, SIPTU sought a meeting with the new owners. As far as the unions knew, the intention of the new owners was to keep the department store running as a going concern. What the unions didn’t know was that a series of meetings had taken place in A&L Goodbody’s on Dublin’s North Wall Quay in the early hours of that morning during which the operating arm of the company was sold to an insolvency expert. That afternoon a petition was brought to the High Court and KPMG were appointed provisional liquidators. At around 5.00 p.m. staff in the store were asked to prepare for an early closing at 5:30 p.m. as there was an announcement to be made. As the store and concession holder staff counted up their tills, there was still a belief that the meeting was with the new owners. Staff were called to the iconic staircase at the rear of the store. It was only when the meeting was underway that they were informed that the people standing before them were liquidators from KPMG and that the store would cease trading with immediate effect. Locksmiths and private security were on hand to change the locks and remove the staff. Some workers attempted to stage a sit in, but due to a lack of numbers and no way of accessing food or electric points for charging phones, it was abandoned after a few hours. The following day a meeting was convened in Liberty Hall for all union members affected, amid huge media coverage. At the meeting a decision was taken to launch a Justice for Clerys Workers campaign and to hold an immediate protest outside the store. SIPTU also
Months on from the closure of the country’s most famous department store, the sense of shock amongst those affected is still palpable, as is the shock at the speed and ruthlessness with which Clerys was closed. On hearing the news, Margaret O’Dea, one of the workers at the store who had 44 years’ service said; “I started to cry. I was shocked. All my years there and, just gone, and you’re getting nothing. It’s just greed. There is money there. They just don’t want to give any of it to workers. I am very sad that human beings could treat other human beings like this” The liquidator has informed the unions there is no money to pay anything above the statutory redundancy terms and as things stand, the taxpayer will have to fork out €2.4 million in redundancy payments, while the new owners of Clerys will make millions if they get approval for their plans to redevelop the site. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil; “The treatment of Clerys workers was grossly insensitive and appalling” and his colleague Ged Nash, Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation stated; “Clerys staff were treated in a cold and callous way.” While statements from the Taoiseach and the Minister are all well and good, their colleague Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is refusing to change company law to prevent a reoccurrence of what happened in Clerys. Members are requested to give whatever support they can to the Justice for Clerys Workers campaign and below is an article by Ethel Buckley, Divisional Head, Services Division, SIPTU. For more information on the events which brought about the closure of Clerys, we recommend reading an article which was published in the Irish Times on September 11th, 2015 entitled “Clerys closure: Questions remain over deal done in dead of night”. 18
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undertook to work with the relevant Government departments to ensure speedy payment of entitlements to the workers. At the meeting a decision was taken to launch a petition, which is still going and has gathered nearly 25,000 signatures. The petition calls on Natrium to meet with the staff. Just shy of 10,000 people are following the campaign on social media via the Justice for Clerys Workers Facebook page. On the Tuesday after the closure a lunchtime ‘Under the Clerys Clock’ protest was held at the shop. At this event, trade unions, politicians and the general public showed great solidarity for the workers. Despite the short notice for this protest, about 1,500 people attended. The groundswell of support for the Clerys workers continued over the following weeks with the workers and their union representatives meeting with Ministers Joan Burton and Ged Nash, as well as TDs from all parties. They also attended a special meeting of Dublin City Council, where the closure was debated and motions passed supporting the workers and restricting any planning permission to change the use of the store until Natrium met with the workers. The protests continued with the focus moving to the offices of A&L Goodbody, the registered offices of Natrium. Every fifth week the focus of the protest moves back to the store on O’Connell Street to mark the closure, with great public support still evident. Despite all the condemnation of the treatment of the Clerys workers, at this point in time it appears that the activities of the seller, purchaser and their advisors were within the law. While it might have been lawful, it wasn’t right. As it stands, there is nothing to stop what happened to the Clerys workers happening to other workers. That’s why the Justice for Clerys Workers campaign, with the full support and backing of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, is calling on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise
and Innovation Richard Bruton to change company law to ensure workers get a 30-day consultation period before collective redundancies and that a failure to do so results in directors being barred for a number of years. As we have received no firm commitment from the Minister, the workers and their supporters now picket the Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation on Kildare Street at 2.00 p.m. every Tuesday to highlight this issue. This is done in conjunction with ICTU and the workers are grateful of the support shown every week by sister unions. The workers are still campaigning for a face-to-face meeting with Deirdre Foley and the other directors of Natrium. As well as legislation we are also lobbying Dublin City Council on a robust Special Planning Control Scheme for O’Connell St. This is in the consultation process and we strongly urge the Council to maintain the current usage of Clerys Department Store. The campaign has met with various groupings within the Council to press this issue home and it is our intention to ensure the building maintains its current status and use. On Friday 16th October, the campaign received a great shot in the arm when Christy Moore played a concert in Liberty Hall in support of the workers. A great night was had by all, with Christy telling us of how he used to come up to Clerys as a child to see Santa, and stopping in the middle of Ordinary Man to reflect on the fact that the workers “didn’t even receive a handshake or a cheque”. During the night, SIPTU Shop Stewards Susie McGowan and Gerry Markey, spoke of the campaign so far and how far it had come. Gerry remarked that we will keep going as long as it takes to reach our objectives. Over the coming weeks you can log onto the Justice for Clerys Workers Facebook page, where we update supporters on our progress and announce upcoming events.”
Clerys workers protesting outside the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, calling on Minister Richard Bruton to change the law to protect workers. 19
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Secto Services Signs Recognition Agreement with CWU
In recent weeks the Maynooth based company, Secto Services, has signed an agreement with the CWU that recognises the union as the sole representative body for their staff. The staff can now be represented for collective bargaining purposes on matters relating to terms and conditions of employment. In addition to this, Secto recognises the CWU as the official representative body for staff in relation to disciplinary and grievance issues as they might arise. This is a significant and welcome development as Secto Services are fast becoming a significant player in the telecoms infrastructure and maintenance market. The company has a proven track record of delivering turnkey infrastructure solutions to the telecommunications, broadcast, data centres and utility industries in Ireland and the UK. In agreeing to bargain collectively with the CWU the company is demonstrating a clear commitment to its staff to respect their voice in the workplace and their role in the success of Secto Services. The CWU welcomes this agreement and looks forward to developing a positive and productive working relationship in Secto in order to ensure that staff concerns and issues are
represented in a professional manner. Managing Director, David Cox, stated “Secto management are happy to enter this agreement with the CWU and we want our staff to join the union. By being members of the union staff will have the opportunity to communicate as a group, to articulate and help resolve issues as they might arise and crucially, it allows for a more enhanced contribution to the continued success of Secto. We want to see the company continue to expand and grow with the knowledge of being supported fully by all staff. The agreement we have with the CWU provides a framework for this to happen and we look forward to working with the staff to develop this into the future.” CWU General Secretary, Steve Fitzpatrick, said “The CWU welcomes this progressive approach by Secto and looks forward to meeting all staff with a view to inviting them to join the union. I hope that we can quickly establish a local committee in Secto to give staff a framework in which they can represent their issues locally with our assistance. This agreement gives Secto staff, as stakeholders in the business, a great platform for engaging with management”.
JOB LOSSES ANNOUNCED AT CHERRYWOOD CALL CENTRE CWU members were shocked to hear of the announcement that Medtronic is closing its customer care centre in Cherrywood, Dublin and moving its operations to Poland. The decision will result in up to 175 job losses for our members. On 2nd November, management informed staff that the call centre was likely to be shut by next June. Redundancies are expected in three phases with the first happening in January. The company have now entered into a consultation process to negotiate redundancy terms. Upon hearing the news, the CWU held an emergency meeting for all its members working in the Cherrywood site. Understandably, this was a very emotional meeting with staff still coming to terms with the new reality of their situation.
Over the last year, a significant number of workers have chosen to be represented by the CWU and have been actively campaigning for collective bargaining in the Cherrywood site. So far, management have refused all attempts to engage with union members. Despite this, the CWU is committed to providing support, guidance and advice to our members throughout this process to ensure the best possible outcome for our members. Medical device group Medtronic became Ireland’s largest company, following a $49.9 billion acquisition of the Dublin surgical supplies group Covidien in January. Medtronic and Covidien employ around 4,000 people across six facilities in Ireland. 20
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A stall was set up in the lobby of Telephone House, giving all staff the chance to ask about the union and to talk about any issues that might be affecting their working lives and, of course, to get the all important cupcake! Together with Dublin C&A Branch Secretary Liam O’Laighin and new Branch activists Gagandeep Singh and Organisers talked to hundreds of people on the day and many potential new activists expressed an interest in getting more involved in their union. The Branch continues to go from strength to strength, so if you would like to get more involved in your union or would just like information about the benefits of joining, why not get in touch at fnib@cwu.ie.
CONTACT CENTER
WEEK OF ACTION
UNI CALL CENTRE WEEK OF ACTION 2015 Now in its tenth year, the UNI ICTS Contact Centre Week of Action (19 – 23 October) aims to highlight key issues for contact centre workers – from stress to salaries – and the difference having a union can make. This year, the emphasis was on part-time and temporary workers who contend with some of the most difficult conditions in the industry. “This work often involves intense performance monitoring, tightly controlled schedules and breaks as well as high rates of turnover, all of which can contribute to increasing levels of stress and anxiety,” said Alan Tate, Head of UNI ICTS. This year, as always, the CWU joined in this campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of being in a strong union and getting involved at a Branch level.
Cornmarket Staff Welcomed to the CWU
respects the right of staff to belong to the CWU and the right to be represented throughout the grievance and disciplinary procedures. In addition, the company has agreed to facilitate paid release for training of staff representatives. New staff in Cornmarket will also be given information on joining the CWU during their company induction. Following the signing of this agreement, Organisers were on site in Cornmarket over two weeks, talking to staff and inviting them to join the CWU. The reception was very positive with many staff coming to find out more about the benefits of being a member of the CWU. Application forms have started to arrive and we look forward to receiving more in the coming weeks. If you would like more information, please contact Ian McArdle at ian@cwu.ie.
We are very pleased to announce that the CWU has recently signed a neutrality agreement with Cornmarket. As a financial services provider for many public service unions, it was felt that it would only be appropriate if Cornmarket staff were given the same opportunity to benefit from joining a union as the customers they service. Under the terms of the agreement, the company
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CWU MEMBERS HOSPITALISED after employer FAILS to ensure duty of care
A number of CWU members ended up in hospital following an apparent gas leak in the emergency call centre in Navan. The incident, which occurred on 17th October, is one the union is taking seriously and it highlights the fundamental lack of respect shown to these workers by Conduit and BT Ireland. A number of staff on the day shift suffered from headaches, nausea and nosebleeds after getting a smell of gas in the call centre. They evacuated the building and waited on a BT manager arriving. BT management told staff that the centre was safe to work in – without carrying out adequate health and safety check. It has also been reported that the manager refused to call the fire brigade as would be expected during such an incident, citing financial reasons. The staff refused to go back into work as they were
not satisfied the centre was safe and went home for the day. Their symptoms got worse and three of them went to the local accident and emergency. Incredibly, the night shift staff were sent into work after this and one of them also ended up in hospital. It appears that BT Ireland and Conduit have serious questions to answer and based on the reports from staff their duty of care towards the employees will, rightfully, be the subject of intense scrutiny. The CWU has contacted Minister for Communications Alex White TD and ComReg to make them aware of the incident. This incident displays the disregard shown to workers. The CWU is calling on Conduit and BT Ireland to respect their employees’ right to collective bargaining and to ensure that the culture of disrespect for workers in the Emergency Call Answering Service is put to an end.
INTRUM JUSTITIA INJUSTICE Workers in a Dublin call centre are resisting attempts by management to impose a longer working week for no extra pay.
joined the CWU and a workplace committee was put in place. Because the workers in Intrum Justitia had organised and displayed a sense of unity, management agreed to meet the CWU committee to discuss the issue. The CWU committee rejected outright management’s proposals to undermine their terms and conditions, but offered to help the company achieve savings elsewhere. Management agreed to the offer and discussions are ongoing. In the meantime, the CWU is continuing to build its membership in Intrum Justitia.
Employees of the credit management firm Intrum Justitia, based on the Navan Road, were informed that they would be required to sign new contracts that would increase their working week from 35 hours to 37.5 hours. Following the announcement some of the staff approached the CWU seeking advice on how to unionise their colleagues. In the space of two weeks, a majority of the staff
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VICTORY!
10% pay rise for emergency call operators
CWU members working in the 999 emergency call service have won a 10% pay rise by organising into a strong union.
Since BT and Conduit refuse to listen to their workers, our members began contacting local TDs and councillors to make them aware of the serious issues in the ECAS. So far, our members have met with Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan, Sinn Féin’s Peadar Toibin TD, Labour’s Dominic Hannigan TD and Fine Gael TDs Damien English and Helen McEntee. In September, Maureen O’Sullivan TD raised the issues affecting ECAS workers in the Dáil. In a question to Joe McHugh TD, Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Deputy O’Sullivan highlighted a survey conducted by the CWU earlier this year which showed 100% dissatisfaction with the rate of pay. She said: “We know the work is essential to the safety of the public and yet the employer continues to ignore legitimate concerns from the workers”. She continued: “The workers want to be treated with dignity and respect and they want the right to be recognised by a trade union. In other words, they want the right to collective bargaining. That was also supported overwhelmingly in the survey. I ask the Minister to use his influence to ensure the company respects the workers’ basic right to collective bargaining, as that is where these issues can be addressed.” Our members’ campaign is obviously having an effect. The recent pay rise did not come about because of the goodwill of Conduit or BT. It came about because ECAS workers organised into a union and campaigned for it. The CWU will continue to put BT and Conduit under pressure until they respect the right to collective bargaining and deliver a living wage for Ireland’s emergency call workers.
The pay rise will be implemented from 1st November and will be backdated to 1st July 2014 – around the time the CWU began organising in the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS). The union is campaigning for a living wage of €11.50 per hour, collective bargaining and basic decency and respect in the ECAS. Not only do our members working in the ECAS have to endure low pay, they are subject to a harsh and disrespectful regime of management that routinely suspends workers for even the most minor of faults. Although the pay rise is welcome, it still falls short of the living wage that these workers deserve. The CWU will continue to campaign for this. The contract for delivering the ECAS was awarded to BT Ireland in 2009. BT then subcontracted the work to Conduit. Although many of the emergency call operators have joined the CWU, both BT and Conduit continually refuse to meet the union. Earlier this year, the CWU conducted a survey of our members working in the ECAS to establish their concerns. When asked if their rate of pay was fair, 100% of respondents said no. 93% said they wanted to be collectively represented by the CWU and 100% said they wanted paid sick leave. When asked if they thought BT managers treated workers with respect, 100% answered no.
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Postal Update
Steve’s letter to Minister Alex White, 14th October 2015
Minister Alex White’s response to Steve, 16th October 2015
Elaine Bermingham’s letter to Seán McDonagh, 2nd October 2015
“In a nutshell, the decision by senior management at An Post to shut-down the national postal service, has been portrayed to us a decision fully supported by you and your office, with full knowledge as to the likely consequences.”
“In response to your specific queries, let me make it absolutely clear that there was no involvement on my part, whether directly or indirectly, in any decisions made by An Post regarding the handling of the dispute. Specifically, neither I, nor anyone on my behalf, gave political support to An Post for any decision, if indeed such a decision was made “to shutdown the national postal service”. No approval was sought or granted for any such action.”
“Accordingly, I am writing to formally advise you that it is necessary to issue employees working in those areas, with protective notice of temporary lay-off. With immediate effect, employment in those areas, will be on a day to day or part thereof basis, until normal working can be resumed in An Post. Employees will be advised separately of this decision.”
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Postal Update
PORTLAOISE POSTAL STAFF ‘IN TEARS’ By Lynda Kiernan – Leinster Express, 6th October 2015 Staff at An Post’s Portlaoise sorting office were sent home from work in tears last Friday night October 2, fearing for their jobs. “They were told to sign out because there was no work. Some actually went out crying, and some didn’t sleep over the weekend, worrying about their mortgages and kids. We didn’t know what will happen, we have never seen anything like this. We were half expecting they were going to start dismissing staff,” one worker said. There are about 200 staff in the
Portlaoise centre, some with An Post for almost thirty years, since it was based in Coote Street. While the Communications Workers’ Union suspended its action yesterday, Monday, staff were still left shocked by management. “Why An Post is doing this, we have no idea, nobody in senior management told us. We want to do our jobs,” said the staff member. “It doesn’t make sense, we feel there is a sinister reason,” the worker said. Last week, An Post advertised for tenders for equipment to change parcel sorting from a manual to 25 25
automated system. Reacting to that news, the worker said “it probably would lead to job losses”. Industrial action over pay was begun last Thursday night by the staff of IO Systems, the contractor that maintains letter sorting machines. It is believed to be over pay cuts. An Post workers will follow union instructions and carry on accepting post from the public, despite an order from An Post not to. Both Deputy Sean Fleming and Senator John Whelan have condemned An Post’s actions.
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IO Systems Dispute Phil Flynn Settlement Proposals pattern the opposite shift to be covered by rotation from the 10 technician rota.
The main points of the proposals impacting on members are as follows:
Athlone and Cork Mail Centres (AMC & CMC)
Pay & Allowances •
For the duration of the current contract, the shift premium recommended by the Labour Court should apply to those providing a 24 hour pattern,. i.e. 20% or 21 %.
•
The individual working an early / late system in the DMC to receive a premium of 13%.
•
Three Technical Assistants in the DMC to receive Saturday Attendance payment of €14
•
An annual 2% of basic pay bonus to be paid.
•
The Labour Court recommended shift premium levels revert to the previous levels at end of current contract which is specified as 30th September, 2016. The level of shift premiums to apply, will be determined by the Labour Court.
•
The DMC Flexible Cover Scheme to remain in place and a variation introduced at PMC.
•
3 technicians rotating on a 12-hour schedule – 5 day x 24 hour attendances on a three weekly cycle.
•
2 technicians on a day shift to provide all cover (annual and sick leave) for technicians and technical assistants.
Portlaoise Mail Centre (PMC) •
5 technicians rotating on a 12-hour pattern – 5 day 24 hour attendances on a five weekly cycle (12, 12, 13, 0, 0). All annual leave cover to be provided by the 5 shift technicians from within the agreed rota.
Outstanding Issues The outstanding issues identified in the Labour Court Recommendation will be mediated by Phil Flynn within six weeks with any unresolved issue referred to the Labour Court for binding decision. This process will include the DMC Flexible Cover claim if the proposals are accepted.
Pay Deductions Members to be paid for hours actually worked during the dispute period prior to the strike last September, based on the shift premiums recommended by the Labour Court.
Shift Patterns
CWU Recommended Acceptance
The recommended shift patterns set out below were shaped in consultation with the individual mail centres. They address our concerns in respect of the retention of a 12hour cycle over a 5 day attendance on the cessation of weekend working. This broadly maintains the existing attendance pattern and time off arrangement at each location.
The Union is satisfied the proposals are the very best achievable and recommended acceptance. Sincere thanks to the Branch and its representatives for their support and discipline over the last two years. Finally, the CWU acknowledges with sincere thanks the efforts of Phil Flynn.
Dublin Mail Centre (DMC) •
10 technicians on a 5.5 days x 12 hour rotation (Sunday night to Saturday morning)
•
1 technician working a two cycle pattern rotating between an early and late shift. In this
IO Systems CWU members accepted the proposals.
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Mails left in the DMC during the IO Systems Dispute
Minister Alex White opens new Dundrum Post Office at the same time as An Post was shutting up shop! 28
An Post customers left standing on their heads!
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Postal Update
Pay: it’sATMS, time for AnTHE PostARMY to Deliver FORGET SEND IN TO GUARD ENDA’S GOB
• The parties should identify and verify the You will be aware from the previous Connect, the potential of© these measures to fund in part (our CWU is attempting, on two fronts, to secure pay Justine McCarthy, November 4 2015 emphasis) increases in the pay of the workers increases for our members in An Post against a The taoiseach’s for gilding is not awith simple associated thiseccentricity claim. background of absolute resistancefondness by Management to the lily that occasionally tickles the nation, it has its perils entertain either claim. The Union sought the assistance • The discussions should commence as soon as of the Labour Court to progress both claims, i.e. 6% practicable and should conclude not later than cost of needs living increase together consolidation of protestthree Someone to tell our greatwith leader that a little placardmonths in his third hand. the date of this from knowledge is a dangerous thing. Every time Enda Kenny Whatever his grasp of recent Irish history, our leader’s the 12.5% change allowance. Recommendation. The assistance of the opens his mouth, he runs the risk of exploding a landmine. knowledge of 20th-century world history is truly alarming. Monitoring Group year should be imaginings sought, if– he The potential for damage is incalculable. His handlers are In 2012 – that was a vintage for Enda’s necessary, to facilitate agreement within that so fearful that they would rather he never spoke at all. delivered the oration at the annual Michael Collins timeframe.in Beal na mBlath and gushed about how Perhaps the army should be deployed to form a ring of steel commemoration around the taoiseach’s gob, in the interests of national the Big brought to Ireland “to see how • IfFellow the parties failVladimir to reachLenin final agreement within security. the National Loan worked”. The main flaw in that story is the proposed timeframe, outstanding issues may Mr Kenny’s white-knuckle story about soldiers defending that Comrade Lenin never set foot in Ireland. be referred back to the Court for a definitive the banks’ cash supplies gets weirder by the day. He told it, There is a common thread of Our Boys-style derring-do recommendation. Should thatSigmund be necessary, the with vivid detail and theatrical gesticulations, at the running though Mr Kenny’s stories. Freud would Court will facilitate the parties with an early European People’s Party conference in Madrid last month. have had a theory or three about them. Nine years ago, resumption of the hearing. According to him, Patrick Honohan, the governor of the speaking in the Dail on Fine Gael’s Criminal Law (Home Central Bank, said in 2012: “It looks like this weekend... Defence) Bill, Mr Kenny told a scintillating yarn about his you’ll to put army around banks around swashbuckling experience, claimingatthat hefurther was once In have respect of [the] the Union’s 6 %the cost of and living pay own While we are somewhat disappointed this the increase, ATM machines and introduce capital controls like they mugged “by two people high on drugs with a knife”. the Labour Court issued its findings which delay in finalising our pay claims, it is the Union’s hadcontains in Cyprus.” Describing the episode as daunting, he said: “Until the the following points: intention to engage positively and professionally with How his EU colleagues must have drooled at the thought day I die, I will remember the rasping sound of a knife being An Post on athe basisscabbard...” and strict timeframe set out Depp by of the petit, strawberry-blond teacher from Castlebar calling from leather Not even Johnny • An effective pay freeze has applied in the pulled the Court. Thewith destructive forces that operated at the in the generals to guard Ireland’s dosh. Except, it never could compete that for piratical melodrama. Company since 2008. In these circumstances it behest thehowever, current nomails directorate, as happened. There of were, civil rights campaigners is understandable that theIttrade union is laughing demonstrated theMr recent IOchose Systems dispute, will of Gradually, the story crumbled. became lessgroup Nancy at the in story. Kenny to deliver himself nowBerlin seeking pay increase. not tale divert from ourofwork. Drew Saves andamore The Secret Life of Enda Mitty. his in us a climate fear and loathing. The bill was Back home on terra firma, the taoiseach ditched the word introduced after the acquittal of Padraigto Nally, a Mayo In doing so, we expect the Company do likewise • There is no dispute concerning the difficult “army” in preference for the more oblique “security” and farmer, for the manslaughter of John Ward, a Traveller and considerably adjust its current position, that he financial and commercial circumstances the admitted that he had received “no specific” briefing from shot dead after happening upon him in house in concession of any basic pay increase is his not farm warranted. Company has experienced in recent years and is Mr Honohan on the issue. Mr Honohan said: “That’s not 2004. Furthermore, Management must address its failure to continuing to experience. territory the Central Bank is or was involved in.” Nally had successfully pleaded and thethe bill’s secure adequate funding of self-defence the USO with Mr Kenny has form for telling tall tales. In January he purpose was to allow people to use lethal force, if necessary, • The impact of the price increase recently allowed shareholder and Regulator, as set out by the Court, waxed lyrical workers’ grovelling gratitude tax against intruders in order to protect themselves. Mr Kenny’s by theabout Regulator cannot be fully known for at this rather than story continue its penalisation ofdefuse staff. public cuts in Budget hair-raising was with not exactly designed to time. 2014. He said that people were contacting The Union understands the Labour Court him, saying: “Well, I’m not sure whether it was a mistake fear. He must have known that. He is not stupid. will shortly recommendation regard to the • butThere need engagement the or not I seemisto ahave gotfor extra money in thebetween last month.” So weissue laughits and dismiss his flightswith of fancy at our peril. consolidation of the Change Company, its shareholders Regulator, Journalists were sceptical. Who wereand thesethe batty workers His fondness for purple proseAllowance. and gildingTherefore, the lily isthe not a possibility now exists for An Posttickles to address in a It with the inclination and the price ofcontribution a stamp to send thanksimple eccentricity that occasionally the nation. where appropriate, on the of pricing you letters a taoiseach hadfinancial been fleecing their constructive, its perils. fair and reasonable fashion, our pay andtogrowth to thewho future stability ofpay the has packets for three years? Yup, Mr Kenny’s handlers later Alexander Pope,a who coined the phrase We abouthave a little claims within short timeframe. core business. admitted: it never happened. knowledge being dangerous, said that “shallow draughts demonstrated over the last ten years our ability to deal • The Court believes the continuance the intoxicate the brain”. Truth matters because it is the bedrock Then there’s Two Pint Man. that If Éamon de Valera wasofwont successfully with the Company’s change agenda. current as know proposed thenation Company, to look into his pay ownfreeze, heart to whatbythe was of trust. Ifwe youhave cannot what a political leader says, Equally, alsobelieve demonstrated in more recent notKenny a viable proposition. thinking,isMr looks into Two Pint Man’s mouth and how can you trust him with your country? Mr Kenny times we retain the ability to deal with matters in theis a plants his own fantasy words in it. He keeps encountering likeable man and there is an endearing little-boy neediness • The parties should engage in further discussion traditional manner when necessary. Our intention is to the ne’er-do-well, anti-water charges protester on his in his proclivity for puffing himself up. It hints that, deep in respect of the range of additional efficiency conclude agreement with An Post in advance of the perambulations around Dublin. down, he feels unappreciated. measures raised in the course of negotiations at AGM season next February, failing wewill willfind Every time they meet, the fellow has a pint in each hand. What would Two Pint Man say aboutwhich that? We LRC to reachin agreement as many examine options election. remain available us atKenny’s that “I said tothe him whatand he seek was holding his handson would pay out come what the general That is, to if Mr stage. It’scompanion now time can for An to deliver! for waterofforthese him measures for nearly as tenpossible. weeks,” the Taoiseach told constant bearPost to put down one of his pints the Dail. Two Pint Man, one must presume, carries his to mark his ballot paper. 29 29
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CREDIT UNION MEMBERSHIP EXTENDED!
an post employees’ credit union ltd.
Spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, brothers & sisters
Includes: An Post employees Former employees Pensioners Postmasters and their post office assistants Companies where An Post has a shareholding
www.anpostcu.ie 30
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The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland Rowland Hill, a great administrator and reformer of Post Office affairs, was born in 1792. He is best known as the initiator of the Penny Post. In tribute to his work The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund was established in Britain in 1882. The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland is a benevolent fund that has been in existence since its inauguration in 1928. It has as its object, the relief of distress among members of staff of the former Department of Posts & Telegraphs, An Post, Telecom Éireann and eircom, throughout the State, whether still in service, or retired, who have fallen into necessitous circumstances. It also affords assistance to Widows, Orphans and other dependants of staff, when in need. The Fund is managed by a body of trustees who are assisted by a committee of recommendation, composed
of officers of An Post and eircom, and officers who are officials of staff associations. Neither the trustees nor members of the Recommendation Committee receive any remuneration for their services. To apply for assistance, please write to: The Honoray Secretary, The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland, G.P.O., Dublin 1 or alternatively, contact one of the eircom or An Post Welfare Officers. is managed by a voluntary committee of Trustees.
Rowland Hill, a great administrator and reformer of Post office affairs was born in 1792. He is best known as the initiator of the Penny Post. In tribute to his work the Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland was established in Britain in 1882. An independent organisation was founded in Ireland in 1928, under a Deed of Trust approved by the High Court of Justice. Today, the Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland provides financial assistance for serving or retired staff, of An Post and eircom, and their dependants. It also provides financial assistance for retired staff, of the former Department of Posts and Telegraphs and Telecom Éireann, and their dependants. Assistance may be given to those who find themselves in need due to age, poverty or infirmity. The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland
✃
The Fund is worthy of your support because: 1. 2.
3.
4.
It is administered by an independent and voluntary body of Trustees. Thousands of staff and their dependants have been helped over the years when they were in urgent need of help. Subscriptions may be deducted from your pay. A few cents deducted regularly will mean a lot to someone in need. The suggested subscription is 50 cent per week.
Please fill out the form below and send it to Honorary Secretary, Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland, G.P.O., Dublin 1.
The Rowland Hill Memorial Fund of Ireland
I hereby authorise the deduction of __________ per week / fortnight / month from my wages / salary for payment to the R.H.M.F., commencing ______________20___. Name (Block Letters) ___________________________________________________________________________ Staff / Pension No. __________________ ( An Post / eircom) (Please delete as appropriate)
(Please delete as appropriate)
Signature _____________________________________________ 31
Date_______________________________
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THEY’RE LOSING THE GAME BUT THEY HAVE TO FIGHT ON Despite setbacks, the Government will dig in its heels over water privatisation © Gene Kerrigan – Sunday Independent 19/07/2015
Yes, it’s encouraging that despite all the threats and the bribes only 43pc have paid the Water Tax. And there’s great entertainment to be had in listening to Irish Water’s head of communication, Elizabeth Arnett, putting a positive spin on the bad news. It’s a sign of weakness. Politicians like to give an impression that they know what they’re doing and that they mean what they say. Nothing damages that impression as severely as a U-turn.
It’s a “solid” result, says Comical Betty. Alan Kelly, the Minister for Looking Uncomfortable on Television, says he’s “very satisfied” that 57pc of people have told him where to stick his Water Tax.
Particularly when done under pressure. They’re on the back foot, and that’s encouraging, yes. But Enda Kenny and Joan Burton will stand by Irish Water to the bitter, bitter end. This is only partly about money, it isn’t about water leaks - in fact, it’s hardly about water at all. It’s about politics.
And even more so when that pressure comes from the people. Doing a political U-turn demonstrates that pressure works. And that you misjudged the balance of support and opposition. And that the thing you said just had to be done didn’t have to be done at all.
It's about the overall long-term strategy of this Government, and their senior management in Brussels. And it’s about the immediate political needs of Mr Kenny and Ms Burton.
Most of all, a U-turn says your air of authority is a sham. But, I hear you say, isn’t this the Government of U-turns? Aren’t these the politicians who said they’d restrict the use of the guillotine in the Dáil? And who have been shamelessly using it to limit debate on legislation?
High up on the list of things politicians hate is the dreaded U-turn. They cringe at the thought of their mates across the floor of the Dáil pointing fingers and jeering – “You did a Uturn, you did a U-turn!”
Yes, but that’s not a U-turn. Aren’t these the politicians who said they’d cap salaries 32
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for advisers and then competed with one another to see who could get the biggest breach of the cap for his own adviser?
A U-turn is when you back down on a policy you initiated - when that policy is part of your overall, long-term strategy.
Aren’t these the politicians who promised to protect the disabled? And, in the words of campaigner Joanne O’Riordan: “Enda Kenny looked me in the eye before the general election and promised me one thing and then, once again, did another”.
The Water Tax is such a policy. And that’s why they’ll dig their heels in. The immediate need of Fine Gael/Labour is to win the coming general election. Scrapping Irish Water before the election would be disastrous. They would appear weak, uncertain and panicky - when they most need to seem strong and authoritative.
Aren’t these the politicians who vowed to eradicate cronyism? And weren’t even Fine Gael backbenchers taken aback at the Taoiseach’s blatant cronyism in the McNulty scandal?
The long-term overall strategy, agreed with their hardRight chums in the EU and the European Central Bank, needs the Water Tax.
Didn’t Enda Kenny tell people in Roscommon their hospital services would be safe with Fine Gael and didn’t that turn out to be so much faecal matter of the bull variety?
It’s not about generating funds to repair the leaks – it’s about producing a revenue stream to keep down the deficit. It’s, more than anything, about the obsessive right-wing need to privatise public services - the need to turn them into businesses by selling them off to the usual suspects.
Didn’t the Government trumpet the merits of debt writedowns in 2012, when they told us falsely that write-downs of Irish debt were just around the corner? And didn’t the same Government join in the EU hardRight’s threat to lay waste to Greece rather than agree to the write-down that every credible economist of the Left or the Right says is necessary?
From the start, this was about privatisation. The attempt to build a database with our PPS numbers; the high-price executives and their bonuses; the online admission of their intention to sell Irish Water - quickly taken down the stuff about how Irish Water “may disclose customer data to the prospective seller or buyer”.
Didn’t Enda Kenny say, “I will end the scandal of people waiting on trolleys”? And isn’t the scandal just as scandalous after over four years in office?
Oops, they said, we didn’t mean that.
Didn’t Labour sign a pledge to oppose student fee rises, and didn’t they produce fee rises as soon as they got into office?
This is all in line with the politics of Fine Gael/Labour and their hard-Right boss, Ms Merkel. Among the legion of the Right, privatisation isn’t so much a policy as a religious tenet.
Didn’t Labour say they’d oppose cuts in child benefit then, in office, didn’t they implement such cuts?
The determined opposition to the Water Tax came from the ground up. Much as some on the Left might like to believe they created it, much as some on the Right throw around silly claims about the “sinister fringe” - this is an expression of political rejection of two things: the incessant dipping into our pockets; and the ideologydriven need to sell off a public service.
Didn’t they campaign against a VAT increase, then implement one? Didn’t they oppose a rise in car tax? Didn’t they oppose an increase in wine tax? Didn’t they, before the election, stand up against a 3pc Dirt tax - and in office stand over a 14pc increase? Didn’t Joan Burton promise no cuts in lone parent benefits without childcare reform? And, without any such reform, didn’t she attack the family anyway?
The strength of the rejection, and the Government’s need to pretend that this is about fixing leaks, led to temporary concessions. They cut prices, they offered bribes. Having spent half a billion on meters they rendered them pointless by imposing a price cap. Anything to reel us in.
Didn’t Brendan Howlin say, just before the last election, “We’re against water charges”?
They’re “tough decisions”.
The fact that they’ve got back just €30m is a setback, but they’ll spend endless amounts of our money trying to beat us down, so they can sell Irish Water.
A tough decision betrays a promise about something that matters to others. This is fine, as long as you put aside enough money to ensure a couple of carefully targeted tax cuts shortly before the next election.
Comical Betty has spent €600,000 on advertising, and she’s preparing to spend many more hundreds of thousands in the near future. Enda and Joan figure we’ll crack before they do. They might be right, they might not.
Of course, but these aren’t U-turns.
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“It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland. Likewise it shall be the duty of the Republic to take such measures as will safeguard the health of the people and ensure the physical as well as the moral well-being of the Nation. It shall be the duty of the Republic to adopt all measures necessary for the recreation and invigoration of our Industries, and to ensure their being developed on the most beneficial and progressive co-operative and industrial lines.” Democratic Programme for the first Dáil, 1919
Policy Principles for a Progressive Irish Government 34
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Right2Water Water is a human right, essential for life and for all our human needs. As such, water provision and sanitation should not be subject to the profit motive or the free market and should be made available to all, free at the point of use, and on the basis of need, not means. ‘Irish Water PLC’ and domestic water charges will be abolished within the first 100 days of a progressive Government. ‘Irish Water PLC’ will be replaced with a single national water and sanitation board which will be solely responsible for the provision, transmission, sanitation, management and operation of the public water and sanitation supply in the public interest. This policy will see a full referendum to enshrine a new Article in Bunreacht Na h’Eireann. The date of this referendum would coincide with the establishment of the new national water board.
This policy will provide for an end to water meter installation and ensuing costs. This policy will see conservation measures legislated for including mandatory planning permission requirements, incentivised and subsidised water saving devices, and a public education campaign. Our water infrastructure is in desperate need of investment in order to upgrade the system and repair leaks. This policy provides for an investment of between €6 and €7 billion to be provided through a progressive taxation model, details of which are available in the accompanying ‘Fiscal Framework Document’. Funding our water services through progressive taxation measures will ensure citizens always have access to water based on their needs without the possibility of water shut-offs due to unpaid bills in the future. It will also ensure our water services will never be privatised and that Ireland remains with zero water poverty.
Article 28 Section 4:2:1: “The Government shall be collectively responsible for the protection, management and maintenance of the public water system. The Government shall ensure in the public interest that this resource remains in public ownership and management.”
* Acknowledgement – The Right2Water Unions acknowledge the support and advice in framing the above referendum position of Seamus O’Tuathail S.C. and Treasa Brannick O’Cillin, candidate Barrister at Law Degree, The Honourable Society of Kings Inns.
Right2Jobs & Decent Work “After the war people said, ‘If you can plan for war, why can’t you plan for peace?’ When I was 17, I had a letter from the government saying, ‘Dear Mr. Benn, will you turn up when you’re 17½? We’ll give you free food, free clothes, free training, free accommodation, and two shillings, ten pence a day to just kill Germans.’ People said, well, if you can have full employment to kill people, why in God’s name couldn’t you have full employment and good schools, good hospitals, good houses?” Tony Benn, Member of the British Labour Party Everyone has a right to gainful and decent employment which would provide dignity, respect and a living wage. A full employment economy requires several layers: an expanding public sector including public enterprise; a growing cooperative sector, non-profit and labourmanaged sector; and a growing public enterprise. At the very least, where people cannot find work, the state must act as an employer of last resort, directly employing people in socially productive activity.
A progressive government will vindicate people’s right to decent work through a revolution in the workplace embodied in a far-reaching Decent Work Act. This will eliminate precarious employment, provide underemployed workers with the right to seek additional hours in their workplace when they become available, introduce the right to collective bargaining (by referendum if necessary) – enabling economic and political democracy, end bogus self-employment, and legislate for overtime 35
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Authority (NERA) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is limited. Legislation providing for inspections from licensed trade union officials in relation to breaches of both employment and health and safety laws – in line with “right of access” laws in other countries like Australia and New Zealand – should be implemented. The PRSI system should be expanded to include the self- employed in order for them to avail of the same social welfare benefits as all other workers. We will defend the right to take effective strike action and will remove the obstacles contained in the Industrial Relations Act 1990 that are designed to prevent this. We will also reform the Insolvency Acts to put workers at the top of the queue in a liquidation situation and reform the Company’s Acts to make it more difficult for private companies to split their assets and avoid their liabilities to their workers.
and unsocial hours pay. Employers who refuse to recognise their workers’ right to collectively bargain should not be able to avail of any tax refunds or benefit from any State assistance. In order to provide equitable non-discriminatory access to the workplace a progressive Government will legislate for the right to publicly available, accessible, high quality affordable childcare, part-time, full-time and after-school provision. This policy will also see the abolition of compulsory or exploitative elements of Government activation schemes such as JobBridge. The future is wage-led – in particular, the ending of low pay. The medium term goal should be to make the Living Wage the statutory floor. Exploitation of workers, particularly low-paid workers in vulnerable sectors, is exceptionally high in Ireland while inspections by the National Employment Rights
Right2Housing “Housing is a human right. There can be no fairness or justice in a society in which some live in homelessness, or in the shadow of that risk, while others cannot even imagine it.” Jordan Flaherty, award-winning journalist, producer and author People will be offered homes through a range of innovative models including limited equity ownership, or non- speculative housing, cooperative housing and community interest tenancies.1 A new planning framework will incorporate anti-speculative policies (e.g. the Kenny Report) and socialise unused and derelict sites that will support sustainable housing development. We will provide adequately for Traveller accommodation needs in a culturally appropriate manner. Housing policy should be based on need and choice, not speculation and capital accumulation. We will ban economic evictions and keep land banks held in NAMA in state ownership to be used as a building block for a public housing programme. Further, we will legislate for the reform of the private rental sector and legislate to give security of tenure and for improved rent regulation.
We believe that Housing is a basic human right, that this right should be enshrined in Bunreacht na hÉireann and that the obligation on the State to adequately house people should thereby be enforceable by the Courts. As a direct result of the State’s failure to deal with this issue our country is now living through a homelessness epidemic. Having a home is a social and economic right. Without it, a person has no security of person or identity. A progressive policy will develop a range of housing models to vindicate this right, starting with the ending of homelessness and the clearing of social housing waiting lists. The current crisis in rents should be addressed through rent controls and market based rent supplements in the short-term but in the long- term the state needs to intervene in the market to mobilise the investment required to modernise the sector, including the provision of income-related rental accommodation to low and average income earners. The State also needs to commence a national home building project. People should also be offered the opportunity to own their homes through limited equity ownership or non-speculative housing. Housing policy should be based on need and choice, not speculation.
1 These are just some of the alternative models to provision of housing – all based on non-speculative housing. For example, limited equity housing is comprised of a small mortgage/down-payment combined with cost-rental payment which provides ownership; however, when the house is sold the only return is the small mortgage inflation indexed.
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Right2Health “The social conditions in which people live and work can help create or destroy their health. Lack of income, inappropriate housing, unsafe workplaces and lack of access to health care systems are some of the social determinants of health leading to inequalities.” World Health Organization [WHO], 2004 children is increasingly commercialised. The complete absence of a public care infrastructure and the commercialisation of personal care coincide with a rise in forms of employment that are forcing people to live in ways that are so time-pressed that they have no time to care for those they love. The rise in precarious, insecure, and/or 24/7 working, long costly commutes and emigration make ‘caring’ unsustainable over time. Civil society organisations are both the means and expression of more engaged citizens. The fundamental democratic role of these organisations should be acknowledged and actively supported. We will support community-focused policies and investment which will build on the voluntary activities of people and communities – in particular, in rural areas through strengthening the local infrastructure from re-opening Garda stations and post offices, to more developed infrastructures such as transport, telecommunications and housing. As part of this approach, we will place community arts at the heart of cultural policy increasing access to and participation in arts and cultural initiatives. We will reverse the cuts to community development programmes and restore the autonomy of these groups to engage in critical action. We will validate the importance of unpaid caring in families and communities in a constitutional amendment that removes the gender-biased article 41.2.2 (that assumes that only women are carers) and replaced by a care-recognition article that is gender neutral; a significant investment in caring in the community including supports for carers, and a new child-raising allowance that allows parents to spend more time raising their new-born children.
Healthcare is a human right, from ‘the cradle to the grave’. As such this Health policy encompasses physical health, mental health and emotional wellbeing, child care and elder care. Access to quality healthcare should not be dependent on income. The long-standing policy whereby successive governments promote and incentivise the private healthcare industry is inefficient and discriminatory against those on low incomes. The role of government should be to create a universal healthcare system free at the point of entry which provides the highest possible level of care for all citizens, irrespective of social or economic factors. The current healthcare crisis in Ireland, where hundreds lie on hospital trolleys and tens of thousands wait more than 12 months for appointments must be addressed. Any future government must acknowledge errors in past policies and invest in the mental and physical wellbeing of the nation, instead of a private industry. A well-funded and efficient public healthcare system would provide economic and social benefits for individuals and wider society in general. — the right of access to all healthcare services regardless of income will be vindicated through free primary health and dental care, heavily subsidised prescription medicine and access to tertiary and outpatient services free at the point of use. In addition, we will substantially increase investment in nursing home care and mental health services. — this policy provides for the right to accessible, high quality affordable care, including respite care, for vulnerable adults. The care of the vulnerable elderly and vulnerable
Right2Debt Injustice “Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.” Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States The past recklessness of financial speculation is imposing an intolerable burden on people’s future. Debt justice requires a European Debt Conference to restructure and
write-down sovereign debt throughout the Eurozone; the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax in order to repay states for the private bank debt they assimilated; 37
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the effective repudiation of Anglo- Irish debt through retention of the Anglo-Irish bonds in public, an end to bank-driven mortgage debt resolution through a state led and democratically accountable programme of restructuring and writing down of mortgage debt with a halt to evictions on the basis of inability-to-pay; and restructuring of money-lending debt which traps people in 100 percent interest loans.
— Establish a Debt Audit to determine the level of debt attributed to the private financial sector as a first step in recouping that money from those who caused this crisis, and fully participate in the UN Committee on Sovereign Debt Restructuring
Four further steps to address the debt crisis, in Ireland, Europe and Globally:
— To acknowledge that we already have a nationalised banking system and to halt privatisation of these banks and build a public banking system. This system will be rooted in responsibility to communities in addressing mortgage arrears and provide an accountable and transparent method/ source of social credit for social needs, rather than for private profit
— Establish a moral case for debt repudiation and compensation by means of a popular debt audit that will also be a tool for public, grass roots, education
— Build alliances with progressive citizen-led movements in Europe to develop and promote alternative proposals for realistic and responsible debt reduction strategies for people across Europe.
Right2Education “I speak – not for myself, but for all… I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights: Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.” Malala Yousafzai, youngest ever Nobel Prize Laureate
which would facilitate the option for parents to enter or leave the workforce.
Everyone has the right to education. The provision of education should be truly free – without the necessity for ‘voluntary contributions’ – up to at least primary degree level. The provision of professional and technical education should be affordable and available to all and should be equally accessible.
Education is an investment in the future of the nation whereby we can develop a productive and cohesive society. More funding for the apprenticeship programme and a coordinated jobs policy promoting labour intensive industries should form part of any future government education programme. A modern dynamic economy is dependent on well-educated citizens, increasing employment opportunities and providing the opportunities to create new services and technologies. A Progressive Government will secularise the education system and promote an education model that develops critical thinking with an active citizenship focus. Multi-nationals benefit from a highly educated workforce therefore a proportion of corporation tax should be ring fenced to fund third level education following the elimination by this Government of fees.
Three basic priorities for any new government should be: 1
To reduce the ratio of students to teachers from among the highest levels in the EU to the lowest.
2
The restoration of and increased provision of Special Needs Assistants (SNA’s) – which should be seen as an investment in the most vulnerable of our children.
3
Investment in early childhood education should be provided in line with a progressive childcare policy 38
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Right2Democratic Reform “A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess. Asa Philip Randolph, leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement We need to undertake a programme of substantial democratic reform. There must be real and meaningful reform of our local and national democratic processes which would put citizens at the heart of decision making. We will vindicate the right to greater democracy throughout the economy, society and, most importantly, the political decision-making process: popular initiation of constitutional referenda and parliamentary legislation; the right to recall TDs; citizen nomination of Presidential candidates; direct elections to the Seanad; and parliamentary committee membership and chairpersons, overseas voting and mandatory voting for all electorally registered citizens. Citizens should be strongly encouraged to participate in the electoral process. Elections should be held at a convenient time for the vast majority of the population. Our Parliament is a key function of our democracy to which many of our citizens feel disconnected and disempowered. We will enact parliamentary reform measures that will address the number of sitting days, holiday terms, numbers of members in chamber, a curbing of the whip system, election for Ceann Comhairle by secret vote and other measures to address parliamentary behaviour. Government Ministers and TDs to draw down pensions on reaching normal (State) retirement age. In
the event of proven corruption by public representatives, including Ministers, the forfeit of pensions should occur. We will reduce the powers of local county Managers and transfer those powers and accountability to locally elected representative councillors. Hosting one general election every five years provides too large a gap for real democratic representation – particularly as there is no accountability for broken political promises subsequent to an election. A reduction in the electoral cycle in General Election’s from five years to four years should be implemented in order to provide more collective democratic accountability. Corruption in democracy is democracy denied; therefore, we will establish an Anti-Corruption Agency on a par with the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) to investigate and recoup to the state any assets and incomes accrued through political corruption. This agency, with similar wide-ranging powers to CAB, will investigate public and corporate financial corruption, fraud and tax evasion. Any functioning democracy requires a diverse media and media ownership should not be disproportionately in the hands of a small number of wealthy individuals or corporations. We will expand the Irish media landscape, facilitating democratic ownership and participation by community groups, NGOs, civil society groups and trade unions.
Right2Equality “When I was poor and I complained about inequality people said I was bitter, now I’m rich and I complain about inequality they say I’m a hypocrite. I’m beginning to think they just don’t want inequality on the agenda because it is a real problem that needs to be addressed. Russell Brand, actor, entertainer and author of “Revolution” The right to equality encompasses social and economic rights which are implied and un-enumerated rights in our Constitution. These rights should be protected in legislation which will address the issues of poverty.
We respect women’s right to bodily autonomy and self- determination. We will campaign for repeal of the 8th amendment and we will legislate for abortion in Ireland. 39
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reforming Ireland’s labour migration policy, revising the eligible categories of employment, revising the right of employees to change employer and lowering the salary threshold required for new employment permits for sectors where a shortage has been identified. Over 4,000 people are consigned to Direct Provision centres, including over 1,500 children. Detainment in these Centres represents a form of institutional abuse that denies adults and children basic human rights. We will end the system of Direct Provision and we will ensure that the children of asylum seekers suffer no discrimination in relation to health or education due to their parent’s asylum status. Market inequality undermines economic efficiency and social solidarity. Alongside strategies to end low-pay we will establish a High Pay Commission to propose measures to reduce income inequality.
We stand for the separation of church and state in education, health and other areas while affording due respect for those people who wish to practice their religion. Many people still face workplace and service-related discrimination based on disability, gender, age, colour, sexual orientation, Traveller status, ethnic origin, family status, marital status and religious/other beliefs. We will run major education and mobilisation campaigns to end discrimination both in the workplace and in services generally, and we will introduce stronger sanctions for breaches of equality legislation; we will repeal Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act; we will democratise the national and secondary school systems. We will reform the work permit system to make it easier for workers to leave exploitative employment situations without threatening their immigration status. Improving access to work for migrants, including
Right2Sustainable Environment “Our economic system and our planetary system are now at war. Or, more accurately, our economy is at war with many forms of life on earth, including human life. What the climate needs to avoid collapse is a contraction in humanity’s use of resources; what our economic model demands to avoid collapse is unfettered expansion. Only one of these sets of rules can be changed, and it’s not the laws of nature.” Naomi Klein, author “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate”
technology. We will legislate for ambitious and binding climate change targets, including a ban on fracking, a transposition of the Rio de Janeiro Agreement into domestic law and we will use Bolivia’s Law of the Rights of Mother Earth as a guide. A Progressive Government will make protection of the rights of Mother Earth a Constitutional imperative subject to democratic control and declare that natural resources, including water, are a public good and cannot be privatised. We further commit to encouraging and supporting local campaigns against corporate threats to the environment and to launch a major public education campaign, including in schools, on the dangers of climate change and the threats posed by corporate exploitation of the environment.
The dominant economic model is ‘at war’ with the natural world. Unfettered capitalism and globalisation continues to place unsustainable burdens on the Earth’s natural assets including its water, its air, its fauna and flora and threatens the very continuation of mankind. Fighting climate change is not a ‘cost’ – it is a necessary strategy for human survival which simultaneously provides another means to promote a collective and democratic economy. The first steps in this struggle will be the introduction of a Green New Deal – a sustained and substantial drive to bring all buildings in the residential, commercial and industrial sector up to the highest level of conservation necessary, to expand and upgrade the quality of public transport with significant reductions in fares, the increased mobilisation of R&D to urgently progress the development of ocean/sea based renewable energy to complement other forms of green 40
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Right2National Resources “That’s the standard technique of privatization, defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.” Noam Chomsky The assets of our nation were declared in the 1916 Proclamation as belonging to the citizens of Ireland, a Proclamation which also pledged to cherish all the citizens of the state equally. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is one of the biggest threats to people’s ability to provide labour, social, and environmental protection and represents a proposed transfer of economic and political sovereignty from the Irish citizens to multi-national corporations. A progressive government will oppose TTIP through whatever mechanisms possible. Should TTIP be ratified without the consent of the Irish people a progressive Government will provide for a referendum on our continued membership of the European Union. Opposition to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) should also be a priority for this government and any other trade agreement that contains an Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS). This government will re-commit to neutrality and a non- militaristic foreign policy starting with the banning of the use of Irish airports for military purposes. In Northern Ireland, we will work for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the Saint Andrew’s Agreement. Further, we will provide full support to the people of Northern Ireland in their rejection of austerity – to be vindicated through intergovernmental negotiations. A Progressive Government shall actively promote economic, social, cultural and political co-operation on an all-Ireland basis which will help to promote the development of unity among people and undermine sectarianism and division. Solidarity with the developing world will be reinforced through meeting official development assistance targets and political, diplomatic and economic assistance with victims of occupation; in particular, the Palestinian people. Trade sanctions should be implemented against countries who breach international laws – up to and including the banning of imports of all goods. The Ambassadors of countries who committ war crimes should be expelled. Further, we will join with other progressive Governments to restrain the undemocratic activities of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
communities. We need a plurality of enterprise models to maximise the shared benefits of growth throughout the economy in the areas of infrastructure, manufacturing, services as well as in the areas of caring, community and the arts. Rejecting privatisation, we will expand public enterprises into new economic activities and provide for local government enterprises and new business models based on co-determination between public, private and civil society ownership. We will promote worker-owner co-operative enterprises, whereby workers share in the decisionmaking process, and in the risks, profits and benefits. In these companies the right to work is prioritised and employment-security is an integral objective of the business model limited wage differentials promotes sustainability. We will establish institutional supports for this sector to provide access to capital, patient banking and management assistance; provide employees the option of buying out companies that close down and introduce tax incentives for new cooperative ventures. We will establish a new basis for supporting indigenous enterprise through job creation agencies through a programme of Companies of Excellence which can lead the modernisation of the indigenous sector; in these companies employees and employers accept coresponsibility as the fundamental principle of managing the company: commitments to R&D, investment, innovation, labour rights and participation. This will form the basis of sectoral planning frameworks to grow Irish businesses in a coordinated and focused way. Income Supports: A major reform of income supports to provide security for people in paid work and out of employment is required: pay-related unemployment and sickness benefit; pay- related state pensions; enhanced family supports (maternity benefits, paid paternity benefit, care and family leave and child-raising allowances). A priority will be the introduction of a ‘cost of disability’ payment and the ending of child poverty and deprivation which focuses on access to adequate resources and quality services along with enhanced labour market and social protection supports for oneparent families. We will bring all social protection payments up to the Minimum Essential Standard of Living over the medium-term. These reforms require moving from a welfare system based on povertyavoidance and means-testing to a system based on social
Indigenous Sector: We need a prosperous indigenous enterprise sector – to provide decent jobs, social security, and economic growth where money is reinvested in local 41
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solidarity and mutuality through an enhanced social insurance system and universal payments in which everyone benefits including the full participation of the self-employed. To this end Basic Income strategies will be actively explored. This effective New Social Contract will be funded by a long- term phasing in of an enhanced social wage, or employers’ social insurance, to the average paid by employers in other European countries.
allowed to secure, access to our natural resources free or without proper re- imbursement/value to the Irish people. Where this requires negotiations these will have the objective of securing maximum value to the Irish citizens from their resources in a manner applicable in similar sized nations with potentially similar resources such as Norway. We will bring under public ownership the gas and oil resources off the Irish coast to allow revenue and profits to be used for the Irish people and the Irish economy.
Natural Resources: The natural resources of Ireland belong to the people of Ireland. The campaigns over our oil and gas reserves, woodlands, clean seas, archaeological and heritage sites, and community life point to the growing issue of ‘resource democracy’. We will constitutionally enshrine the ownership of natural resources with the Irish people. Natural resources will be entrusted to public and transparent control providing people the right to benefit from sustainable developments. A national programme of repatriation, and subsequent public ownership, of surrendered natural resources will be initiated with those who seek, or who have been
Public Banking and Insurance: The fundamental lesson of the crisis is that we cannot rely on private banking based on short-term shareholder interests. We need a national public banking system for both households and enterprises – one with a mission statement that makes the bank partners in people’s living standards and business success, and promotes the public interest. We will promote public interest and mutuality in banking and insurance. To this end we will set up Public Banking and Insurance Review to promote public banking and an insurance system based on mutuality and co-operation rather than profit.
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A New Fiscal Framework For a Progressive Government Introduction When a new progressive government takes office after the next election it will face considerable challenges – in particular, the need to drive investment in our economic and social infrastructure. Years of recession, stagnation and austerity have produced a debilitated economy and a society riven with deprivation and lost opportunities. On June 13th the Right2Water trade unions will host a major and unique event. Representatives of trade unions, civil society organisations, Right2Water groups and progressive political parties and independents will debate the policy principles that will inform the new government: decent work, debt justice, public services and social protection, natural resources, indigenous enterprise, political reform to name just a few topics. In this document – ‘A New Fiscal Framework for a Progressive Government’ – we outline how we can maximise the resources that will enable the necessary investment to transform these policy principles into
reality. We publish this analysis as a contribution to a continuing debate – as a guideline and an invitation to others to participate, to bring forward their own analysis, estimates and priorities. Most of all, it shows what a new government committed to democracy, economic justice and an inclusive-‐recovery can do. We look forward to the coming debate. And we look forward to the prospect of electing the first left-‐led government in the history of the state – a government that will take us down a better pathway. Yours sincerely John Douglas Stevie Fitzpatrick Jimmy Kelly
Eoin Ronayne Billy Wall
Summary of Proposals 1.
2.
A progressive government will phase out the structural deficit – the main fiscal benchmark – by 2020, consistent with the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact. This will provide additional revenue in order to implement fiscal adjustments.
Objective. If this succeeds, the progressive government would have a further €4 billion for fiscal adjustments.
Ireland is a low-‐spending economy. In 2015, spending on public services, income supports and investment would have to increase by €11 billion to reach the EU average (after allowing for demographic factors, multi-‐national accountancy practices and defence spending). A progressive government will prioritise social and economic investment – first, through the extra resources provided under the EU rules, and second, through discretionary taxation revenues.
3.
A progressive government will nearly double public investment, research and development and our national innovative capacity by 2020 and increase spending on public services and income supports by over €6 billion, or over 10 percent.
4.
A progressive government will introduce discretionary revenue raising measures targeted at wealth and capital, in addition to increasing the social wage (employers’ social insurance). This will raise €4.1 billion over the four-‐year period 2017 – 2020.
5.
A progressive government will launch a major diplomatic and economic initiative to assert that the EU measurement is unsatisfactory and inapplicable to Ireland’s small open economy and that Ireland has already met its Medium Term 43
6.
A progressive government will pursue investment initiatives through the European Fund for Structural Investments and the exemption of investment from the excessive deficit calculations. In the first year, a progressive government will negotiate a €2 billion special once-‐off investment package paid for the by redemption of bank bonds.
7.
To promote expand growth and economic efficiency and to provide further resources for social and economic investment, a progressive government will seek to re-‐orientate enterprise policy towards the indigenous sector, pursue a decent work/Living Wage strategy, create special purpose vehicles for social investment, pursue policies to write-‐down household debt and launch public sector employee-‐driven innovation initiatives.
8.
Crucially this Fiscal Framework fulfils the Right2Water policy of abolition of domestic water charges and funding water provision, sanitation and investment from progressive general taxation. In addition to the elimination of regressive domestic water charges where, during the programme (2017 to 2020) further scope arises for tax cuts, a progressive government would enact policies that benefit those in most need by addressing such tax measures as VAT, refundable tax credits and other progressive tax measures.
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A New Fiscal Framework The intention of this paper is to estimate the fiscal space available to a progressive government to drive economic and social investment and create a modern European social state. We provide guidelines as to the distribution of that fiscal space (i.e. spending increases and tax cuts) but do not propose specific measures. It is based on the Government’s no-policy change baseline projections contained in the Spring Statement and focuses on the years 2017 to 2020.1 We will first examine the nondiscretionary space available under Ireland’s Medium Term Objective (MTO) as prescribed under the preventative arm of the Stability and Growth Pact. We will then move on to estimate the fiscal space available under discretionary measures.
1.2 While there are a number of ways to estimate the fiscal space in nominal terms, the following uses a simple linear measurement based on structural deficit as a % of GDP and uses this as a proxy. Table 2: Potential Fiscal Adjustments: € million3
1.1 Non-discretionary fiscal space refers to the amount of additional resources available without recourse to fiscal adjustments (e.g. taxation and spending measures). Under this heading the two guiding fiscal benchmarks are the structural deficit and Debt/GDP rule (the latter is discussed in section 4.3 below). The Government’s 2015 Stability Programme Update contains a no-‐policy change base-‐line projection; that is, the trajectory of the structural deficit without tax increases or spending cuts. On this basis, the structural deficit will be eliminated by 2018. However, under Ireland’s MTO, this is unnecessary. The structural deficit need only be reduced by 0.5 percent each year until a target of -0.5 percent is achieved.2 It is proposed to exercise the maximum space allowable under the MTO as shown in Table 1.
2018
2019
2020
Government Baseline
-2.3
-1.3
-0.3
0.8
2.1
Progressive Alternative
-2.3
-1.8
-1.3
-0.8
-0.5
2019
2020
TOTAL 2017 – 2020
Fiscal 1,100 Space
1,200
1,500
2,600
6,400
1.3 The above focuses on the structural deficit. While using estimates based on the Expenditure Benchmark might give different results – in particular, 2020 – the expenditure benchmark is not a rule: ‘While this expenditure benchmark tries to cater for some of the policy mistakes occurred in the 2000s, it cannot be considered stricto sensu a spending rule at EU level but rather a policy instrument providing guidelines to ensure consistency between expenditure developments and GDP growth prospect . . . Specifically, Member States will have to monitor and control public spending developments in line with a realistic potential GDP growth over the medium-‐term in order to ensure the achievement of the MTOs.’5
Table 1: Structural Deficit Elimination (% of GDP) 2017
2018
Table 2 shows that in 2017, a progressive government will be able to increase adjustments (spending increases, tax cuts) by €1.1 billion from maximising the MTO’s fiscal space.4 This will rise to €2.6 billion by 2020. In total, over this four year period a new government will an additional €6.4 billion in new resources without fiscal adjustments.
1. Non-Discretionary Fiscal Space
2016
2017
This fiscal framework adheres to this formulation – controlling public spending developments (which include tax reductions) in line with a realistic potential GDP to achieve the MTO; that is, the effective elimination of the structural deficit. > PROPOSAL: Move to MTO compliance by 2020
1
It is assumed the next general election will be held in early 2016. Therefore, the first budget presented by a new progressive government will be Budget 2017. However, we discuss the prospect of an emergency budget in 2016 below in section 7.3. 2 EU Commission Staff Working Document Country Report Ireland 2015: ‘After the correction of the excessive deficit, pursue a structural adjustment towards the medium-‐term objective of at least 0,5 % of GDP each year. ‘ http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/csr2015/cr2015_ireland_en.pdf 3 Nominal figures in this and subsequent tables are rounded to the nearest €100 million. 4 The reason this is less than in 2016 is because recent Government negotiations won a derogation from the EU fiscal rules for 2016, with the structural deficit falling only 0.3 percent of GDP – or 60 percent of what is prescribed in the EU rules. 5 EU Commission, National Expenditure Rules: Why, How and When’, Economic Papers 473 | December 2012: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/economic_paper/2012/pdf/ecp473_en.pdf
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2. Discretionary Adjustments: Public Services, Income Supports and Investment
2.3. This lack of investment in our social infrastructure and income supports results in two deficits: first, in an under-‐performing economy -‐ under-‐investment reduces productivity and inefficiency in the economic infrastructure. Second, in high living costs; this includes paying market rates for healthcare, inflated public transport fares, lack of affordable childcare, reduced family supports, and the lack of pay-‐related benefits for workers in the event of sickness, temporary unemployment, occupational injury and retirement.
2.1 Beyond maximising the fiscal space under the MTO, fiscal adjustments will have to be sourced from compensating measures –discretionary revenue measures (DRM). Example: an increase in €500 million in public expenditure will have to be paid for by an increase of €500 million in revenue 2.2. Public services, social protection and income supports to be prioritised.
Given the social repair tasks facing a new progressive government – improving public services, reducing poverty and deprivation– and the aspiration to European‐level of public services and incomes supports resources will have to be maximised.
Ireland is a low-‐spending economy. Using the traditional measurement – public spending as a proportion of GDP – we need to account for a number of factors: inflated GDP levels due to multi-national accounting, the elderly and youth demographic and defence spending.6 When multi-national accounting, elderly and youth demographic and defence budgets are factored in, Ireland remains a low-‐spending economy. In 2015, primary spending (i.e. total government spending excluding interest payments) would have to increase by approximately €12.7 billion – or 19 percent in 2015.
> PROPOSAL: Public services, investment and income supports to be prioritised to increase economic productivity and reduce high living costs. To reduce these high living costs and increase economic productivity will require discretionary taxation measures.
Table 3: EU and Ireland Primary Spending: as a % of GDP 2015 Estimate7 EU Primary Expenditure
Ireland Primary Expenditure
45.0
33.2
Ireland Ireland Ireland (excluding multi-national (excluding MNC/elderly (excluding MNC/elderly/ accounting) demographic) youth demographic) 36.4
39.7
3. Discretionary Adjustments: Funding productivity and reduced living costs.
37.6
Ireland (excluding all previous and defence spending) 38.6
explanation as it is not evenly spread across the economy. Implicit or effective8 Irish personal taxation is below the EU average. However, given the net demographic/ defence spending dividend, this level is approximately appropriate. Indirect taxes are certainly higher than is necessary.
3.1 As a consequence of a low-spending regime, Ireland has a low-tax economy compared to the average European benchmark but just as in the case of public spending, this low-tax status also requires 6
It is not wholly satisfactory to factor in defence spending as this is a policy choice by governments, unlike elderly and youth expenditure which is driven by demographics. However, we include it as many commentators refer to this in measuring Irish expenditure. 7 Sources: EU Ameco database http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/ameco/user/serie/SelectSerie.cfm and Department of Finance Budget 2015. Age and defence expenditure is from Eurostat 2013 data (the latest year available) http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=gov_10a_exp&lang=en Differences in age and defence spending as a percentage of GDP between 2013 and 2015 will be fractional. The table aligns Irish expenditure with EU spending. For instance, if Ireland had the same proportion of elderly, the demographic demand on spending would increase by 3.3 percentage points of GDP factoring in pensions, medical/nursing care and community care. However, if we had the same number of young people (below 16 years), the demographic demand on spending would fall by 2.1 percentage points of GDP. If Ireland spent as much on defence as the EU, spending would rise by 1 percentage points of GDP. All GDP ratios use the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’s hybrid GDP benchmark which measures fiscal capacity. 8 Implicit tax rates measure revenue as a percentage of their appropriate activity. For instance, implicit personal tax rates and the social wage measure revenue as a proportion of gross wages and salaries; implicit VAT rates measure VAT revenue as a percentage of private consumption. Implicit tax rates are less distorted by output volatility than measurements that use GDP/hybrid GDP as the denominator. Data from Eurostat Trends in Taxation 2014: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/5786841/KS-‐DU-‐14-‐001-‐ EN.PDF/7bec4a16-‐f111-‐4386-‐a4b4‐8f1087be1063?version=1.0
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Table 4: Implicit Tax Rates 2012 (%) Implicit Personal Tax Rate (Employees)
Implicit VAT Rate (Impact on Households)
Implicit Social Wage (Employer’s Social Insurance)
EU
26.3
7.5
20.5
Ireland
22.7
7.4
7.7
It should also be noted that the implicit tax rate for Irish personal taxation increased substantially since the beginning of the crisis. It rose by over 20 percent at a time of falling real wages, reduced hours and cuts in income supports (e.g. Child Benefit). Since 2012, there is some evidence that the effective tax rate has increased further, mainly due to wage increases and the lack of indexation.
This will provide the majority resources for expanding public services and income supports – for both those in work and out of employment. 3.3 The Government’s projections provide space for increases in the social wage. The Government projects wages to rise annually, on average, by 2.7 percent up to 2020. A long-term phasing-in need not result in a loss of enterprise performance. Indeed, the reduction in living costs (e.g. introduction of affordable childcare, reduced public transport fares, demand side impact of pay-related sickness benefits, etc.) can boost consumer demand and, so, enterprise turnover.
> PROPOSAL: A progressive government will not introduce discretionary measures to raise the overall effective tax rate on personal taxation While it is proposed that the overall effective tax rate remain broadly the same, there may be changes within the ‘envelope’. For example, a higher tax rate on high incomes could be introduced to fund an extension of the standard tax rate band, introduce new intermediate tax rates or reduce regressive taxation and charges (e.g. VAT).
3.4 Further reductions in living costs and, so, improvements in living standards can be achieved through discretionary increases in capital and wealth taxes and taxation on financial activity without undermining economic efficiency. ❖
The Nevin Economic Research Institute estimates that extending the current property tax to financial property and large real properties (i.e. a wealth tax) can boost revenue by up to €300 million annually. However, the Minister for Finance projected wealth tax revenue at between €400 and €500 million.9
❖
Historically, inheritance taxation revenue was much higher in the 1960s and 1970s with revenue averaging 0.5 percent of GDP.10 Moving towards this average would boost revenue considerably.
❖
The OECD estimated that Ireland had a much higher level of income tax expenditures which undermined the progressivity of the tax system. In 2005, Irish income tax expenditures were €6.6 billion higher than the EU average. Additional tax expenditures were introduced in 2006 and 2007 but since then, there has been a reduction of such expenditures. Nonetheless, it is likely that Ireland is still an outlier.11
3.2 The Social Wage and Capital Taxation The main driver in Ireland’s low-tax status is the very low level of the social wage, or employers’ social insurance as seen in Table 4. To reach the EU-average, revenue from employers’ social insurance would have to increase by over €8 billion. This is the primary reason for the spending gap between Ireland and the EU. In other EU countries the social wage is a significant contributor to public services and income supports. Our low level of public spending and, so, our low levels of public services and income supports derives from the low Irish level of employers’ social insurance. > PROPOSAL: : to increase the social wage, or employers’ social insurance’ incrementally and over the long-term to reach the appropriate benchmark with the EU average.
9
INERI: Wealth Tax: Options for its Implementation in the Republic of Ireland: http://www.nerinstitute.net/download/pdf/neri_wp_no_6_2013_mcdonnell_wealth_tax.pdf (and personal communication). Ministerial estimate: Parliamentary Question June 7th 2011: https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2011-06--07.107.0&s=%22wealth+tax%22+section%3Adebates#g109.4 10 OECD: Revenue Database 11 OECD Ireland Economic Survey 2009: http://www.finfacts.ie/biz10/OECD_Economic_survey_Ireland_2009.pdf
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3.5 As a guideline, we assume increases discretionary revenue measures (increased taxation on capital, wealth, financial activity, reduction of regressive tax expenditures in the personal and corporate sectors, along with increases in the social wage) amounting to 0.4 percent of GDP.12 If this were to be realised it would raise revenue by €4.1 billion over the four years 2017-2020.
> PROPOSAL: Increase taxation on wealth, capital and financial activity, along with reduction in regressive tax expenditures consistent with maximising economic efficiency.
4. Summary of a New Fiscal Framework
within. Priorities may change so as to reshape the distribution of fiscal space between different tax and spending categories.
4.1 The following is a summary of a new fiscal framework that a progressive government can be guided by. We produce this as a guideline. Events and priorities will change over the years; however, this provides one example of the resources available for economic and social investment
4.2 The guideline summary shows a tight fiscal space in the first years of a progressive government, due to the requirement to reduce the structural deficit. However, this space starts to widen by 2019 and after 2020. Once our Medium Term Objective has been reached, there will be more scope to increase investment in the economic and social infrastructure.
A small fiscal buffer has been included to accommodate spending overruns or underperforming tax revenue.
Table 5: Summary of Fiscal Adjustments: 2017 – 2020 2017
2018
2019
2020
Total 2016-2020
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,100
4,100
Revenue Discretionary Measures (wealth, capital, social wage) Primary Public Expenditure Investment
600
700
800
1,100
3,200
Public Services & Income Supports
1,200
1,300
1,500
2,300
6,300
Total Spending
1,800
2,000
2,300
3,300
9,400
200
200
300
400
1,100
Fiscal Buffer Total may be affected by rounding
In this summary: ❖
Discretionary tax measures raise €4.1 billion over the four years 2017-2020
❖
Investment rises by €3.2 billion over the four years
❖
Expenditure on public services and social protection rises by €6.3 billion over the four years
❖
Total primary spending increases by €9.5 billion over the four years.
❖
A progressive Government implementing this fiscal strategy will abolish domestic water charges within these parameters.
4.3 This framework also ensures that Ireland meets the debt/GDP rule.13
Despite nominal debt rising, the growth in GDP from additional investment ensures that the debt/GDP burden falls well within the scope the fiscal rules.
As we stated previously, this is a guideline, the parameters a new progressive government could operate
12
A progressive government will systematically review corporate tax relief to ensure that they support wealth generating activities rather than be used as tax avoidance. It would be premature to state that such a review would result in additional revenue 13 This rule requires that the debt-‐to-‐GDP ratio reduces by 1/20th of the difference with 60 percent of GDP
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4.4 In all probability, a progressive government will be able to increase economic and social investment above the levels outlined in Table 5. This is due not only to the conscious omission of multipliers (e.g. the additional investment) in order to create upside risks but the fiscal buffer which allows for unseen expenditure or taxation under-performance. Expenditure on public services and income supports show higher multipliers than tax increases, which
would boost growth and put further downward pressure on the structural deficit.14 A final note should be made of the government’s estimate of the underlying taxation growth out to 2020. While appropriately cautious, the eventual tax revenue outturn could exceed targets. This can be seen from the tax revenue growth in 2015 to date – exceeding profile by 4 percent and last year’s outturn by 11 percent.15
5. Need to Reform EU Fiscal Rules
Using the structural deficit as a means of coercing governments into deflationary fiscal policies is ideological.
5.1 There is a need to radically reform the EU fiscal rules and not just because they are inappropriately applied to Ireland’s small open economy.
5.4 Probably the most damning indictment of the EU fiscal rules is that they cannot accomplish what they were designed to do – that is, ‘prevent’ a fiscal crisis that most EU countries suffered recently, or provide an ‘early warning’ system. If the EU methodology could achieve this, then it would have been evident early in the last decade when Ireland was cutting taxation, increasing public spending and relying on the revenue/growth from an asset bubble.
5.2 The structural deficit – ‘The actual budget balance net of the cyclical component and one-off and other temporary measures’ – is a hypothetical measurement which, in turn, is based on other hypothetical measurements such as the potential GDP and the natural rate of unemployment or ‘Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment’. None of these can be observed in the real economy. Different international organisations such as the EU, the IMF and the OECD come to significant differences when measuring the structural deficit in a particular country. And the structural deficit measurement can be subject to considerable revisions in a very short period. Basing fiscal policy on hypothetical and non-observable measurements is hardly robust or designed to instil confidence.
However the EU methodology didn’t catch this16. Prior to 2007, Ireland was compliant with the current fiscal rules. In fact, between 2000 and 2006 the EU rules ranked Ireland’s public finances as the healthiest and most sustainable of any Eurozone country apart from Finland. It wasn’t until the recession hit Ireland that the EU methodology identified a problem in the public finances. As a preventative or early-warning
Table 6: Cyclically adjusted deficit, percentage of potential GD 2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
3.6
(-0.2)
(-1.2)
0.9
1.5
0.7
1.4
(-2.2)
(-7.5)
5.3 The rules imply that structural deficits can only be addressed through deflationary fiscal adjustments – either tax increases and/or spending cuts. But as the Government shows in the Spring Statement, and as presented in Table 1, the structural deficit is reduced by growth itself, without any resort to fiscal adjustments. Between 2016 and 2020, growth alone will reduce the structural deficit by 4.4 percent.
measurement, the structural deficit and the EU methodology is not fit for purpose.
6. An Alternative View of the Structural Deficit
deficit and, so, we are in MTO compliance.17 NERI has also stated that the structural deficit is well below the Government estimate.18 This conclusion is based on the unsatisfactory measurements used by the EU in assessing a small open economy like
> PROPOSAL: A progressive government will declare the structural deficit unworkable and work with other Eurozone countries to radically reform the EU fiscal rules in order to base it on observable and robust measurements.
6.1 It has been argued, in particular by the ESRI, that Ireland has effectively eliminated the structural 16
Cyclical Adjustment of Budget Balances Spring 2015: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/db_indicators/gen_gov_data/documents/2015/ccab_spring_en.pdf 17 ESRI Special Article The Structural Balance for Ireland: http://www.esri.ie/UserFiles/publications/QEC2014SPR_SA_Bergin.pdf. This
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Ireland. The EU’s one-size-fits-all measurement is more suitable to large, closed economies like Germany and France. Similarly, the Department of Finance has described the results of the EU’s methodology as not ‘plausible’.19
more available for social and economic investment over the four years. > PROPOSAL: A progressive government to mount a strong initiative with the EU Commission and other relevant bodies to have our economy measured by appropriate tools by declaring our MTO to have been reached.
If this is the case, the constraints on spending ease even more. In this scenario, Ireland is bound by the Reference Rate.20 Ireland would have approximately €4 billion
7.
Additional Investment Resources
government can use this money to introduce an emergency investment budget in 2016. Examples of this investment could be social housing and water/waste infrastructure. There would need to be negotiation with the EU Commission over the use of this money but as it would be a once-off temporary measure, it would not impact on the structural deficit (in fact, it would help improve the structural balance as the investment would increase economic productivity). This could be negotiated as part of a new agreement on the appropriate fiscal methodology for Ireland (see sections 5 and 6 above).
7.1 In addition to intensifying the current Government’s engagement with the new European Fund for Strategic Investments, a progressive government will consider two further initiatives to increase investment in our economic infrastructure. 7.2 A progressive government will utilise the recent flexibility introduced by the EU Commission which allows investment of up to 0.5 percent of GDP to be undertaken without being included in the Excessive Deficit. In 2017 this would equal €1.1 billion. An example of such investment could be a further rollout of Next Generation Broadband, similar to the joint ESB-Vodaphone initiative.21
> PROPOSAL: A progressive government will intensify engagement over the European Fund for Strategic Investments, utilise flexibility under the EU fiscal rules regarding investment and introduce an emergency budget to use the €2 billion revenue from redemption of contingent convertible capital notes
7.3 The Government estimates that capital resources will benefit from the redemption of €2 billion of contingent convertible capital notes (CoCos) in AIB and PTSB in 2016. While this will not impact on the general government balance as they are considered an investment, a progressive
8. Non-Fiscal Policies That Can Create More Resources
particular, through stronger organic links to the economy (e.g. sourcing, skill development, etc.). This requires a substantial public intervention as Ireland’s indigenous enterprise base is the weakest among small open European economies.
8.1 It is a mistake to confine fiscal policy to budgetary adjustments. Nominal or structural balances reflect the relative health or otherwise of an economy. Therefore, economic, social, labour market and credit policies can have a positive impact on a country’s budget – creating new and additional revenue from sustainable and shared growth. We highlight some of these areas that can make a positive fiscal contribution.
8.3 Wage-led growth can ensure that future private consumption is sustainable. And where this wageled growth privileges the low-paid, labour market policy can maximise consumption gains and business turnover. 8.4 To maximise social housing investment and to promote a modernisation of the private rental sector, off-balance sheet options should be
8.2 Enterprise policy that gives renewed emphasis on indigenous enterprise can promote growth; in
analysis was produced prior to Budget 2015 and was based on assumptions that were not realised in the budget. Therefore, the structural deficit is, using the ESRI analysis, probably between 1 and 1.5 percent. However, this would still leave considerable extra resources for a progressive government over the four year period. 18 Personal communication. NERI will be providing further information in their upcoming Summer 2015 Quarterly Economic Observer. 19 Stability Programme Update 2011: http://www.finance.gov.ie/sites/default/files/spuirelandapr2011.pdf 20 Reference rate is the 10-‐year average of potential GDP. Fiscal adjustments cannot exceed this threshold without compensating discretionary revenue measures. 21 ESB and Vodafone to invest €450 million in 100% fibre broadband network: https://www.esb.ie/main/press/pressreleaseWS.jsp?id=4074
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explored. Special purpose vehicles can ensure substantial investment without impacting on the general government balance. Such vehicles need not be confined to traditional local authority housing; they can promote cooperative housing and a new public enterprise initiative to provide quality accommodation at cost-rental price in the private rental sector. Excessive rent acts as a brake on the productive sector.
Employee-driven innovation has that capacity. Innovation driven by the actual front-line producers of goods and services is more likely to be sustainable and broad-based. A first step would be to introduce employee-driven innovation in the public sector which can then act as a demonstration effect throughout the economy.
8.5 Reducing personal debt – primarily mortgage debt – has the potential to maximise sustainable private consumption and improve living standards. Different mechanisms need to be explored but the most economically efficient is to align mortgage prices and house values. This can involve writedowns and restructuring under protocols overseen by an accountable public debt agency.
8.7 One of the major lessons to be learned from the crisis is that credit is too important to be confined to private shareholder value-driven institutions. A progressive government will examine the options of establishing a large scale public banking system both in retail and specialist sectors. Such institutions, while operating under commercial criteria, would be led by different criteria than shareholder-value; namely, sustainable investment in the public, corporate and household sectors.
8.6 Innovation – both product and process – has the capacity to drive efficiencies and productivity. However, for the benefits to be maximised, innovation must be a democratic process.
8.8 These and other policy reforms have the capacity to promote potential GDP which will open* up even more fiscal space for a progressive government to pursue economic and social investment strategies.
9. Risks
9.3 Within our own projections, we have sought to use formulations that create upside risks (e.g. we have not introduced a multiplier for additional investment expenditure). Further, we have provided a fiscal buffer which amounts to over €1 billion in the four years 2017-‐2020 in case of any slippage. However, the impact on growth and fiscal projections from negative domestic and external developments cannot be ignored.
9.1 We have based our framework on the Government’s projections. Therefore, our framework contains the same risks. These have been highlighted in the Stability Programme Update: household indebtedness, continued domestic and European deflation, vulnerability in Irish banks’ asset books, etc. Most importantly, deviations from the Government’s baseline scenario could arise from external or domestic sources, with differing implications for growth and public finances.
9.4 That is why it is all the more vital that a new government move quickly to develop its investment profile – to drive productivity and efficiencies. Without substantial investment, we are at risk of losing competitiveness vis-à-vis other economies that maintain investment. A high investment economy is the best protection against any future downturns or unexpected developments.
9.2 The Government has identified these risks: world output, savings ratio and interest rates (the latter having the most potential to undermine forecasts). It is also concerning that the Government’s baseline projections are based on unchanged oil prices and the value of the Euro up to 2020, a state of affairs that is likely to change.
Donation of €22,000.00 was made from the CWU Charitable Fund CWU and Medisan Annual support for families over the Christmas by purchasing toys for Temple Street Hospital, The Family Resource Centre in Inchicore, the Women’s Family Support Centre in Rathmines, Artane and Galway Centre, and the Mercy Hospital in
Cork. The Fund also supported the distribution of hats, scarves, gloves and socks to the homeless in four centres in Dublin: Peter McVerry, Brother Kevin, Bow Street and Merchant’s Quay Centres, and Crosscare.
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Climate Change is Union Business We are facing a major challenge. The facts and science are there. Our global emissions of greenhouse gases continue to climb and the (business as usual) scenario takes us to a global temperature increase of +3 to 4°C compared to pre-industrial levels. This scenario would trigger an unprecedented humanitarian crisis threatening our very existence. We need to stay below +2°C if we want to give humanity a chance to adapt to the already on-going climatic changes. The root cause of the climate crisis is the same that triggered the financial crisis: market failure, shortterm thinking in financial markets and CEOs fuelling their pay with winning short-term returns on investment. Only 90 companies are responsible for two thirds of global emissions. Governments spend as much money on fossil fuel subsidies as on health care. Climate change is a threat to democracy and peace. This year is a crucial year. World leaders will meet in Paris at the UNFCCC COP21 from 30 November to 12 December 2015 with the aim of reaching a global agreement on climate change. 194 nations need to agree on how they will share their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at national and global levels and to mobilise financial resources to help developing countries adapt to climate change. This is a call for action. Climate change is our business: it is union business. In the lead up to Paris we need to push for mitigation, adaptation, finance and reporting every five years. Last but not least we need to mobilise people.
1
put back the language of “just transition” that has been stripped from the draft agreement;
2
raise ambition before 2020 and invest in the potential of jobs and climate action and commit to a binding review of effort;
3
support the most vulnerable with promised financial commitments.
As a trade union movement, we are asking for a just transition towards a low carbon economy, including the greening of jobs, green skills, social protection and funding for the poorest and most vulnerable people and nations. What can you do about it? You can do your part as follows. •
Make your voice heard and mobilize towards COP21
•
Sign up to the ITUC Climate Justice Pledge: http://act.ituc-csi.org/unions4climate
•
if you have not yet done so, you can sign up for the climate justice pledge as an organisation and ask other leaders to do so too. The UNI Global Union pledge includes a: a. b.
c.
d. On 14 and 15 September, the ITUC brought together 250 union leaders from around the world including from UNI. The Trade Union Climate Summit endorsed three key demands for the Paris Agreement calling on governments to:
e.
51
Call for a phase out of fossil fuel subsidies; Call for a shift in pension funds investment portfolio of at least 5% towards climate investments; Call on governments to mobilise funding and contribute up to 110 billion dollars/year by 2020 for international climate finance; Call on governments to adopt more ambitious emission reduction targets to have a chance of limiting global warming to maximum +2°C; Call on governments to reach zero carbon emissions globally by 2100.
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Education Update
Branch Secretary Stage 2 Training October 2015
The Union held the Branch Secretary Stage 2 course between October 13th and October 15th. As always it was well attended by various Branches from the Postal and Telecoms Sector. Pictured back row l-r: Oliver Butler Navan Postal, Matt Finnegan Cavan Postal, Caroline Maunsell Athlone Tels, Tony Harnett Kilmallock & District Postal , and Collette Healy Cork Tels. Pictured front row l-r: John Delaney Thurles Postal, Eddie Glenny eir Limerick District, Tom Murtagh Birr/Roscrea Postal, Liam O’Laighin Dublin C&A and Tom Prendergast Portlaoise Postal.
Pictured above: Colette Healy, Eddie Glenny & Liam O’Laighin
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Education Update
Branch Officer Training – September 15th & 16th
The Branch Officer training course was held in union head office last September and was attended by new Treasurers, Assistant Branch Secretaries and Assistant Chairpersons. The course covered various aspects of each role and other trade union topics. Our thanks to all those who attended. In attendance were: John Beale Kilkenny Postal, Norita Burke Tipperary Postal, John Byrne Portlaoise Mails Centre, Dina Considine Portlaoise Mails Centre, Nicola Cooney Castlebar Postal, William Donnelly Enniscorthy Postal, Helen Dunne Phelan Portlaoise Mails Centre, Helen Fleming Limerick Postal, David Kane Mullingar Postal, Tommy Kelly Tullamore Postal, Eamon Larkin Kilkenny Postal, Marie Macken Athlone Tels, James Morris Nenagh Postal, Mary Mulligan Athlone Tels, John Murphy Cork Outdoor, Julie Mulvaney Navan Postal, Larry O’Beirne Carrick on Shannon Postal, Peter O’Dwyer Waterford Postal, Sadie Quinn Athlone Tels, Lesley Sheridan DPAB, John Stokes Thurles Postal and Tom Walsh Galway Postal.
Limerick Postal Committee Training, September 25th & 26th The Limerick Postal Branch attended a Committee Training Course in the Castletroy Park Hotel on Friday 25th and Saturday 28th September. In attendance were Ger Hanrahan, Helen Fleming, Noel Kinsella, Ken Kiely, Chris Egan, Gearoid O Connor, Sinead Kearney, Michael Tobin and Ray Neville. Pictured are some of the attendees in Limerick 53
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FORGET ATMS, SEND THE ARMY IN TO GUARD ENDA’S GOB © Justine McCarthy, November 4 2015
The taoiseach’s fondness for gilding the lily is not a simple eccentricity that occasionally tickles the nation, it has its perils Someone needs to tell our great leader that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Every time Enda Kenny opens his mouth, he runs the risk of exploding a landmine. The potential for damage is incalculable. His handlers are so fearful that they would rather he never spoke at all. Perhaps the army should be deployed to form a ring of steel around the taoiseach’s gob, in the interests of national security. Mr Kenny’s white-knuckle story about soldiers defending the banks’ cash supplies gets weirder by the day. He told it, with vivid detail and theatrical gesticulations, at the European People’s Party conference in Madrid last month. According to him, Patrick Honohan, the governor of the Central Bank, said in 2012: “It looks like this weekend... you’ll have to put [the] army around the banks and around the ATM machines and introduce capital controls like they had in Cyprus.” How his EU colleagues must have drooled at the thought of the petit, strawberry-blond teacher from Castlebar calling in the generals to guard Ireland’s dosh. Except, it never happened. Gradually, the story crumbled. It became less Nancy Drew Saves Berlin and more The Secret Life of Enda Mitty. Back home on terra firma, the taoiseach ditched the word “army” in preference for the more oblique “security” and admitted that he had received “no specific” briefing from Mr Honohan on the issue. Mr Honohan said: “That’s not territory the Central Bank is or was involved in.” Mr Kenny has form for telling tall tales. In January he waxed lyrical about workers’ grovelling gratitude for tax cuts in Budget 2014. He said that people were contacting him, saying: “Well, I’m not sure whether it was a mistake or not but I seem to have got extra money in the last month.” Journalists were sceptical. Who were these batty workers with the inclination and the price of a stamp to send thankyou letters to a taoiseach who had been fleecing their pay packets for three years? Yup, Mr Kenny’s handlers later admitted: it never happened. Then there’s Two Pint Man. If Éamon de Valera was wont to look into his own heart to know what the nation was thinking, Mr Kenny looks into Two Pint Man’s mouth and plants his own fantasy words in it. He keeps encountering the ne’er-do-well, anti-water charges protester on his perambulations around Dublin. Every time they meet, the fellow has a pint in each hand. “I said to him what he was holding in his hands would pay for water for him for nearly ten weeks,” the Taoiseach told the Dail. Two Pint Man, one must presume, carries his
protest placard in his third hand. Whatever his grasp of recent Irish history, our leader’s knowledge of 20th-century world history is truly alarming. In 2012 – that was a vintage year for Enda’s imaginings – he delivered the oration at the annual Michael Collins commemoration in Beal na mBlath and gushed about how the Big Fellow brought Vladimir Lenin to Ireland “to see how the National Loan worked”. The main flaw in that story is that Comrade Lenin never set foot in Ireland. There is a common thread of Our Boys-style derring-do running though Mr Kenny’s stories. Sigmund Freud would have had a theory or three about them. Nine years ago, speaking in the Dail on Fine Gael’s Criminal Law (Home Defence) Bill, Mr Kenny told a scintillating yarn about his own swashbuckling experience, claiming that he was once mugged “by two people high on drugs with a knife”. Describing the episode as daunting, he said: “Until the day I die, I will remember the rasping sound of a knife being pulled from a leather scabbard...” Not even Johnny Depp could compete with that for piratical melodrama. There were, however, no civil rights campaigners laughing at the story. Mr Kenny chose to deliver himself of his tale in a climate of fear and loathing. The bill was introduced after the acquittal of Padraig Nally, a Mayo farmer, for the manslaughter of John Ward, a Traveller he shot dead after happening upon him in his farm house in 2004. Nally had successfully pleaded self-defence and the bill’s purpose was to allow people to use lethal force, if necessary, against intruders in order to protect themselves. Mr Kenny’s hair-raising story was not exactly designed to defuse public fear. He must have known that. He is not stupid. So we laugh and dismiss his flights of fancy at our peril. His fondness for purple prose and gilding the lily is not a simple eccentricity that occasionally tickles the nation. It has its perils. Alexander Pope, who coined the phrase about a little knowledge being dangerous, said that “shallow draughts intoxicate the brain”. Truth matters because it is the bedrock of trust. If you cannot believe what a political leader says, how can you trust him with your country? Mr Kenny is a likeable man and there is an endearing little-boy neediness in his proclivity for puffing himself up. It hints that, deep down, he feels unappreciated. What would Two Pint Man say about that? We will find out come the general election. That is, if Mr Kenny’s constant companion can bear to put down one of his pints to mark his ballot paper.
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C.W.U.H.A CONVOY REPORT 2015 This year’s convoy was extra special as it marked the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of C. W. U. H. A. and it coincided with the opening of the Phoenix Centre in Riscan, Moldova. The Centre is the first of it’s kind in Moldova catering for children with physical disabilities, who otherwise would not recieve any education or therapy. The C. W. U. Ireland and U. K. both contributed to the huge effort to get this centre up and running. After months of fundraising, purchasing, packing, loading and labeling finally on 9th September all three Irish vehicles set off to meet our U. K. counterparts in Hull. The first leg of our journey was the ferry to Holyhead, however our mood changed before we docked as Pat Broderick(Eircom) recieved the news that his Father had died suddenly. When we docked in Holyhead Pat had to get the ferry for his return journey, so we had to say our goodbyes and continue on our way. A few phonecalls were all it took for Supersub to spring into action and Ivor Reynolds packed a bag and met us in Hull the next morning, Mrs Reynolds must be a very understanding woman, or maybe she was happy to see him go. The crossing from Hull to Zeebrugge was fairly uneventful, and on arrival we were straight onto the motorway heading for Germany. After a long days driving we finally stopped for the night at a motel in Regensburg, a quick bite to eat and a good night’s sleep were in order as we knew we had another few long days ahead of us. The next few days were spent getting as many miles behind us as we could, and some of the drivers who hadn’t been on convoy before got a baptism of fire, although our own lads Charlie and Jimmy aquitted themselves very well and never had a problem. We passed the refugee camps at the Hungarian border, and seeing the plight of these people first hand was shocking to say the least. After five long days of sharing the roads with some of the craziest drivers in the world, we reached the border crossing at Sculeni, we got through the Romanian side fairly quickly but the Moldovan border guards were a different proposition, we were stuck in no mans land between the borders while the paperwork was sorted out , Victoria, the founder of mad-aid, our in country host, and Doru, who is a local businessman, went to deal with the problem while all us drivers availed of the free wi-fi and the sunshine. The problem was sorted and
after our extended break we were off again, the difference being now we were on Moldovan roads, the less said about the surface or lack of one the better. A few miles into our journey towards our base for the next few days, we had our first encounter with the local constabulary, one of the Royal Mail drivers was pulled over and spoken to by the police, he couldnt understand what they were saying but Victoria spoke to the police via our c. b. system and they let the lads go . We got to our base in Balti that afternoon and parked up, it was our first early finish since we’d left home so a cold beer was well deserved. The next morning was another early start but it was what we had all been working towards, the day we delivered our aid, as we were getting ready to head off we saw Pat Broderick who had flown out after his Fathers burial to join us to finish the job. That illustrates the committment of the man. We headed to the Phoenix Centre and on arrival we were met by some of the volunteers who gave us salt cake a traditional welcome gift, and we got to see all the work that had already been done to renovate the once derelict building. One complete wing of the building had been transformed from a crumbling wreck to a state of the art facility , all that was needed now was the fixtures and fittings that were in the trucks and vans to be unloaded. As we started to unload our aid the cheers and gasps of the people let us know how they appreciated the effort we had made to fulfill their wish-list and some tears were shed when they saw the full extent of what we had brought. Jimmy and Charlie had a van full of equipment for a sensory room and had to unload at a different entrance as some of the pieces were too big to go in the door. As each vehicle was unloaded the aid was separated as to it’s destination, some of it was to be distributed to needy families and some to the local hospital and the local orphanage. When each 55
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team finished unloading their vehicle there was a huge cheer and clapping along with thank you’s hugs and handshakes, these people couldn’t grasp why people from another country would do all this to help people they never met before, they were amazed . We kept going all day and well into the evening and the last job of the day was rolling out some astroturf that was lent to the centre for the opening. The aid for the orphanage and the hospital was reloaded into a couple of vans for delivery the following day , and we headed back to base after another long day. Early the next morning we broke into two groups, one group going to the hospital in Riscan and the other going to an orphanage a few kilometres away. On the way to the orphanage we noticed the extreme difference in living conditions, there were ornate mansions and all around them
were families living in what would best be described as pigeon lofts, a real example of the haves and have nots. On arrival at the orphanage we noticed that although clean the buildings were in bad need of repair , all the children were in their classrooms but the director said we could visit and meet the children, each class we entered we were met with a sea of smiles and as we were guided around and distributed presents we learned a lot of those smiles hid tragic and sad histories. The director let the children have a half-day so we delivered our aid and went to meet all the children in the school yard. They showed us around and told us about their daily lives, again they were amazed as to why we chose them to recieve our aid. They didnt care about designer labels they were just delighted to recieve new clothes and shoes.
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Labelling of Israeli Settlement Goods: EU Interpretive Notice Therefore, the current labels which often state ‘made in Israel’ or ‘product of Israel’ will no longer be sufficient for any goods produced in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (or the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights). For example, in the case of Palestine, labels which currently state ‘product from West Bank’ will no longer comply with EU labelling standards; suggested wording from the European Commission is to use ‘product from West Bank (Israeli settlement)’. Not only does this allow the consumer to identify goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements, but it will also ensure that goods produced by Palestinians will be identifiable, with suggested wording such as ‘product from Palestine’ or ‘product from West Bank (Palestinian product)’. Naturally, the Israeli government was more than displeased with the decision of the European Commission, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that the EU is punishing “the side that is being attacked by terrorism”. Furthermore, Yuval Steinitz, the Israeli energy minister, trotted out the tired claim that the new labelling requirements are “disguised antisemitism”. Nonetheless, a petition signed by more than 500 prominent Israeli figures, including former ambassadors, Israeli prize winners and former MPs, welcomed the move: “This kind of distinction can also serve to reduce the current levels of tension, fear and despair, among both Israelis and Palestinians.”
After three years of deliberation on the requirement for goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements to be correctly labelled before being sold in the EU, the European Commission has finally issued new guidelines on the need to distinguish between goods produced in Israel (within the pre-1967 borders) and those produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. (The European Union does not recognise any part of the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights or East Jerusalem as Israeli territory.) Goods from Israeli settlements are already clearly labelled by the UK, Belgium and Denmark. There are two types of labelling requirements in the EU: namely, mandatory labelling and voluntary labelling. The goods in the mandatory labelling category include fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, olive oil, wine, poultry, organic products and cosmetics. Voluntary labelling refers primarily to pre-packed food products and industrial products. The Interpretive Notice issued by the European Commission explains the reasoning for mandatory labelling of all produce from illegal Israeli settlements: “[I]n accordance with EU consumer protection legislation, indication of origin becomes mandatory when the omission of that information would mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product or when such omission causes or is likely to cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision that he would not have taken otherwise.”
The CWU would like to remind our members that it is the policy of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to boycott goods from illegal Israeli settlements, until such time as Israel respects international humanitarian law. Union members – and all consumers – can use this non-violent action to pressure Israel into ending its occupation of Palestine, lifting the siege on Gaza and allowing Palestinians to live in peace and dignity with the full right to self-determination which has been denied to them for decades. In the words of Nelson Mandela: “We know all too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Members can use the following information if they choose to observe the consumer boycott. Supermarket products from Occupied Territories – check product label: Oranges Avocados Grapefruits Potatoes Fresh Basil
Fresh Rosemary Fresh Chives Fresh Parsley Fresh Sage Bell Peppers
Dates Figs Sharon Fruits Golan Heights Wine Meat-Free Mince 58
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Companies that operate in the Occupied Territories and/or Profit from the Occupation:
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Equality Update
ICTU Disability Seminar Waterford
Pictured left: Minister Aodhán O Ríordáin at the seminar
The CWU attended this very informative ICTU seminar held in the Tower Hotel in Waterford in the middle of October. The theme of the seminar was “Decent Work for People with Disabilities” with the keynote address from Minister Aodhán O Ríordáin, who spoke on foot of the recent launch of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities. The seminar also dealt with employment strategies for people with disabilities and provided an update on activities both north and south of the border. There was a report from people with disabilities in employment and their experiences which was supplemented by Dorothy Watson from the ERSI who gave a presentation on the
educational and employment experiences of people with disabilities. The presentation detailed the lower levels of participation in the labour market and the reasons for same. Robert Forde who is a member of the ESU addressed the seminar as did Lorcan Byrne and Marion Behan of the INMO. Several other speakers gave insightful inputs the details of which can be found on the ICTU website. In attendance on behalf of the CWU Equality and Diversity Committee were Ken Good Letterkenny Postal, Breege Mulroe eir Sligo Section, Ellen Moore Portlaoise Mails Centre, Margaret Jenkins eir Dublin No 1 and Liam O’Laighin from the Dublin C&A branch.
CWU Equality Representative Training
The union was also very pleased to welcome Adelaide Nic Chárthaigh, from the Suas Programme to our training. Adelaide is the Ireland Education & Business Development Manager for Suas and she gave a comprehensive presentation on the programme and how the union can get more involved. The next call for volunteers will be January 2016.
There is more information on Suas in Connect and from the Suas website. www.suas.ie/volunteer-ireland
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Equality Update
CWU Equality Representative Training
Pictured above back row l-r: Tara Ravenhill Athlone Mails Centre, Derek Williams Dublin C&A, Carl Moorhouse eir Dublin No 2, Imelda Devaney eir Dublin No 3, Deirdre O’Hara eir Dublin No 2, Gregory McGovern Cavan Postal, Lori Ann O’Connor Dublin C&A and Tom O’Donoghue An Post Kilmallock & District. Front Row l-r: Geraldine McManus Portlaoise Mails Centre, Paul Farren Westport Postal, Caroline McCaughey Mullingar Postal, Fiona Duff Dublin Postal Clerks, Chris O’Reilly Gorey Postal and John Tracey Thurles Postal
Once again we had a full house at the equality representative training course, which was attended by a cross section of branches. The training addressed a variety of issues from work life balance to equality in trade unions. This course deals with issues from an employment equality perspective across the nine grounds and is aimed at elected representatives who wish to progress this agenda at branch level. We wish to thank all the attendees for their active participation. 61
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‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’ Nelson Mandela. on a one-to-one basis to practice reading and writing in an environment where it is okay to take risks, make mistakes and learn at their own pace.
Research shows that children who don’t learn to read, write and communicate effectively at primary school are more likely to leave school early. Are more likely to be unemployed or in low skilled jobs. And are more likely to have health problems both emotional and physical.
Would you like to make a difference in the lives of girls and boys through education? If so, volunteering on a Suas literacy support project might be for you.
In Ireland 1 in 10 children have serious literacy difficulties. In designated disadvantaged schools (DEIS) this figure can rise to 1 in 3. Suas Educational Development believes in the power of education and in partnership with CWU works with DEIS schools in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Galway and Limerick to help schoolchildren (8-14 years old) to improve their reading. What do we do? Basically, Suas recruits and trains volunteers to work with schoolchildren “At Suas w e are delighted to have been chosen as one of the Communications Workers Union’s charities. We see education as key to social transformation and the first, and most important, step in changing lives. Because of CWU’s’generous support in 2015/16 , 1000 struggling children will receive Suas literacy mentorship in DEIS schools serving disadvantaged areas. 1000 children will have a chance to make reading improvements that will stay with them for life, along with the confidence and self-esteem that brings. Thank you to all members of the Communications Workers Union for making this possible. Thank you for giving children a better chance to reach their potential and a brighter future.” Allison Aldred, Suas CEO
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As a paired reading volunteer you attend for just 1 hour per week for 8 weeks in a school close to you
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The schools you volunteer in are recognised as schools serving disadvantaged communities
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Working with the same girl or boy every week you help them to read on a one-to-one basis
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Suas provides full training in advance
But, the Literacy Support Programme is about more than reading and writing. It’s also about you becoming a rolemodel in a child’s life. You can give a child a new, bigger perspective on their future. To date, in 2015, we have trained 900 Mentors. But we have a huge demand from schools and they need more volunteers - people like you. Next call for volunteers will be in January 2016
tI hard words bu “The book has st be t. It was the spelled them ou as h I could do Su book ever. I wis again”. 9 Kimberlee, age
“The puil s felt a gr eat sense portance of self-im ha You could ving a dedicated mentor. see their fa they walk ces light u ed p when up their b into the room and ook’. picked Niall Hen eghan, School P rincipal
ren’s company much I enjoyed the child w ho by d ise rpr su s wa “I It was fascie I had something to offer. and it felt good to feel lik d ability of each ences in temperament an fer dif the e tic no to g tin na time e is money they say but Tim ly. ng rdi co ac t ap ad childand to ers has the most value”. ) freely given in helping oth (Suas Volunteer Mentor
For further information: http://www.suas.ie/volunteer-ireland Adelaide Nic Charthaigh adelaide@suas.ie 62
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Working Time Judgement On the 10th September 2015 the European Court of Justice issued a land mark decision in relation to the Working Time Directive.
Definition of Working Time The Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) defines working time as any period during which the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal and carrying out his activity, or duties, in accordance with national laws and/or practice. Any period which is not working time is regarded as a rest period.
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The Court considers workers in such a situation to be carrying out their activity or duties over the whole duration of those journeys.
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The Court took the view that the workers are at the employer’s disposal for the time of the journeys
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In addition the Court considers the workers to be working during the journeys
Case
Impact of this decision
Spain’s largest Trade Union, Comisiones Obreras , took a case against Tyco Integrated Security, a security system installation company. This case was referred to the European Court of Justice when the National High Court in Spain asked whether
Once the European Court of Justice issue a finding the decision is directly effective in the public sector. However, in order for it to be implemented in the private sector new legislation needs to be introduced and this is likely to take some time. This finding should apply to workers who do not have a fixed place of work and normally travels as part of their working day. The type of industry impacted could include sales reps and technicians who do not have a fixed place of work. As a result of this finding this time is now considered to be working time. Workers in such circumstances could now receive payments for travelling to and from work and could see their working time reduced
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The time spent by workers travelling to their first job if they have no fixed or habitual place of work should be regarded as working time
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Whether their travel home from their last job in these circumstances should also be regarded as working time
The Workers concerned had no fixed place of work. They each have the use of a company vehicle for travelling every day from their homes to the various places of work and to return home at the end of the day. The distances between their homes and the places where they carry out their work varied greatly and could sometime be as much as a 100 kilometres. In order to carry out their duties they are provided with a mobile phone and on the eve of their working day they receive a task list identifying their work locations. Tyco did not treat this time as working time but rather considered it be a rest period.
Court Decision •
The Court of Justice declared that, where workers, such as those in the situation at issue, do not have a fixed or habitual place of work, the time spent by those workers travelling each day between their homes and the premises of the first and last customers designated by their employer constitutes working time within the meaning of the directive. 63
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CWU People
Mullingar Educate Together School Rathgowan, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Local Postman at Mullingar Educate Together School are working hard on their letters to Santa and the postmen and women in Mullingar and countrywide are looking forward to getting them to the North Pole as soon as possible.
Recently, local postman, Barry Carr, visited the Senior Infants classes and their teachers, Sorcha and Teresa, at Mullingar Educate Together School, Rathgowan, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The classes had already watched some videos on anpostschoolbag.ie, so Barry explained to the children about the journey of a letter once it was posted. He explained about the mail centres and how the letters arrive the next day to their destination. Some of the questions asked by the children were priceless and great fun was had by all. All the children
Tommy Deegan Retires Tommy Deegan retired recently as Branch Secretary, following 41 years’ service with An Post. He would have been “on the picket” in ’79. He will be greatly missed and all his colleagues wish him health and happiness in his retirement. Pictured l to r: P. J. Farrell, Chair, Tommy Deegan, Retiree Branch Secretary, and Sean Morrissey, Treasurer, all from the Kilkenny Branch.
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CWU People
Sam visits Cardiff Lane
J
OHN SMALL fulfilled his promise to his work colleagues at An Post Cardiff Lane Delivery Service Unit by making his workplace one of the first ports of call for the Sam Maguire Cup on its triumphant lap of honour amongst the exultant populace of the City and County of Dublin. As seen by the pictures below, John and Sam were well received by his colleagues, many of whom would have been cheering him to victory at Croke Park on the previous Sunday.
John’s fledgling career has been mentored by his father, fellow CWU member, Declan Small, Manager of the Dublin T.V. Licence Section and also Chairman of Ballymun Kickham’s G.A.A. Club. John’s success on the football field is mirrored by his recent academic achievement in graduating from St Patrick’s Teacher Training College, Drumcondra, so John and his family have plenty to celebrate and much to look forward to both on and off the field of play in the years to come. Well done to an impressive young man!
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CWU People
Marathon Man ... Jim Aughney This year the Dublin Marathon attracted a record number of 15,216 participants, representing 62 different nationalities. Among the 10,800 Irish, who took to the starting line on Monday 26 October for the 36th running of the event, were CWU members, many of whom were raising money for very worthwhile causes. Keeping things running smoothly on the day was the long time marathon race director Jim Aughney (CWU Managers Branch). The Carlowman’s efforts over the years, and those of the marathon organizing team have been rewarded, not only with record entrants, but also with a reputation as one of the best run and friendliest marathons in Europe.
Next year marks a new milestone as the 2016 Marathon moves to a Sunday rather than the traditional October Bank Holiday Monday date. Jim says “this year, we had over 2,000 participants coming from the UK and Northern Ireland, but we would like to see this figure double for the marathon in 2016. “By moving the race to Sunday, we are hoping to encourage runners to spend the full weekend in Dublin” If you have been thinking about the challenge of running a marathon ……..now is the time for a new year resolution and maybe a chance to help a worthy cause in the process!!
Start of the Dublin Marathon 2015 Jim Aughney Race Director Dublin Marathon
Pat O’Hara Retires
Pat O’Hara (Dublin No 1 Branch) has retired from eir after forty eight years’ service. Pat has a strong family tradition of service in eir dating back to the the old department of P&T. This tradition is carried on by his daughter Deirdre, who is an active member of the CWU Dublin No 2 Committee. Pat was very much associated with Exchequer St and Dame Court, (Radio Room), before the move to Blanchardstown and then Citywest. NMC. A proud Longford man, Pat was joined for a “parting glass” at the Stag’s Head by many of his friends and former colleagues, who gave him a rousing send-off . Ivor Reynolds (National Executive Council) presented Pat with the Union Scroll, and thanked him for his long and loyal service as a union member. To Pat and his family. we wish a long and healthy retirement.
Ivor Reynolds presents Pat with his Union Scroll 66
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CWU People
The CWU would like to welcome UNI Global Union’s newest affiliate, the Palestinian Postal Service Workers’ Union
The CWU has a proud history of fighting for workers’ rights both in Ireland and internationally, and in this tradition we extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the PPSWU who are engaged in a struggle on two fronts: firstly, to promote the rights of workers in the postal service; and secondly, for the right of all Palestinians to live in peace and dignity.
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CWU People
Donation of €1,000.000 to the Rainbow Club, Cork
Martina O’Connell, Vice-President of the CWU, is pictured at the presentation to the Rainbow Club “After School Club” for Autistic Children. Included in the photo are, Karen O’Mahony, founder of the club, and Trevor McCarthy, postperson, South City Delivery Office, along with the Rainbow volunteers.
Veronica Browne Retires Photo shows Veronica on her last day of service (29th October 2015) with her teammates. She is being presented by flowers by her manager John Connors (Dublin No. 3 Branch). Veronica was one of the longest serving members within our branch and we wish her a long and fruitful retirement.
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CWU People
Annual Mass for Deceased eircom Colleagues
Dolores Flynn RIP Paddy Grant RIP regarding setting up a distress fund for the Post Office Workers. Paddy carried the CWU banner at last year’s Jim Connell festival in Crossakiel at the age of 83. Dolores Flynn never missed a day on the picket line in the 19 weeks of the dispute. Dolores was always there to keep her colleagues going and give them a lift when times got tough and head went down. Both will be remembered and sadly missed by all who knew them in the Kells Postal Branch.
The Jim Connell Society would like to express their deepest sympathy with the families of Dolores Flynn and Paddy Grant. Both were members of the Union and played a major role in the famous 1979 Postal Strike in the Kells area. Paddy was the local secretary at the time and will always be remembered for the incident involving a fax machine in a multi-national company when the Manager refused to allow him and Tommy Grimes permission to speak to the Shop Stewarts
Dolores Flynn
Paddy Grant
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Books reviewed by Adrienne Power TWO POSTAL WORKERS/ CWU MEMBERS HAVE WRITTEN BOOKS SMILE – YOU’RE DEAD by James McKeon Available from Amazon James McKeon, Cork, now in the Retired Members Section of the Cork Drivers Branch has written his 14th “Smile – You’re Dead” published last month. It is available from Amazon. It is described as a “Raunchy Thriller”. It follows the exploits of Eric Smith,
ex SAS, now assassin for hire. His new contract is to kill an American Cardinal on a visit to Ireland. Eric has been a lucky man up until now through all his dangerous assignments…is his luck about to run out? Fast moving and gritty, this book is a “James Bond for the New Millennium”
SCENES FROM AN INDIAN SUMMER by John Fogarty Available from Amazon UK and the Book Depository endings. President John F Kennedy, with his impossible white teeth and movie star good looks, is visiting Ireland. People in the villages and towns listen to his speeches on the radio. There is great excitement over the arrival of a new cooker. The blight of emigration pulls families apart. There are hushed fears and whispers when a neighbour disappears into hospital for a week. Poverty is rampant. Life is simpler. The gentle rhythm of country life enfolds us. This book is a chronicle of a rural past no longer with us. Full of charm and humour yet realistic and philosophical, w e are whisked down memory lane which produces a longing for the good ol’ days!
John Fogarty is a Postman in Clonmel and has written his debut novel “Scenes from an Indian Summer”. This was published in September and is available from Amazon UK and the Book Depository. It was shortlisted for the RTE Guide/Penguin Book Prize in 2013 (one of five chosen from over five-hundred submissions). “….there would always be something to look forward to. And look back on. Life, it seemed was to be all about endings. And beginnings.” It is June 1963. At long last the freedom of summertime has arrived for Jonno and his brothers Paudie and Jim and friends Judo and Horse. They can leave behind the tyranny of school and the sour looks of Brother Virgilus. Now they are free to run below the foothills of Sliabhnamon in their make-believe world of cowboys and Indians to their heart’s content. That summer becomes a time of beginnings and
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Deduction at Source Personal Details Surname ........................................................
Female
Forename(s) ...................................................
Male
Part-time Temporary Agency Worker Contractor
SEPA Direct Debit Mandate
PLEASE COMPLETE ALL THE FIELDS BELOW MARKED ✱ Your Name:
Line 1 ................................................................................
City/Postcode:
Your Address:
✱
Account number (IBAN):
✱
Country:
Line 2 ................................................................................
✱
Swift BIC:
Communications Workers’ Union William Norton House 575 North Circular Road Dublin 1 Ireland
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO: Name: Address line 1: Address line 2: Address line 3:
✱
Date of Signing: .............................................................................................
Signature(s): ...................................................................................................
✓ ✱
TYPE OF PAYMENT: RECURRENT
Creditors Creditors Creditors Creditors Country:
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✱
✱
Any personal information provided by you to this Union will be used for purposes consistent with your membership of this Union. Other than the Company listed by you on the form, your details will not be revealed by the Union to any external body, unless the Union has your permission, or is under a legal obligation to do so.
As part of your rights, you are entitled to a refund from your bank under the terms and conditions of your agreement with your bank. A refund must be claimed within 8 weeks, starting from the date on which your account was debited. Your rights are explained in a statement that you can obtain from your bank.
LEGAL TEXT: By signing this mandate form, you authorise (A) COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS’ UNION to send instructions to your bank to debit your account and (B) your bank to debit your account in accordance with the instruction from COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS’ UNION.
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM IN BLACK CAPITALS
Creditor Identifier: IE82ZZZ304979
Unique Mandate Reference
PLEASE COMPLETE FORMS IN BLOCK CAPITALS
OFFICE USE ONLY CWU NO. .........................
Date of Birth .................................................................................................... Staff No. .........................................................................................................
Contact Details Home Address ................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................ .......................................................... Home Tel .............................................
Work Tel ............................................ Mobile ................................................ Email ...............................................................................................................
Employment Details Name of Company ......................................................................................... and Agency (if applicable) ............................................................................. Employer’s Address ........................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................
Your work location (if different) ....................................................................... Branch Name ................................................................................................. Date of commencement with current employer .............../............... /.............. Managerial Non-Managerial Call Centre/Customer Care Retail
Current Grade/Job Title ................................................................................... Current Status: (tick all that apply)
Signature .............................................. Date .............................................. Branch Branch Secretary .............................................. Name ............................................ (where applicable)
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Negotiate with your employer on your behalf on all matters
Provide you with a personal service ranging from confidential, work-related information advice, to legal advice
Assist you in your training and development needs and offer you a number of training courses free-ofcharge
Advise you on all issues related to Health and Safety
Give you access to information on all aspects of your employment
Keep you up-to-date and informed on developments in your sector via Union magazines, bulletins, your own section on the CWU website and a local presence in your workplace
Include you in the bigger picture, as the CWU works on a national level with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
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What can We Do for You?
Send completed Application Form, together with completed Direct Debit Instruction, to:
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Please ensure you fill out all the information required
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I recognise that these deductions, being made solely as a measure of convenience to me, may be terminated at any time. I also recognise that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the deductions have, in fact, been made from my pay rest with myself, and that beyond making remittances on foot of sums deducted for credit to the account of my Union, the Company accepts no responsibility of any kind in this matter.
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––––––––––––––––––––––––––– from my basic pay in respect of my contribution under the Scheme of Deductions and Subscriptions to Staff Associations and pay that amount to the Communications Workers’ Union, William Norton House, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1.
Until further notice and commencing on ____________________________, please deduct
INSTRUCTIONS TO PAYROLL
The Membership Department Communications Workers’ Union William Norton House 575 North Circular Road Dublin 1
Please ensure you complete both the Application Form and the Direct Debit Instruction
Please complete both forms in BLOCK CAPITALS
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Guide for completing Application Form
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