Connect June 2013

SUMMER 2013 VOL: 15

NO. 2

Editorial

Dear Colleague,

Contents Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Organising Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Congress – Disability Activation Project . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Insurance Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Postal Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eMobile Special Offer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Delegation meets Minister for Communications . .

Youth Committee Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Colleen Cleary, Solicitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Medisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Telecoms Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Group Schemes Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

William Norton House Conference Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Education Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Equality Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Humanitarian Aid Moldova Convoy 2013 . . . . . . .

Workers Memorial Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TB in the Post Office and the establishment of Medisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Health & Safety, 1913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Columbia at a Crossroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UNI Global Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Orphans’ Pension Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FM Downes Insurance & Mortgage brokers . . . . . . . . . esccu Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An Post Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

President Michael D. Higgins delivers inaugural Dónal Nevin Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Retired Members Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CWU Membership Application Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2-3 4-9 10 11 12-19 20 21 22-25 26 27 28-31 32 33 34-36 37 37 38 39 40-43 44-45 46-49 50 51 52 53 54-55 56-59 60 61-69 70 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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As you will see from the front of this edition of Connect, six of your comrades will be taking part in the next CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy to Moldova in and around next September.

Those members, along with their friends from the CWU United Kingdom, will make the long journey having been intimately involved in realising the wish list from the various hospitals and orphanages in what is a very deprived part of Eastern Europe. Of course, they could not raise the necessary funds and goods to partake in the convoy were it not for the assistance of individual union members and various branches throughout the country. The assistance from senior management in An Post and eircom in releasing these members without any cost and providing the necessary trucks, is also extremely welcome and is an example of how companies and workers can work together to assist people who are in dire need of aid.

Of course, the Humanitarian Aid Convoys are but one facet of the charitable work carried out by the Communications Workers’ Union.

The CWU Charitable Fund distributes tens of thousands of euros to worthy causes both at home and abroad. Indeed, over many years there have been sizable donations made to various people/charities in need across the world with the fund being in a position to react to major catastrophes as evidenced in Africa, Asia and most recently in Haiti. For many years, the Union has been involved at home with building homes for people with special needs through the Intellectual Disability Fund, providing funds for the Hospice Foundation and of course providing continuous assistance for members in need. Most of this work is never commented on through the media, or

well off in our society would be almost nonexistent if it was not for ICTU Centres throughout the country which are often supplemented by the use of local trade union premises.

The continuing attacks on trade union members and Steve Fitzpatrick, on workers generally, General Secretary, CWU does not focus on the broader benefit of the trade union movement to society and of the deficit which would be left in the event of that movement being dismantled. Of course, to recognise any of those achievements would be to weaken the justification for those ongoing attacks. Trade unions are an absolute necessity for balance in society and indeed, it is the hallmark of every totalitarian regime that there is an absence of free trade unions. Without that balance, it is likely that the capitalist model itself would collapse.

Notwithstanding the above, there is still a duty on trade unions to build and develop their role in society and to tell their story in such a way that it attracts further involvement. The movement itself needs to redevelop its connection with communities throughout the country to use its resources and muscle to develop policies that will serve those communities. There is little hope in the short term that the various parties on the left and the individual trade unions will find sufficient common ground to form any alternative to the present government merry-go round at any time in the near future. In the absence, of such a development, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions must accelerate its work in developing well thought out and costed policies which can be adopted by any and all of the people who support our wish for a fairer society. As previously reported there has been progress in this work, particularly through the Nevin Economic Research Institute which is proof positive of what we can achieve when we work together. The challenge for the future is that this work continues and grows.

never covered in any way. This is an example of how the media is only interested in printing adverse stories about trade unions and I suppose it is fair to say that it underlines the fact that we have no friends in the privately owned media and that their main task in relation to trade unions is to generally undermine them. It was for that reason that we commissioned the recent television programme “Delivering a Special Wish� which has been shown numerous times on television and which has been well received by our members.

The work of trade unions through charitable donations is quite broad-based throughout the country and many unions carry out similar activities to our own. Thousands of other union members are also members of other charitable funds, often run by the employer or run on a Congress-wide basis, such as the ICTU Third World Fund. Those charitable donations are often backed up by involvement by trade union members in delivering greatly needed services throughout the Developing World. Once again, it is rare to see any reportage of those massive efforts made through the trade union movement to help support those in need. It seems to me the lack of coverage of those actions, not only does the truth a disservice but it also means that it makes it more difficult to raise much needed funds if news of the good work is not being spread around. In my opinion it is yet another argument for the trade union movement to develop its own co-ordinated communications stream.

It often strikes me, that outside of the critical dayto-day work done by unions on behalf of their members in relation to pay and conditions, other than charity work, the trade union movement plays a much larger role in society than it is given credit for. For many workers the only education they receive outside of school comes through their trade union, whether that is in relation to trade union studies or in relation to upgrading of education, through PC skills etc. Indeed, it is my experience that in most communities, whether it be sporting organisations, community organisations, credit unions, tidy towns committees etc., you will find some trade union activist who is putting the skills learned through their trade union to good use and to the benefit of their local community. In many cases, community activities and assistance for those less 3

Supreme Court decision speeds race to the bottom

established practice in Ireland, ensuring that wages and terms and conditions, in industries where employment is often temporary and precarious, are negotiated and agreed.

The Supreme Court decision is the latest in the dismantling of these vital protections for some of the most vulnerable and low paid workers in the state. In 2011, a High Court case taken by John Grace Fried Chicken challenged the legality of the agreement in the catering sector. The court found that the ERO was unconstitutional and led to the creation of new legislation in 2012 which allowed employers to challenge the applicability of the agreement and plead inability to pay.

This latest ruling, an appeal to an earlier High Court decision on a specific REA for electricians in the construction industry, found that the agreements were unconstitutional.

While supporters of this decision have been quick to point out that the ruling does not alter existing contracts, it represents a massive shift in the way in which employment standards are negotiated in this country. And it is worth noting that due to this significant decision there may be situations where, depending on the wording of some contracts, employers may lawfully change existing terms. New hires in the affected sectors will not be afforded the protections that were previously available

On the 9th May 2013, the Supreme Court issued a decision regarding Registered Employment Agreements (McGowan & ors v Labour Court Ireland & anor) that will have far reaching implications for hundreds of thousands of workers in Ireland.

The Jargon Explained: REA: Registered Employment Agreement ERO: Employment Regulation Order JLC: Joint Labour Committee – representatives of the main unions and employers in the Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) are employment agreements negotiated between trade unions and employers that cover pay rates and terms of employment in certain sectors and were negotiated and agreed by a Joint Labour Committee. These agreements were then registered with the Labour Court and became legally binding. REAs, together with Employment Regulations Orders (EROs), formed part of a wage setting mechanism that has existed since 1946 allowing

Workers on the steps of the Labour Court after delivering their JLC submission and will have to rely only on minimum wage legislation.

Employers will now be able to undercut the current rates paid to workers. This is another step in the race to the bottom for wages in Ireland and will have an impact far beyond just those workers directly affected.

wages and benefits, including pensions, to be set on a collective basis for whole sectors. These agreements set pay and conditions for workers in five sectors including cleaning, electrical contracting and construction.

Collective agreements of this type have been long 4

The centralised wage setting mechanism that existed under these agreements also created an atmosphere of industrial peace. Due to this finding, the Labour Court will no longer be able to enforce minimum wages and terms in the affected sectors. This will lead to more local bargaining and lower wages for workers who are already in some of the sectors worst affected by the recession.

This ruling marks a significant attack on workers’ rights and the ability of their trade unions to bargain

collectively on their behalf. In a country where workers and their unions do not have a legal right to collective bargaining, the decision to dismantle the ability to set sector-wide agreements is particularly disquieting. As a trade union movement we must continue to fight for the right to collectively bargain and organise, to protect those vulnerable workers who do not enjoy the same benefits as many of our members do – the ability to negotiate with their employer.

Delegates debate Union communications infrastructure at private sector session at spring seminar Over 30 attendees from a diverse range of companies attended the private sector session at spring seminar in Wexford. The theme of this year’s session was the communications infrastructure of the CWU. It has been mentioned, half in jest and half in earnest, that as a Communications Union we don’t communicate very well! This is an issue that organisers are determined to address. For example we have rejuvenated our website and organised campaigns on facebook. This session gave the opportunity for delegates to feed back on how the communications structure currently operates and suggest how we can improve our communications network.

The topic of the session was well received, with delegates commenting that this was a subject that they would like to see addressed. The level of participation was very positive, with contributions from across the companies and from all levels of experience.

There was lively debate and plenty of sharing of ideas and information, and there were some innovative proposals. For example, one delegate suggested organising a family day out for members to improve the social aspect of local branches. Other suggestions included the benefits of using tools such as ‘What’s

App?’ This is already being used successfully by the Vodafone retail forum as a method of communicating between activists. The General Secretary attended the meeting and was very impressed by the knowledge and commitment of the attendees.

We aim to use the information gathered at the session to improve our overall communication systems. We are already researching the development of a mobile website/ App for members. Once again we would like to thank all of those who participated for their efforts.

Customer Abuse Survey Update Earlier this year Organisers, Branch Secretaries and members of the NEC visited communication retail outlets up and down the country. The purpose of the visits was to distribute a survey to ascertain the impact of abusive customers on the daily working lives of members working in the industry.

We are currently collating and analysing the responses. When we have completed this we will then discuss our findings with branches and retail forums where members are based. This will help us decide on our next steps.

We will keep you updated with the progress that we make. We thank all of those who took the time to complete the survey.

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Activists enjoy Workplace Leader Training

with management and negotiating skills, including a step by step guide to handling cases. Through role plays, the activists also got to negotiate with a demanding employer who they handled with great composure! Finally the members were brought through the process of talking to their colleagues about joining the union and the common objections that are often given.

The day was designed to allow the maximum amount of participation and debate to encourage members to think about their workplace and what changes might be made to improve the working lives of their colleagues and themselves. The day was very positive and enjoyable and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the future.

Would you like to find out more about Workplace Leader Training? If you would like to become more active in your union and learn about the benefits of taking part in Workplace Leader Training contact Fionnuala at fnib@cwu.ie

On the 24th May 2013, activists from One Direct and O2 took part in Workplace Leader Training in Athlone.

There was a great mix of experience in the group, with some members having experience of representing members and negotiating with management, while for some it was their very first venture into getting more active in their union. The training began with a discussion on what being a union representative means.

Activists were encouraged to explore what the role entails and look beyond the basic functions of a shop steward to consider their role as organisers in their workplace. The session then moved on to practical guidance on dealing with members’ issues, how to deal

CWU Meteor/eMobile retail forum meet in Cork

colleagues experience in retail. While at the same time they were impressed by the dedication and commitment of their colleagues in retail. Kate and Danielle have already received union training while Lauren and Stephen have volunteered to attend the next available training course.

It is proposed that there will be a new retail section structured in the Branch and that a member from the retail forum will be co-opted on to the Branch to represent their colleagues in retail.

The formation of a retail forum in Cork and subsequent integration into the local Branch represents an important milestone for the organising campaign. It illustrates that organising is not an isolated activity in the union and that for campaigns to be successful the participation of organisers, rank and file members, Branch Secretaries, Education officers, NEC members and the support of other union officials is critical.

Our next step is to arrange meetings in Limerick and Galway with a view to replicating this process.

An inaugural eircom retail forum meeting in took place in Cork recently. The meeting was attended by Lauren Coleing-Higgins, Kate Finerty, Danielle Condon and Stephen Byrd who work at eircom retail stores in Cork.

Also present were Gerard O’Rourke, CWU Organiser, Noel Murphy, Cork District Branch Secretary, Jim Power, Cork District Branch and Tom Sheehan, NEC.

Are you working in an eircom retail outlet?

Would you like to become more involved in your union?

The meeting was a great success and there was interesting debate on many issues. It was fascinating to listen to the issues that the newer members encounter in their day to day working life. I think some of the more experienced branch members were surprised at the difficulties our

If so, contact gerard@cwu.ie who will answer any questions you may have on the subject.

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Do the clothes on our backs leave blood on our hands?

Just before 9 a.m. on 24th April, the eight-story Rana Plaza, which contained five garment factories, collapsed in the Dhaka suburb of Savar. The building housed at least 3,500 workers and opened despite warnings to close after severe cracks appeared in walls. By early May, the death toll had reached over 1,100. The greater tragedy is that this is just another in a long list of industrial accidents that have occurred in the clothing industry in Asia in the recent past. In November, 112 garment workers died in a factory fire at Tazreen Fashions Ltd. in Dhaka. There were then 41 other “fire incidents” in Bangladesh factories — killing nine workers and injuring more than 660 — in the following five months. In the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster another eight people were killed when a blaze raced through another garment factory in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, industrial accidents in the clothing trade are not confined to Bangladesh. On 11th September 2012, 289 people died in a fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi, Pakistan.

There are concerns about how genuine global corporations are in relation to Bangladeshi workers. In 2011 several major western retailers, led by Wal-Mart, rejected a proposal made by a group of Bangladeshi and international Unions that proposed a way to make Bangladesh’s garment factories safer through establishing an independent inspectorate to oversee all factories in Bangladesh. These inspectorates would have had “powers to shut down unsafe facilities as part of a legally binding contract signed by suppliers, customers and unions.”

The circumstances that surround the situation the workers face are complex, but the underlying reason for poor working conditions, poor wages and disregard for the health and safety of workers is the desire of capital to make as much profit as possible.

Writing in the Irish Times Fintan O’ Toole correctly points out that “The single but crucial difference between the 19th-century toiler in a Lancashire cotton mill and the woman sent back in to work in a crumbling sweatshop in Dhaka is trade unions”. Indeed, had the workers in Rana Plaza enjoyed the right to unionise, they probably would have refused to go back to work in the dilapidated building.

What drives the sweat shop culture?

In the aftermath of the tragedy some commentators attempted to deflect the blame away from corrupt capitalists and blame consumer demand for cheap clothing. Whilst it is true that low cost companies such as Penney’s do source clothing in Bangladesh, so do “high end” companies including GAP and Benetton.

Furthermore, it is hard to manage a global supply chain and reports suggest that many companies do not know where their garments are manufactured. Outsourcing to manufacturers that have even lower employment standards is rampant. Retailers such as Wal-Mart claim they want to enforce more ethical safety and labour standards in these Asian factories, but they want their products to be so low-priced that they are making it difficult for the factories to operate according to those standards

According to a 2011 report by the consulting firm O’Rourke Group Partners, when a $14 polo shirt (made in Bangladesh) is sold in Canada a worker receive 12 cents a shirt 7

agreement may leave it open to lawsuits from aggrieved workers. Cynics may suggest that Wal-Mart might be better off avoiding law suits by ensuring that their garments are manufactured in safe factories and that workers in these factories are treated better. As consumers we tend to have developed a sense of collective apathy to the plight of our fellow workers in Bangladesh. So what can we do?

Union protection “Organised labour civilised the industrial revolution. It forced states to set safety standards and police them; it ended child labour and set limits to working hours. It forced employers to share some of their profits and pay a living wage. And these hard-won changes didn’t destroy the Industrial Revolution – on the contrary, they made it more innovative by forcing factories to rely on something more than the mere cheapness of their goods.

Cartoon from Punch depicting the rag trade in Britain in the 1800s

(Over 1,100 workers died in the Rana Plaza factory collapse)

This is the single biggest factor missing in the sweatshops of Asia. More codes of conduct signed off by western retailers won’t change anything. General boycotts of stores like Penney’s won’t help either: throwing poor people in Dhaka out of work is no solution. But refusing to buy from suppliers that don’t allow unions to operate freely would have a transformative effect. Let workers fight for themselves and we’ll end up with clothes that are more expensive but less grotesquely costly.”

Research indicates that consumers are prepared to pay more for ethically produced clothing. In Britain the TUC suggests that if workers’ wages in Bangladesh were doubled the increased cost to the consumer would be negligible. It would appear that many consumers are unaware or choose to ignore the conditions that the workers who produce their garments endure. Therefore as consumers we need to educate ourselves about the conditions in which our clothing is made. Gareth Price Jones, Oxfam’s country director in Bangladesh, suggests that it is up to the multi-national corporations to lead the way in improving standards. He proposes managers need to be trained to place worker safety at the top of the agenda which will result in safer places of work. He cautions against consumer boycotts suggesting this will hurt the employees and may result in corporations seeking alternative countries to exploit other vulnerable workers. The advice for customers is to hold their retailers to account. He encourages shoppers to ask, write or email their retailer and ask them do they know condition the goods were made under. What is your company doing to improve working conditions? What are you doing to make sure this doesn’t happen again? As trade unionists we have a choice do we want to do our part to ensure that workers are treated fairly irrespective of their location? Are we content to support global capitalism in its race to secure ever increasing profits to the detriment of workers? Do we simply choose to look the other way, forgetting that the clothes on our backs may leave blood on our hands?

(Source; Irish Times O’ Toole “Cheap clothes can come at a high price” 30th April 2013)

There are positive developments that may prevent further tragedies such as the ones at Rana Plaza. A campaign spearheaded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh now covers more than 1,000 supplier factories after several multinationals signed up. The agreement which will remain in place for five years provides for“Independent safety inspections with public reports, mandatory repairs, and renovations and a vital role for workers and their unions,” The Ethical Trading Initiative, which crafted the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh along with trade unions IndustriALL and UNI Global, writes. These billion dollar companies, who signed, need only put in $500,000 per year to maintain these safety standards.”

Somewhat unsurprisingly Wal-Mart, the well known Union bashers in the USA, refused to sign claiming the 8

CWU concludes Recognition Agreement with An Post employee Credit Union

Pictured from l to r: Siobhan Duffin, Karina Mallaca, Claire Creighton, and Lorraine Dooley, CWU members at the signing of the collective bargaining agreement. (missing from the photo is Rebecca Dunne who is on maternity leave). amount of time and effort from all involved. However the effort has been rewarded and there is a now a robust framework in place. This paves the way for what will hopefully be a lasting and productive relationship between both organisations which will ensure that the staff’s collective voice is listened to and respected.

Many An Post members of the CWU are also members of the Credit Union, and the ethos of the Trade Union movement and Credit Union are similar. They are both not-for-profit organisations; both the NEC and Credit union volunteers are democratically elected by the members. Both organisations are strengthened by the commitment of volunteers. Furthermore the growth of both credit union and trade unions can trace their lineage to labour’s struggle against capitalism in the industrial revolution. Thus it is only logical that there is an agreement between the parties.

In order to ensure that our members are represented in the best way possible, we assigned the members to the Dublin Postal Clerks branch. Willie Mooney, Branch secretary said “It is wonderful that we have secured this agreement. The members are to be congratulated for their perseverance, determination and their support for each other which made the Union’s job in helping them achieve this success much easier”.

Pictured from l to r: Dublin Postal Clerks Branch Secretary, Willie Mooney, with An Post Credit Union Secretary, Colum Brennan, and Organiser, Gerard O’Rourke, at the signing of the agreement.

Having organised all of the staff in the An Post employee Credit Union, the CWU set about engaging with the board of management to negotiate a collective agreement. There followed a number of meetings between union organisers and An Post Credit Union management which were designed to develop a framework agreement. The process took a substantial

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Disability Activation Project (DACT) The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has been selected to offer training and support to people with disabilities. The Disability Activation Project (DACT) aims to increase the capacity and potential of people on disability/illness welfare payments to participate in the labour market.

Congress plans to deliver education and training to enhance the competencies of people with disabilities in a range of personal development, Information Technology and work-related programmes.

The Disability Activation Project is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and is targeted at the Border, Midlands and Western region (BMW). The target group for this funding is people with a disability, 16 to 65 years of age, in receipt of disability/illness welfare payments who reside in the BMW region.

Invalidity Pension From 13 February 2012, Partial Capacity Benefit replaces the previous exemption arrangements where people on Invalidity Pension could get permission to work part-time (known as an exemption) for rehabilitative or therapeutic purposes and keep their full social welfare payment.

To be eligible for the CONGRESS OPTIONS programme, participants/applicants must be in receipt of one of the following welfare payments:

➤

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Illness Benefit Since 13 February 2012, Partial Capacity Benefit replaces the previous arrangements (known as an exemption) where people on Illness Benefit could get permission to work part-time for rehabilitative or therapeutic purposes and keep their full social welfare payment.

Benefits to Employee ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤ ➤

Disability Allowance Invalidity Pension Illness Benefit Blind Pension Disability Benefit Incapacity Supplement Injury Benefit

12 week programme which will include achieving three (3) FETAC accredited certificates 10 days practical work experience Individual Employment Plan On the job Support and Coaching Follow up Support and Mentoring Assistance with workplace integration Advice on Employment Benefits and Entitlements

Benefits to Employer Range of supports for Employers include: ➤ Database of skilled jobseekers ➤ Access to a committed workforce

Disability Payments and Employment Disability Allowance You can do rehabilitative work and earn up to €120 per week (after deduction of PRSI, any pension contributions and union dues) without your payment being affected.

You must get permission from the Department of Social Protection before you start work. 50% of your earnings between €120 and €350 will not be taken into account in the Disability Allowance means test. Any earnings over €350 are fully assessed in the means test.

Grants and Financial Supports Available include: ➤ Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) ➤ Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant (WEAG) ➤ Job Interview – Interpreter Grant (JIIG) ➤ Personal Reader Grant (PRG) ➤ Employee Retention Grant Scheme (ERGS)

More information can be obtained from the following: www.employabilitymidlands.com www.welfare.ie www.ictue.ie/projects or Sylvia Ryan, Programme Manager: 01 889 7745 Sylvia.Ryan@ictu.ie 10

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11

Postal Update reserve bicycle is available then it is the Company’s responsibility to ensure that alternative arrangements are put in place to ensure the mail is delivered.

An Post Health & Safety Report

Safety Footwear Following representations from the Union regarding the standard of the safety footwear the Company undertook a number of trials of new Safety footwear late last year.

As a result of these trials new safety footwear is currently being distributed to all staff.

The new YDS boot has been designed to a high standard of technical specification and was chosen following extensive field trials in the main undertaken by An Post Health and Safety Representatives. The specifications of the new boot include:

Bicycles The Union has for some time raised concerns at the Health and Safety Committee regarding the control and standard of some of the bicycle fleet. In addition the lack of ongoing and preventative maintenance has caused us further concern.

We are pleased to inform you that these discussions have been concluded and the following has been agreed: • • •

•

• • •

Each bicycle will be allocated an individual fleet number The fleet of bicycles will be managed as part of the national fleet by Mails Operations – Transport The Company will tender for contracts to maintain the bicycle fleet and the tender will include a requirement for “preventative maintenance” on each bicycle twice a year.

A maintenance history for each of the bicycles will be retained.

• • •

The new safety footwear is being distributed with the uniform and in conjunction with this the Company will remind employees that Safety footwear is part of an employee’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and that every employee has an obligation to wear the footwear.

The Company has advised the Union that it is strictly enforcing the wearing of PPE and an employee will not be allowed to commence duty if he or she is not wearing the required safety footwear. Employees will also be advised that continued failure to wear the appropriate PPE will be addressed with the employee through the Company Disciplinary Procedures.

The Union fully understands the importance of Personal Protective Equipment and is supportive of the Company in its efforts to ensure full compliance with the wearing of PPE. This is particularly true in circumstances where a lot of the PPE currently in place within the Company is a result of motions passed at Annual and Biennial Conferences over the years.

The Company has confirmed that all staff members including casuals are expected to wear PPE where it is prescribed and the Company has also assured the Union that employees will not be asked to perform any function without the necessary PPE except for short periods and in exceptional circumstances when requests for items of PPE for casual staff or for replacement PPE items are awaiting fulfilment. Managers are also expected to wear PPE as appropriate.

The Company has also advised that all new safety

The Company has also confirmed that the tender process will be conducted over the coming months. The Union has also requested the Company to provide Postpersons with a list of daily checks that should be carried out on bicycles.

While the above has addressed the future concerns of the Union we required the Company to put in place a process to address the Union’s concerns until the above is in place. In that regard the Company has advised that they now have issued a set of instructions/procedures regarding the management of bicycles at all DSUs and DSOs. These procedures include the following: • •

•

Gore – Tex membrane for long lasting waterproof and breathable properties Injected dual density rubber sole Aluminium toe cap and lenzi L Protection textile midsole for protection from sharp objects underfoot Abrasion resistant mud guard over toe and heel area Reinforced heel counter Reflective back panel

A weekly check of bicycles must be performed by the DSM Where the bicycle has an obvious defect the DSM will organise for the bicycle to be repaired with the local bicycle maintenance supplier and the DSM will issue the Postperson concerned with a reserve bicycle If a Postal Operative is aware of any defects they should inform their DSM

It is important that if members have concerns about the safety of their bicycle they should under no circumstances take the bicycle out on delivery. If no 12

Postal Update • •

footwear should be worn for at least two weeks of full duties to allow for a breaking in period. If after that period an employee is experiencing discomfort with the wearing of the boot he or she should report the matter in writing to his / her DSM or Cluster Manager. The Manager will forward the report and any accompanying medical certification to the Regional HR Manager. The Regional Office will then arrange for the employee to be provided with an alternative to the YDS Boot.

The Company has identified and purchased a stock of three different types of high spec alternatives to the YDS Boot. A pair of each of these boots will be sent to the employee’s workplace for him / her to try on. The employee will be allowed to select and retain one of these pairs of boots. The DSM will return the other two pairs of boots to the sender.

If, following these and / or any other reasonable effort on the part of the Company to provide alternative safety footwear, the employee continues to cite a medical condition as a reason for not wearing appropriate safety footwear the matter will be addressed as one of the employee’s ability to fulfil the terms of his / her contract.

for employees over forty years, at yearly intervals; where an employee experiences visual difficulties which may be due to display screen work.

While laptop computers are specifically excluded from the regulations the Company has agreed that employees who use laptops will also qualify for refunds under the terms of the Circular.

There is no obligation on anyone to avail of an Eye and Eyesight test the Union recommends that anyone using Display Screen Equipment should have their eyes and eyesight tested as detailed above.

The definition of Display Screen Equipment is: Any alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the display processes involved.

Exclusions include: • Driver’s cabs or control cabs for vehicles or machinery; • Computer systems on board a means of transport; • Computer systems intended for public use; • Portable display screen equipment not in prolonged use at a workstation; • Calculators, cash registers and any equipment having a small data or measurement display required for direct use of equipment e.g. electronic weighing scale; • Typewriters of traditional design of the type known as “typewriter with window”.

Rainwear The Union has been made aware in recent times of difficulties with the rainwear. While the Company has advised the Union that only a very small number of items of rainwear has been returned as faulty the Union believes that the problem may be more widespread but that Postpersons have not reported faulty rainwear as they are afraid that they will not receive replacement rainwear.

Rainwear in a similar manner to the Safety Footwear is an item of Personal Protective Equipment and there is an obligation on the Company to replace faulty equipment. Postpersons are advised to report any defects to their Manager and request replacement rainwear. They should retain their existing rainwear until they receive a replacement but if they have not received it within a week they should advise their Union Rep and the matter should be reported to Union Head Office.

An Post will refund the cost of the basic eye test. In general, this should not exceed €30. Where there is a Social Welfare entitlement to a free eye-test, employees must avail of this and not make a claim for refund from their Human Resources section.

If the eye and eyesight test indicates defective vision requiring corrective appliances (spectacles) for work at display screen equipment, the basic cost of standard design frames and lenses will be borne by An Post.

Should spectacles outside the standard range be preferred by an individual, the company will make a payment up to the basic cost of standard frames and lenses, the balance to be paid by the individual concerned. The amounts to be refunded are as set out in the following table:

Eye and Eyesight Assessment

Item The Staff Side has completed a review of the eye and eyesight assessment circular and a new circular has been issued. This provides for an eye and eyesight test on the following basis.

• •

Amounts to be refunded with effect from 1 January 2013

Spectacles Up to €69 Bi-focals

before commencement of work at display screen equipment (for new users); for employees under forty years at two yearly intervals;

Up to €115

The amount refunded by the Company with regard to the basic eye test and the cost of standard design frames and lenses will be reviewed with the group of Union’s every two years, with the first review on 1st January 2015.

13

Postal Update

An Post Announces 2012 Financial Results A Mixed Bag of Financial Results

Universal Service Obligation (USO)

On April 25th 2013 An Post announced its financial results for 2013 and it was a mixed bag from a CWU perspective.

Although the results clearly showed that significant growth has taken place in the subsidiaries of the Group, it is still the case that mail volumes are in decline, albeit this has slowed, and that overall volumes are down 27% since 2007.

A cause of more concern is the fact that the Group made an operating loss of €17.5m, the first trading loss incurred by the company since 2003. The company made a modest profit the previous year of €2.2m The Group turnover stood at €807.3m which is slightly ahead of the 2011 figure of €806.7m. This slight improvement is largely down to the improved contribution of the subsidiary companies whose revenue grew from €80m in 2011 to €111m in 2012.

It should be noted that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) which legally obliges An Post to deliver to every address five days a week on a national basis cost the company €60m last year.

These figures will not include the impact the recently increased stamp rates which saw the basic stamp go from 55c to 60c. This increase however will not provide An Post with sufficient revenues to cover the cost of providing the USO. In circumstances where the company is already engaged in a comprehensive cost containment strategy one must wonder how sustainable the USO will be in the long term in the absence of any further regulatory intervention that might assist An Post.

The simple fact is that the company should be given the freedom to set prices that reflect the economic realities and the market forces that exert significant pressure on the company.

New Chairman attends Dáil Committee Irish Examiner 03/05/2013

Fears for future 400 post offices

By Geoff Percival Failure to renew An Post’s contract for social welfare payments in the coming weeks could lead to the immediate closure of 400 post offices and the loss of hundreds of jobs.

The contract is currently out to tender, with the Department of Social Protection expected to make

Government to drive more business through the post office network, where logical.

Last year, a study by Grant Thornton – commissioned by the IPU – found the allowance of additional transaction services – such as motor tax payments, banking transactions, hospital fees and household charges – would save the taxpayer around €85m a year.

The ability for people to renew their motor tax in the post office, according to the report, would save the taxpayer nearly €61m per annum, alone.

The IPU recently urged Bank of Ireland to mirror its partnership with the British Post Office, by offering similar over-the-counter banking services via An

a decision on a new two-year contract in the coming weeks.

While An Post is confident of having its contract renewed for the next 24 months, there is more concern over the long term; with the Government set to put a more permanent tender out in June, as it hopes to switch social welfare payments to an electronic transaction platform.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) – which acts for the 1,100 or so post office managers around the country – has raised the above concern and will be tackling Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte on this and other matters at its annual conference in Killiney over the weekend.

The IPU is calling on the

14

Post’s network here; something both AIB and Danske Bank are doing.

However, the bank has said it is unlikely to do so here.

While that may not be a runner, the IPU feels there is plenty of scope for improved transactional services for the An Post network and has been angered that post offices have not been included in the Government’s financial inclusion strategy.

While the Union has welcomed the positive feedback by many at Government level, Brian McGann, IPU General Secretary, has expressed his disappointment at nothing concrete having been done as yet.

Postal Update

Müller: No ‘silver bullet’ for An Post’s costs Irish Examiner 02/05/2013

By Seán McCártahaigh THE incoming chairman of An Post has warned that maintaining the existing post office network while still keeping the cost of its postal services affordable represents “a very fine balance”.

However, An Post chairman designate Christopher Muller yesterday promised that An Post would act as “a fair broker” in representing the interests of society and the need for An Post to remain competitive.

Mr Muller, better known as the chief executive of Aer

Lingus, said the company would look at extending the range of products and services offered by An Post as a measure which would enable some post offices, which would otherwise face closure, to remain open.

He claimed the introduction of such services was necessary to compensate for declining mail volumes Mr Muller said the introduction of a national post code would allow An Post to achieve savings in its sorting centres which could be used to subsidise other areas of its business.

However, Mr Muller warned that customers would have to overpay for some An

Post services to enable the company to cross-subsidise what he described as “the last mile” – the delivery of post to the final address.

He claimed the traditional post office and postman were what made An Post one of the most trusted brands in Ireland but the final leg of its delivery service was the most unprofitable part of its entire business.

Appearing before the Oireachtas Communications Committee, Mr Muller said there was no “silver bullet” which would rectify An Post’s financial situation. He also pointed out it would be wrong to jump to the conclusion that what had

worked for postal services in other countries could be easily replicated in Ireland.

Mr Muller noted that Ireland had the lowest rate of postage use in western Europe with an average of just 150 letters sent per person each year.

While the growth of online retail held out both opportunities and threats for An Post, Mr Muller was highly critical of broadband speeds in many parts of the country.

“Outside the M50 it is very patchy” he remarked, adding that printing an airline boarding pass “is an exercise in itself in the Midlands”.

Mueller pledges to bring in post codes and scrutinise pay ■ New An Post Chairman warns of conflict Postal codes will be introduced throughout Ireland sooner rather than later, according to the incoming chairman of An Post.

Christopher Mueller (51) has also promised to look into the pay of top executives within the ailing postal service, where the chief executive earns a salary twice that of Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

The German native, who has turned around the fortunes of Aer Lingus within the space of just three years, has warned that there is no “silver bullet” to fix the ailing postal service.

He told members of an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communication that he believes the introduction of postal codes “should gain more prominence” to enable the

when the company sustained an operating loss of €17m last year and a total loss of €40m.

Mr Connell earns €438,000 – a drop from the €495,000 he was paid before agreeing to a 15pc pay cut.

Mr O’Donovan – who earns a TD’s salary of €92,672 – asked if Mr Mueller would encourage people at the top of company to “look at themselves first” before looking to implement cost savings within the company.

sorting process to become more efficient and to save money that could be spent on subsiding unprofitable components of the postal network.

Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan (FG) told Mr Mueller that he had “huge difficulties” with the fact that Donal Connell, CEO of An Post, earned “twice the Taoiseach’s salary” at a time

Experience Mr Mueller – who receives a salary of €1.29m as head of Aer Lingus and will be paid at least €31,000 for his parttime role at An Post – refused to comment directly on the issue, saying that as chairman-designate he was unable to “specifically

15

Irish Independent 02/05/13 Nicola Anderson respond” to the query.

However, he promised to “look into remuneration” and to review what he sees.

The airline chief comes to his new role in An Post with background experience in the postal business, having previously worked for DHL before it was taken over by Deutsche Post, he told members of an Oireachtas committee.

He also warned that he sees “a real conflict” developing since “what is closest to our hearts” and what makes An Post such a trusted brand is that the “last mile – the post office and the post man” remains “the most unprofitable part of our entire business”.

Meanwhile, there is still progress to be made on the issue of delivery speeds, he added.

Postal Update

An Post favours partner for lottery bid Irish Times 02/05/2013 Barry O’Halloran

A

n Post’s incoming chairman indicated yesterday that he believes the State Company should work with a partner if it bids to keep its agency to operate the National Lottery.

The Dáil has passed legislation that will allow the Government to sell a 20year licence to operate the National Lottery, potentially ending An Post’s 26 years as its operator, unless it bids for the licence.

Appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications, An Post’s chairman designate, Christoper Mueller, said that the €2.6 million earned by the company for operating the lottery last year was “very important” to it.

licence could cost €600 million to secure.

An Post’s recently published annual report shows that the company lost over €39 million last year, €17 million of which was directly attributable to its operations.

Mr Mueller told the committee that the group’s biggest loss-maker was the “last mile” that is, the final leg of its postal delivery service.

Last week, its chief executive, Donal Connell, said that its public-service operations, cost an “unsustainable” €60 million.

The group is seeking permission from industry regulator, ComReg, to increase the cost of stamps.

Mr Mueller, who is chief executive of Aer Lingus, warned that An Post had to tackle the problem of

However, he said that if the Government were to make a 20-year licence available, it would be prohibitive for An Post to get it alone.

Some reports estimate that the licence could cost €600 million to secure The Government has yet to seek bids for the licence, but An Post has already said that it plans to join the race to operate the lottery. Italian operator G-Tech has been named as the possible partner.

Upfront payment The State is going to seek a large upfront payment from the successful bidder.

Some reports estimate the

maintaining delivery services while keeping them affordable for its customers.

Postcodes He suggested that post codes could be part of the solution. Responding to questions from committee members, he told them that he favoured their introduction to the Republic as they would help to cut costs.

He pointed out that the absence of such codes could create difficulties for items being posted from outside the State and delay them from reaching the last mile in the first place.

Mr Mueller refused to discuss Mr Connell’s €438,000 pay deal from the company last year on the grounds that it would not be appropriate to do so as he is not yet chairman.

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16

Postal Update

An Post to mount joint bid for lottery licence with UK operator Camelot Semi-state forges alliance with Camelot’s Canadian parent Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Eoin Burke-Kennedy

An Post, which has operated the lottery business since it was established in 1987, is understood to have forged a strategic alliance with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), the Canadian investment vehicle which owns Camelot. licence came up for tender. The UK company is also known to favour the idea of having an established, local brand like An Post on the ground.

A spokeswoman for Camelot said: “As I’m sure you can appreciate it would be inappropriate for us to comment on any transactions we may or may not be considering.”

In a recent interview with The Irish Times, however, Camelot managing director Alex Kovach praised the Government’s decision to auction off the licence in this fashion.

He said the best way of achieving “alignment between the operator, the government and the good causes” was through an upfront payment as it ensured the operator was incentivised to grow the business and thereby maximise revenues for good causes.

Under the current licensing arrangements An Post receives an annual management fee of just under €3 million to operate the business. However, under the terms of the new licence the next operator is likely to receive a significantly enhanced operator’s fee, thought to be about €40-€50 million a year, equating to about 6 per cent of turnover.

An Post is to mount a joint bid for the Irish lottery with the owner of UK operator Camelot, according to well-placed sources.

The semi-State, which has operated the business since it was established in 1987, is understood to have forged a strategic alliance with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), the Canadian investment vehicle which owns Camelot.

The move will come as a surprise to most observers who had expected An Post to align itself with Italian-owned gaming giant Gtech, its current technology partner.

Goodbody Corporate Finance has been advising An Post on its bid since Minister for Public Enterprise Brendan Howlin announced the next licence would be issued on a 20-year basis in return for an upfront payment.

A spokeswoman for An Post would not comment.

Lengthy negotiations However, it is understood the company reached agreement on a joint strategy with OTPP last week following lengthy negotiations, suggesting it may partner with Camelot.

If successful in its joint bid, the Canadian pension fund, which boasts net assets of CAN$129.5 billion (€96 billion), is likely to finance the upfront payment, which will be paid in two equal instalments, this year and next.

Camelot, which was acquired by OTPP in 2010 for £389 million (€455 million), has been eyeing the Irish business for several years, and considered bidding the last time the

Children’s hospital The Government has earmarked part of the proceeds from the sale for the proposed national children’s hospital.

Mr Howlin formally launched the competition process for the next licence on Thursday, inviting prospective bidders to lodge their “expressions of interest” by the June 7th deadline.

17

Postal Update

Lottery giant Gtech to bid for State’s next licence The Irish Times, 07/05/13

By Eoin Burke-Kennedy Gtech, the world’s largest lottery and gaming business, has confirmed it will bid for the State’s next lottery licence.

The Italian-owned company, which is both an operator and a gaming technology supplier, also indicated it was exploring the possibility of mounting a joint bid with the current operator, An Post.

Gtech is the first big international player to confirm it will take part in the upcoming competition for a new 20-year licence.

The company, which employs 70 staff at its Dublin office, already supplies An Post with the network of ticket terminals in shops.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Gtech senior vice president and chief operations officer for Europe Declan Harkin said forming an alliance with An Post was a possibility, but equally the company had the resources to enter the process alone.

“Obviously, working together is something I’d like to think both companies would continue to consider very strongly,” Mr Harkin said.

An Post’s chairman designate Christoph Mueller said last week he believes the State company should work with a partner in its bid to retain the licence.

Mr Harkin said consumers could expect “a very significant refresh of the technology used to support the business” should Gtech win the licence.

He also hinted there was likely to be a roll-out of new self-service points of sale in

National Lottery building on Lower Abbey Street. Its 70 staff are hemmed in on all sides by lottery personnel.

The location reflects its long-standing ties with the business. As technology supplier, it provides the network of ticket terminals in shops.

These living arrangements may need to be reconfigured, however, if Gtech wins the new 20-year licence to operate the franchise. The company is the first big international player to come out as a confirmed participant in the forthcoming competition process.

€8.7m

Value of the National Lottery’s online sales shops.

“We’ve got a very solid long-term presence in Ireland so we are already integrated in the market.”

Mr Harkin acknowledged that one of the key selling points of the Irish business was the relatively untapped online market, which still only accounts for 2 per cent of sales, significantly less than other European lotteries.

In its most recent set of results, the National Lottery saw online sales increase by 43 per cent to €8.7 million in 2012 as the number of registered players rose to 40,000.

Under new Lottery Act, the strict rules governing online sales and the cumbersome player registration process will be relaxed to help grow the business online.

Italian gaming group Lottomatica bought RhodeIsland based Gtech for $4.7 billion in 2006, forming the biggest lottery business in the world.

Earlier this year, the Italian group took the unusual step of rebranding itself as Gtech in recognition of its subsidiary’s

strong global brand.

Gtech is likely to be joined in the competition by An Post, UK operator Camelot and possibly Australian gaming group Tatts which have all declared an interest in the process.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will solicit expressions of the interest for the licence in the coming days ahead of the bidding competition later in the year, which will involve an upfront payment to the State.

Italian-owned Gtech is the first international player to declare for the forthcoming national lottery competition Where better to launch a bid for the State’s lottery business than from inside its Dublin headquarters?

Italian-owned gaming giant Gtech runs its Irish operation from the second floor of the

18

The man in charge of its bid is Derry- born Declan Harkin.

Back in the 1990s, when the company operated mainly as a gaming technology supplier, he ran the Irish office. Since then, the Queen’s University graduate has risen through the ranks to become senior vicepresident and chief operations officer for Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

At the same time, the company has mushroomed into a vast gaming empire, outgrowing its original incarnation as a technology supplier to become a major global operator in tandem, or as Harkin calls it, “a vertically integrated lottery organisation”.

“Gtech is a company that has been at the forefront of the lottery industry for over 30 years. Lottery is our DNA. Growing this sector, finding the right products, optimising for good causes and working with our customers responsibly is what we’re about.”

Harkin lists off the company’s big contracts in Europe, North America and Latin America; an impressive

Postal Update stable of businesses that includes Italy, Colombia, Indiana and recently Illinois, which last year recorded an 18 per cent jump in sales.

He’s keen to advance the company’s pedigree as an operator, conscious that some in Ireland still view it as a technology outfit. To this end, he produces figures showing revenue from its operations division accounted for the majority share of its €3.1 billion turnover for 2012.

‘Deliberately understated’ “Our presence in Ireland has been deliberately understated up to now because that was appropriate for a technology supplier, but this opportunity requires a different presentation of ourselves.”

Since Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin announced his intention to seek an upfront payment for the licence there has been speculation that Gtech would join forces with the current lottery operator, An Post, because of its existing partnership.

The State company needs a suitor with the financial clout of Gtech if it wishes to retain the licence, while the latter is known to favour the idea of having an established, local brand on the ground.

“Obviously, working together is something I’d like to think both companies would continue to consider very strongly. So that’s a possibility we’re exploring but that’s all I can say for now,” Harkin says.

He says the company has the resources to go it alone if required.

It’s hard to know what to read into this.

Are both entities strategically delaying the announcement of an alliance or has tying the knot proven more problematic than anticipated?

According to figures from the World Lottery Association, the global industry was worth $122 billion in 2012, accounting for 28 per cent of all gambling or gaming

revenue.

Despite the deteriorating global economic conditions, the sector grew by 7.7 per cent in 2012 and by 13.1 per cent the previous year.

“Without seeing the terms of licence, I anticipate the Government will not just be interested in the upfront payment but also the care and attention to the operation ongoing,” says Harkin.

He says lotteries around the world are measured on their contributions to good causes.

“The key question is whether growth here going forward can provide for an upfront payment as well as funding for good causes.”

group took the unusual step of rebranding itself as Gtech in recognition of its subsidiary’s strong global brand.

But what would the Gtech brand bring to the business here?

Consumers can expect “a very significant refresh of the technology used to support the business”, says Harkin.

He also hints there is likely to be a roll-out of new selfservice points of sale in shops, which have proved popular in other countries.

Harkin declines to elaborate, saying the company’s technology offering will form a key part of its pitch for business, which would not be advantageous to divulge at this stage. Nonetheless, he says one of the key selling points is the untapped online market, which accounts for only 2 per cent of sales, well below the European average.

In Finland, for example, 35 per cent of sales now come via the internet channel, though the Finnish authorities allow for sports betting on their national lotto site, which is unlikely to be the case here.

Until now, the National Lottery has been curtailed in how it can trade online, obliging players to go through a cumbersome registration process most participants do not follow through to the end.

Under the new Lottery Act, the rules governing online sales will be relaxed to allow the next incumbent to grow the business online.

“The operator has never been able to fully leverage the opportunities that exist in the online channel because of the registration process. We certainly see great opportunities in this area,” Harkin says.

Gtech’s Illinois operation recently became the first US state lottery to begin trading online, offering players direct deposit accounts and subscriptions for automatic wagers.

Harkin tempers suggestions of an internet sales bonanza, however, insisting online

The National Lottery company needs a suitor with the financial clout of Gtech if it wishes to retain the licence “We think the answer is yes.

All major indicators forecast green shoots for Ireland. While lottery sales are down, when you factor what has happened to disposable income, the business has weathered the recession significantly better than others.”

Italian gaming group Lottomatica bought Gtech for $4.7 billion in 2006, forming the biggest lottery and gaming business in the world.

Earlier this year, the Italian

19

growth will be gradual and that retail remains “the backbone of the business”.

He is also keen to allay retailers’ fears that the age of the internet will usher in a downturn in their trade.

“In all the jurisdictions we work in, developing the internet has not been detrimental to other trade styles. We see a rising tide for all boats; internet as well as retail.”

Lottery operators are typically keen to draw a distinction between what they do, namely gaming, and its more socially destructive cousin, gambling. Addiction experts say this distinction is spurious.

Opening up the online channel poses far greater risks to player safeguards than the retail model ever did.

Harkin insists, however, that Gtech is at the forefront of developing technology moderators to ensure that ageverification and play-limit criteria are adhered to.

He does not envisage the proposed lottery regulator having an automatic right of refusal on new products, and he expects eligible game categories to be specified in the terms of the licence.

“Typically, in other jurisdictions, there are certain game categories which are not within the remit of the licence, like poker-type games, and we expect to see the same here.”

There is a global trend towards outsourcing state lotteries to private operators, most notably in the US, where four high-profile state lotteries recently contracted out their operations to private managers.

Harkin believes this reflects the maturing of the industry “to a stage whereby state authorities are looking to private enterprise to take the business to the next level”.

Gtech won three US contracts: Indiana, Illinois and, last month, New Jersey, where it was declared indicative winner. Ireland appears to be next on its wish list.

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visit emobile.ie/cwu Offer available to new eMobile bill pay customers only. Offer available online only and to members of the Communications Workers’ Union in possession of a valid voucher code. €37 refers to monthly commitment for Select Unlimited 18 month plan. Phone pricing on this plan may differ from phone pricing on the standard priced plan. Phones are subject to availability and prices subject to change. Fair usage policy of 45,000 minutes, 10,000 texts and 15GB data applies to Select Unlimited plan. €22.37 refers to monthly commitment for Select300 SIM Only plan. Excludes roaming, premium rate and non-geographic usage. Standard credit vetting procedures apply. Offer subject to availability and closes 30th June 2013. For full terms see emobile.ie/cwu.

20

CWU Delegation Meets Minister for Communications Following correspondence between the General Secretary and the offices of the Minister, the Communications Workers’ Union was invited to meet with Minister Rabbitte on 8th May. The delegation comprised of the General Secretary, Steve Fitzpatrick and Head of Organising and Regulatory Affairs, Ian McArdle.

Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, who met with the CWU Delegation.

hope that the vacant Commissioner positions would be filled soon by people who could outline a positive vision of the future, for both the postal and telecoms sectors.

On the telecoms side, a general discussion in relation to broad market developments took place and it was noted that eircom was in the process of rolling-out the long awaited fibre network. The General Secretary noted that this was a very significant move for the company and signalled that eircom was turning an important corner in terms of network development and sustained investment. He pointed out that following the very considerable debt restructuring, the company was now investing â‚Ź1.5 billion into this project which was the most considerable infrastructure development for many years.

The May 8th meeting covered a number of pressing matters in both the postal and telecoms sectors. The meeting was positive and further engagement between the Union and the Department of Communications was agreed to.

Threat of Legal Action On the postal side, the delegation raised a number of issues including the fact that there is a threat of legal action hanging over An Post that could result in a fine of up to twelve million euro. The General Secretary reminded the Minister that this action by ComReg not only threatened the financial viability of An Post but that the regulator had not adhered to protocols on legal action between State bodies.

UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION (USO)

Uneven Playing Field

The Union also addressed the issue of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and the fact that in the recently revealed An Post accounts for 2012 it has been determined that the provision of the USO has cost the company â‚Ź60 million. The Union delegation argued that this is not a sustainable for An Post or the provision of a decent postal service and that the recent price increase agreed to by ComReg still meant the company was facing a very difficult financial future, even though Ireland still has one of the lowest postage rates in Europe.

He noted with some concern that the ESB has recently tendered for a telecoms partner to assist in the rollout of a broadband network. He questioned the commercial thinking behind this, as well as the fact that a state run company appeared to be getting ready to enter the liberalised telecoms market. He also expressed his concern that major multinationals, such as Liberty, owners of UPC, and Sky, were now operating in the Irish telecoms market but without being subject to regulation

by ComReg. This created an uneven playing field and put other operators, such as eircom, Vodafone, BT Ireland and O2, at a significant disadvantage.

It was agreed that the Union would continue to correspond with the Department on matters of concern.

On a more positive note, the Minister did observe that the relationship between the regulator and An Post appeared to be improving and the Union expressed its 21

Youth Committee Update

Government Spin Can’t Hide the Truth Behind the Scam

by Derek Keenan Chair CWU Youth Committee

employment. Of these only 19.5% were employed with their host organisation while the other 16.8% were employed in another organisation.

Significantly the number of interns who eventually progressed to employment with their host organisation was 28.6% and this tallies with the 29% of hosts who said that they would have been fairly or highly likely to have offered paid employment in the absence of JobBridge.

So what has happened here is that employers who were willing and able to create real paying jobs have instead utilised the government’s gift of free labour. This is why companies engage with JobBridge, it is not out of any sense of civic virtue but because they have work to be done and would rather that it was done for free. But at least JobBridge increases you’re chances of getting a job, doesn’t it?

The report does point to a substantially higher employment rate among individuals exiting the live register who have participated in JobBridge compared with non-JobBridge participants, with 71.5% of JobBridge participants who exited the Live Register

On May 1st, Idecon Economic Consultants released its full evaluation of the JobBridge Internship programme.

This followed on from Indecon's interim evaluation of the scheme, which was presented to the Minister for Social Protection in October 2012. There is little new within the latest evaluation save for an increasing level of ingenuity on behalf of government spin-doctors.

In the days that followed the publication of the report most media outlets ran with the claim that 61.4% of JobBridge participants found employment following their internship. An impressive outcome on the face of it, but how is it calculated? The figures relate to anyone who has ever participated in JobBridge and who has at any time since secured employment of any type or duration.

So for example if you happen to be one of the 20% of interns who drops out of JobBridge because of dissatisfaction with your placement and you manage to obtain a job one year later, then you’re included within this figure. Not so impressive after all.

The reality of JobBridge is that upon completion of their placements only 36.3% of interns had found 22

Youth Committee Update absence of the scheme. Therefore we are not comparing like with like in respect of the exit rates of JobBridge participants and nonJobBridge participants from the LiveRegister and into employment. This represents a serious methodological flaw within the report that cannot be ignored.

What also cannot be ignored is the fact that 3% of employers admitted using the scheme to displace existing paid employment. This amounts to just over 200 employers who have admitted to abusing the scheme and yet to date, only 15 companies have been disqualified from participating in the scheme. Such abuse looks set to rise given that the proposed Youth Guarantee for Ireland will most probably take the form of a wholesale expansion of the JobBridge scheme.

during 2012 finding employment versus 33.5% across all exits from the Register.

However when adjustments were made for variations in the age and educational profile of JobBridge and non-JobBridge participants the weighted exit rates were calculated at 54.5% and 33.5% respectively. This would still suggest that JobBridge is an effective labour market activation measure given that participants in the scheme are more likely to exit the live register than nonparticipants. Not so.

There is one glaring omission made by Indecon in respect of calculating the weighted Live-Register exit rates to employment. No adjustment was made for the fact that 29% of JobBridge participants were interning with employers who had indicated that would have probably offered paid employment in the

JobBridge Update

= On May 3rd, the organisers of ScamBridge.ie along with our Youth Committee held a press conference in order to debunk some of the myths regarding the so-called success of the JobBridge scheme. The press conference was hugely successful and formed the basis of a report, which was featured on RTE news. Moreover the ScamBridge.ie website was inundated with shocking stories of abuse from young members of the public who had participated in JobBridge placements.

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Youth Committee Update

Unfinished Business and May Day On, April 29th, members of the CWU Youth Committee attended a meeting held in Wynns Hotel in Dublin.

Hosted by a group called Unfinished Business, this meeting was organised to discuss the problems facing the young generation in Ireland, from unemployment, emigration, unpaid internships and precarious employment, to student fees and tax increases.

There was a fantastic turnout at the meeting, which was standing-room only by the end. It was also great to see a cross-section of people among the crowd, from young trade union activists to young unemployed.

Among the great speakers present was the CWU Youth Committee Chairperson, Derek Keenan, who spoke about JobBridge and the internship culture. His speech was very well received and drew great discussion from those present. It also helped to promote the Youth Committees “JobBridge to Nowhere” Report, which is being well received.

Youth Committee member Brian Heffernan speaking at the May Day march.

Both Derek’s and Brian’s speeches can be found on the Youth Committee Facebook page, “CWU Youth Committee Ireland”, so feel free to watch and share the videos. And don’t forget to give the Youth Committee your support, by liking and sharing our page!

Also, on behalf of the CWU Youth Committee, I’d like to congratulate our Chair, Derek Keenan, on being appointed Chairperson of the re-established ICTU Youth Committee. It’s a fantastic achievement and shows that Derek, and all of us in the Youth Committee, are active, and dedicated to promote youth issues, not just in the workplace, but in all areas of society.

Youth Committee Chairperson Derek Keenan on the panel at Unfinished Business meeting.

International Workers Day, or May Day as it’s more commonly known, was two days later on May 1st. The CWU Youth Committee attended the May Day March organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions, as part of a youth bloc, along with Unfinished Business and other youth organisations, which marched from Parnell Square to Liberty Hall. The parade was almost 2’000 strong, and there was a great atmosphere and sense of solidarity among the crowd.

Once we reached Liberty Hall, we gathered and listened to speakers from various organisations. Among the speakers was the Youth Committees very own Brian Heffernan, who gave a rousing speech about Ireland, 100 years on from the 1913 Lockout. It was all the more impressive knowing it was his first public speech. Well done Brian!

Some of the CWU Youth Committee members

For more information about the CWU Youth Committee, visit our Facebook page, or contact Fionnuala in head office at fnib@cwu.ie

24

Youth Committee Update

After the Tiger why this had happened and they did not know what to do to stop the economic collapse and disintegration of their social rights. A lot of our nation’s youth, wanting to stand up and fight, but not understanding how, chose instead to emigrate to countries like Australia and Canada, in search of similar ‘tigers’ upon which to climb. They did not understand that the unions were there to not only listen to, but to support their disgruntled voices.

So, as the ones left to fight, what are we going to do? Are we going to become the “mean and shameful” generation Pearse lamented about 96 years ago? The Celtic Tiger spoiled us as a nation but, with the continued and growing involvement of youth in trade unions, the birth of groups like “Unfinished Business” and the “Young Workers Network”, and initiatives like ICTU’s “Youth Connect” project, which travels to secondary schools across Ireland, teaching students about the role of unions, we are slowly but surely raising our voices to be heard and putting up a fight to keep our rights from being eroded further.

When I joined the Youth Committee two years ago, I was told that it had only two members. At our last Youth Committee meeting, I counted 20 or more young activists. This shows that there are more and more young people in the various work sectors who are eager to get involved and fight for their rights. But we still need more.

We need that man or that woman who will “say or do a splendid thing in virtue of which our generation shall be forgiven”. If the CWU Youth Committee, and other youth committees across Ireland continue to grow, and as more young people become interested in the union movement, then maybe we as a generation and nation will, paraphrasing Pearse, “redeem ourselves from infamy by the splendour of our protest”.

Recently I was reading an Irish Times article

by John Waters, about how the Celtic Tiger has lessened the relevance today of Pádraic Pearse and the trade union movement in general. In it, Waters quoted from Pearse’s 1915 essay “Ghosts”, saying; “There has been nothing more terrible in Irish history than the failure of the last generation. Other generations have failed in Ireland, but they have failed nobly, or failing ignobly, some man amongst them has redeemed them from infamy by the splendour of his protest. But the failure of the last generation has been mean and shameful, and no man has arisen from it to say or do a splendid thing in virtue of which it shall be forgiven. The whole episode is squalid. It will remain the one sickening chapter in a story which, gallant or sorrowful, has everywhere else some exaltation of pride”.

It’s a very powerful passage from the essay, but what struck me most about the excerpt was its relevance today, almost 100 years later. Most of Ireland’s youth have grown up riding upon the back of the Celtic Tiger. They never experienced austerity or stringency. As wages steadily rose, the need for unions seemed to fall. These young people had everything they needed within their grasp, and nothing to fight for, and the roles of unions seemed somewhat redundant to them. I’ve been a CWU member almost 12 years now, but back when I was leaving secondary school and entering college, I had no idea what the trade union movement, or any union movement, was. Even the Student Union I encountered in my I.T. held no interest to me because I did not need it. I, like a lot of other young people then, was oblivious to what unions had done to shape the labour laws, rights and history of Ireland.

But then the Celtic Tiger inevitably collapsed and the nation found themselves in trouble. They did not understand how or

25

LEGAL SERVICES FOR PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERS ONLY

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS CC SOLICITORS

WHO ARE WE? Colleen Cleary Solicitors (“CC Solicitors”) currently provide strategic employment law advice to the CWU. Our specialist knowledge means that we are best placed to ensure the CWU and its members achieve optimum results within the parameters of employment law.

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS CC Solicitors is extending its range of legal services to include personal injury claims for CWU members in the private sector. Personal injuries can include injuries sustained as a result of an accident or medical condition that has occurred in or out of work and can include the following: • • • • •

Workplace injuries and diseases Medical negligence Road traffic accidents Holiday claims Claims for personal injuries arising out of psychiatric illness developed at work

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A CLAIM, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? •

ACT IMMEDIATELY: If you think you may have a claim you should act immediately as legal time limits apply that may prevent you from pursuing a case if it is out of time.

•

FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH CC SOLICITORS: You can arrange a FREE initial consultation with CC Solicitors to ascertain whether there is a stateable claim that should be pursued. The majority of claims are processed through the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (“PIAB”) in the first instance. If, however, (a) the PIAIB does not make an award or (b) the member or the defendant chooses not to accept the award, the claim will proceed to the civil courts and a Conditional Fee Arrangement (“CFA”) will be agreed with the member.

HOW TO AVAIL OF SERVICE For members in the private sector and Vodafone who think that you may have a claim that you would like to discuss with a solicitor you may contact your Branch Secretary to request a ‘Letter of Introduction’ from Union Head Office. This initial consultation is FREE. We look forward to hearing from you.

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All of us will need help at some stage in our lives. It may be that we are facing a serious illness and the associated costs of health care. We may need to talk to someone in a confidential manner to help cope with a difficult personal circumstance, particularly in today’s challenging economic environment. The Medisan provides much needed assistance for members in need of medical care for a wide range of illnesses including cardiac illness, cancer treatment, diseases of the central nervous system such as MS and other illnesses which can impact on an individual’s life.

The fund is completely confidential and will also provide assistance toward VHI or other healthcare providers shortfall in meeting the expenses associated with such illnesses.

For more details on how to avail of assistance from the fund contact your Welfare Officer – An Post (01) 7057000 or eircom (01) 6714444

✁

€1.50 per week

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Telecoms Update whereby Field technicians across all operational areas will receive NGA migration training.

This training will continue and will add to the resource flexibility and availability as the NGA footprint extends. The Company is committed to training the maximum number of eircom technicians and providing them with the opportunity to work on NGA migration, subject to the needs of the business.

To this end a FAO training programme was agreed by the telecoms executive with a view to providing a stable and continuous role for members in eircom without such roles as a result of various restructurings over the years. It is envisaged that members assigned to FAO from the RBU, TU, Interim TU, and wave 1 project group will mainly be involved in NGA migration work.

It became very clear to the group that the internal resources would not be capable of handling the volumes of orders and installing the units in the homes in the timescales required. It was agreed to allow contractor involvement in the NGA migration in order to assist eircom provide the service. The NGA programme would be monitored every week, to see if contractor involvement would be required and a total review would take place in early August. In the first ten days 3,746 orders were completed and the mix of contractor orders as opposed to eircom technician orders was 40% contractor and 60% eircom.

E-Fibre NGA Migration On the 31st January, Comreg stated that eircom could not launch Next Generation Wholesale Broadband Access (WBA) services prior to 20th May 2013. In February eircom wrote to ComReg to apply for approval to launch WBA services on 8th April 2013.

ComReg, in response to this request, sought the views of industry and any other interested parties publicly and five operators responded to ComReg’s Information Note. These were: eircom, Vodafone, ALTO, Sky Ireland and BT Ireland. Comreg considered these submissions and decided that its decision in D03/13 that NGA launch may not take place earlier than 20th May 2013 should not be varied.

On foot of Comreg decision to allow eircom launch Next Generation Wholesale Broadband Access (WBA), a number of meetings were held with the union, and a sub group of the Telecoms executive was established to oversee the NGA programme.

3. Contractor deployment As previously stated, the market forecasts have significantly increased from earlier forecasts, pushing resourcing demands beyond a “business as usual” approach. Whereas the Company will continue to mobilise all available resources, the reality is that we will have to rely on contractor support for 3 – 6 months, if we are to maintain a critical mass of customers which is central to the future success of the company.

Contractors will be deployed in our service delivery process to migrate our customers to the NGA network and will entail contractors on behalf of eircom performing the following: • Exchange jumpering tasks (provision & recovery); • Cabinet jumpering tasks; • If required, installation of a new NTU in the customer’s premises; • Completion of network tasks necessary to complete service; • Commissioning and testing of new RAP service, by performing a metallic test and a stable sync and error test using appropriate meters; • Confirming the new service to the customer on

SKY entry to the broadband market SKY launched its product offering on the 8th April, and have decided to deliver their broadband product using eircom’s Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) product via BT rather than our NGA Wholesale offering.

1. Industry response In response, eircom, together with other operators, have extensive ‘Go To Market’ plans in place which include pre-marketing campaigns, to drive awareness and calls into sales teams.

Through the Industry NGA forum all operators, including our Retail division, are seeking assurance that we will be capable of managing the short-term increase in ‘In Home’ connections required for NGA launch. The forecast from Industry is that at launch with 350,000 customers available for migration intense sales activity by all operators will create an initial ‘bow wave’ of demand.

2. eircom resourcing In line with the original forecasting, Fixed Access Operations are implementing a deployment plan

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Telecoms Update Managed Service Provider’s own device; Managed Service Provider to provide over the shoulder support to enable the customer to set up 2 devices with wireless security; • Completion of the order on eircom’s work management system; • Submission of update information on record exceptions encountered; and • Undertake line upgrade and fault repair on a per line basis as indicated by eircom to enable service activation. Refer network renewals to eircom for resolution.

The volumes of installations to be completed by eircom and contractors by geographic area will be the subject of on-going review by the Company and the CWU.

be expected to carry out inspections of in-home activity. The verification of order completion and volume validation will be system based and the Purchase Order and Goods Receipt Notes will be processed in the WCC. PQO tasks are resourced from the Fixed Access Build teams. At present there are 22 people fully trained and equipped across the 16 team areas covering the national footprint. These people are complemented and supported as required by their team colleagues. To provide cover for temporary variations in the demand for PQO cover owing to the NGA migration effort, additional people will be trained in the build teams and they will pick up any overflow from the nominated PQO people.

Quality assurance of the in-home activity will be achieved through the Net Promoter Score (NPS) process which entails a ring back to the customer to complete a feedback questionnaire of the experience as a customer. Technical training division will deliver a module of the NGA Migration training to the contractor’s in-house trainers. Thereafter the contractor will instigate and complete a training programme for their technicians.

There are a number of key activities that are required to assure we have contractor resources available to deliver NGA connections from launch on May 20th. The activities are spread across the next 4 weeks and require engagement between eircom personnel and Contractor personnel from April 22nd.

This is required to define and set up IT interfaces for order management, Logistics process, Operational process and Access to exchanges. The first week will involve meetings and site visits between personnel in eircom and their peers in the Contractor organisations, to exchange information and define solutions. These meetings will include:

•

4. Commercial process to determine resource availability The Company have conducted a commercial process to determine the resource availability in the contractor supply market and two suppliers have been identified as meeting requirements.

The suppliers are as follows: • •

Sierra; and KN Networks

The Company are engaged with these suppliers to ensure the following: • • •

Security of supply Performance and price competition Speedy mobilisation from existing contractor capability.

5. Deployment details Work will be assigned to the two vendors on a geographic basis.

• •

Sierra KN Networks

• • • • •

Dublin and the South East Dublin and the rest of the country excluding S/E

Dublin is the only territory where both contractors will be active. This will give security of supply in the most significant market segment.

NGA migration work in the field will be despatched daily via the Advantex Works Management system. Work undertaken by contractor resources will be settled by way of covering SAP works order. This works order when assigned to a contractor will include provision for PQO supervision. In line with standard practice the PQO will be responsible for the field verification of work standards and compliance however the PQO will not

Logistics Operations IT Facilities Management Technical Training

Many of these activities will continue across the next 4 weeks and others have dependent activities in the following weeks. If we delay, we risk not being able to serve customers at launch.

6. Review The Company and the Union will review the NGA migration programme to ensure that customer service requirements are met. A formal review of the deployment of contractors will take place on the 6th August 2013.

29

Telecoms Update

Union wins battle on sick pay entitlements for members in Obelisk One of the many battles the Union has been engaged in with Obelisk is the Company’s refusal to pay the correct rate of pay to members on long-term sick leave. The Union referred the case to the Labour Relations Commission and the Commission issued a recommendation which requires the Company to pay the rates of pay provided for the in the Transfer Agreement, retrospectively, to the members concerned.

30

Telecoms Update

ComReg Leaves eircom with €5m Cost of USO

undertaken with respect to the effect on the USP’s profitability or ability to earn a fair return on capital and the assessment of the positive net cost with respect to threshold values, there is no unfair burden for eircom.’

This is in circumstances where eircom is now competing with major multinationals with very deep pockets in a completely liberalised market.

Operators such as UPC and Sky are not subject to regulation by ComReg and other players such as Vodafone, BT Ireland and Telefónica O2 have huge resources at their disposal and benefit from the provision of a national telecoms network but are not being asked to help cover the cost of this network.

The fact that there is a cost is not a matter of debate. ComReg accept the cost is €5.1m, it is just not convinced that other operators should help pay for it.

Instead it expects eircom to carry this burden on its own. This is a company which has just undergone a major debt restructuring process, which is working through a significant cost containment strategy and is investing €1.5bn into a fibre network. The figure of €5.1m might not seem like much to ComReg but it would help secure a lot of jobs in the company as well as ensure the provision of a quality telecoms network. This draft decision is unacceptable. In an open liberalised market any burden on one operator that others do not face is unfair. It would not be acceptable to any other operators, quite rightfully, so why should it be acceptable for eircom?

In a recently issued draft decision ComReg has indicated that it will be up to eircom to cover the €5.1m cost of providing the Universal Service Obligation (USO). This despite the fact that the company operates in a completely open market and is obliged to make its network available to other operators. eircom had put the cost of the USO at €6.2m in its submission to ComReg but the regulator decided that the net cost was €5.1m following a review of the eircom submission.

As per the ComReg consultation document: ‘The USO ensures that everyone, irrespective of location, social standing or income can access basic telecommunications services, thus bringing benefits to those with low incomes who have difficulty in affording a telephone service, consumers with disabilities who need particular services or facilities, and those in rural locations for whom the cost of gaining access to service might otherwise be unreasonable.’

Notwithstanding the difference of opinion on how much the USO actually costs eircom ComReg has decided that the cost is not an unfair burden on the company and that the other operators who benefit from the provision of a national telecoms network should not be asked to share in the cost of providing the USO. Their preliminary view is that the €5.1m cost does not have a significant impact on the company’s profitability.

They state: ‘given the results of the analysis

31

CWU Group Schemes Update

How does my CWU Group Scheme work?

Your CWU Group Scheme website is provided for you as a member benefit. The CWU has teamed up with groupschemes to provide hundreds of discounts to CWU members and their families, which means you have access to a wide range of savings on dayͲtoͲday items, as well as highͲsavings products and services. Visit your union website www.cwu.ie for further information and all the latest union news.

How can I avail of offers?

To stay up to date with the latest offers as they become available, you need to register for login details on the CWU website at www.cwu.ie When you have done this, click the link on the CWU homepage that brings you to the CWU groupscheme online discount website. Here you can view a variety of discounts available to CWU members. Simply sign up for the newsletter at the top of any page on the groupscheme website and we will email you new savings as they become available… PS, keep your eyes open for occasional competitions that are exclusive to CWU members!

Enjoy discounts from the following partners, along with many more:

32

WILLIAM NORTON HOUSE Communications Workers’ Union

Our Conference Hall can cater for

240 Theatre Style or180 Classroom Style

TECHNICAL TE CH N ICA AL L SPEC S PEC & CAPACITIES CA AP PACITI E S s Conference H s Conference Hall all capacity T Theatre heatre Style ss Conference Conference H Hall all capacity Classroom Sty Style yle ss National National Execu Executive utive B Boardroom oardroom ss Leinster Leinster B Boardroom oard droom Boardroom ss Munster Munster B oard droom ss Connacht Connacht B oa ardroom Boardroom ss Ulster Ulster B Boardroom oardro oom ss Breakout B k t Area Breakout A as for f various i no d delegates l t s Areas ss Secluded Secluded Priva Private ate Garden Garden ss Rooftop Rooftop Garde en ss Complimentary Complimentaryy parking for over 25 cars ss Complimentary Complimentaryy wifi Video/T Tele e con nference facility ss Video/Tele conference

24 240 0 180 180 45 22 20 16 10 3

To T o find out more about the t facilities at William Norton House, House e, or to book ur next event, please contact: c your yo Imelda Ime elda Wall, Waall, Communications Communicatio ons Workers’ Workers’ Un nion, William William Norton House, House, Union, 575-577 5 75-5 5 577 North N th Circular Ci l Road, R Ro oad, d Dublin Du ublin 1

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E-mail: E-m mail: imelda@cwu.ie Tel: T el el: +353 1 866 866 3000 3000 Fax: Fax x: +353 1 866 866 3099 3099

Education Update

Dublin Postal Delivery Branch Committee Training Course – April 27th 2013

In attendance were: Paddy Costello, Philip Connell, Aidan Daly, James Nolan, Robert Connolly, Peter Finn, David Hanly, Leo Bissett, Gerry Kelly, Pat Carroll, Mark McLoughlin, Paul Redmond, Noel Byrne, John Seagrave, Aisling Ó Snodaigh, Colm Byrne, Seán O’Donnell, Karl Donohoe, John Coughlan, Martin Kelly, Paul Hardy, Derek Long, Robert Brennan, Paul Connor, Frank McNamara, James Doyle, Alan Mahon, Thomas Galligan, Anthony Larkin, Paul O’Connor, Brian Kane, Declan Corbett, Derek O’Brien, Seán Boylan, Joe Lawless,Michael Lonergan Paul Wardick, Anthony McMahon, Christy Keenan, Charlie Burton, Aidan McGinn and Damien McDonald.

Dublin Postal Clerks Committee Training Course – May 17th 2013

Pictured back row, l to r: Des Lernihan, Dave Bell, Ger Simpson, Aideen Grattan, and Willie Mooney Pictured front row l to r: Owen Cassidy, Brian Deegan, Sharon Ivory and Paul Coleman.

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Education Update

Branch Chairperson Training Course – April 17th & 18th 2013

In attendance were: (not in order of appearance in photograph) Derek Kavanagh, Breda Bradley, Maurice Noonan, Leo Coyne, Derek Keenan, Barry Gorman, Jim Power, Bill O’Sullivan, Martin Nugent, Stephen Wall, John Lyons, Donal O’Driscoll, Ollie Butler, John Delaney, David Kelly, John Long, Peter McKenna and Paul Cooper

Branch Secretary Training Course – April/May 2013

Pictured back row l to r: Gareth Daly, Brian Smyth, Barry Carr, Noel Murphy and Eline Walshe.

Pictured front row l to r: Seamus Kenny, Kevin Mundy, Tommy Quinn, Cyril Tallon, Mark O’Malley and Declan Fitzgerald.

35

Education Update

Branch Officer Training Course May 14th & 15th 2013

In attendance were: (not in order of appearance in photograph) Malachy Rudden, Ray Crowley, Tony Harnett, Geraldine Isherwood, Christy Brigdale, Carmel Higgins, Annette Doyle, Gerry Sexton, Kevin McKenna, Aaron Crowley, Niall Daly, Ronan Lynch, Mark Murray, Robert O’Connor, Anthony Kelly, Diarmuid O’Connell, Ellie Malone, Kevin Earley, Patrick McCrudden, Seán Murtagh & John Dill.

Get into print!

Wear your Union Badge

Anyone wishing to submit articles or photos to appear in the Connect journal, please, either: email to imelda@cwu.ie or post to Imelda Wall,

Communications Workers’ Union, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1.

36

Equality Update

Launch of Bullying & Harassment Prevention Guidelines for CWU Represntatives At this year’s Spring Conference, the Union was pleased to launch our newly revised Bullying and Harassment Prevention Guidelines for CWU Representatives.

This document replaces the previous Bullying and Harassment Prevention Representative Guidelines and is in a generic format that all CWU Representatives can refer to.

We believe in the necessity of having such guidelines in place so as to outline the role that our Trade Union can play in the prevention of bullying and harassment in the work place. We also emphasise in these guidelines that Representatives must be familiar and refer to their own company policies on the procedures for dealing with complaints.

The document highlights the CWU anti-bullying and harassment aims and how the Union can provide assistance and information.

The document also provides definitions of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, the effects of these on the individual and how complaints can be addressed. Finally the document highlights the role and responsibility of the Union, Employees and the Employer around this issue.

The guidelines that we have produced add to the current suite of equality documents such as the Equality policy and the Equality Representative guide. We make all our materials available on the website and on hard copy so as to create awareness of these issues.

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Pray for the dead, but fight like hell for the living.” – Mother Jones

Workers Memorial Day

Eamon Devoy, TEEU, and Ester Lynch, ICTU.

Board member Eamon Devoy, who is General Secretary of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union.

“In recent years big strides have been made in protecting people at work from injury and ill health.

Health and safety inspections are the backbone of this approach and there still more needs to be done, especially as increasing numbers of employers are contracting out core work. We want to use the occasion of International Workers Memorial Day to highlight the dangers posed by cuts in health and safety budgets. They are jeopardising the progress made and the price will be paid by ordinary, hardworking people.” Esther Lynch, Congress Legislation and Legal Affairs Officer, said “Progress has stalled on much needed safeguards, such as requiring employers to report occupational diseases and illnesses. The Government should not buckle in the face of opposition from business groups in the mistaken belief that health and safety rules are a burden on business. Congress is calling on the Health and Safety Authority to think again about removing the requirement on employers to report on the range of internationally recognised occupational diseases caused by chemical, physical and biological agents.

“In spite of advances in occupational health and safety practices over the last few decades, the impact of the crisis has meant increased work intensity and less time dedicated to prevention, poor maintenance schedules for equipment and machinery, and a lack of investment in newer equipment. Moreover, psycho-social factors such as stress in the work place are exacerbated as employment becomes more precarious and those who retain their jobs often work longer hours to compensate for job cuts.

“Obeying safety rules is a responsibility, not a burden.

Business efficiencies cannot be at the expense of workers’ health and lives.

Each year on the 28th April, Workers Memorial Day takes place where working people throughout the world remember those who were hurt or killed at work.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) each year, more than two million women and men die as a result of work-related accidents and diseases around the world.

The Health and Safety Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is seeking formal recognition of the 28th April as the official commemoration day in Ireland.

International Workers Memorial Day is recognised as a national day in the US, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Argentine, Brazil and other countries in Latin America and Asia. On this day, unions rededicate themselves to ending injustice in the workplace and to fighting for stronger job safety laws and protections for all workers.

This year the Irish Congress of Trade Unions marked the day with a 1913 theme. The event was held in the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum and it was followed by a walking tour of Glasnevin Cemetery with Historian Shane MacThomáis. During the event a number of workers, trade unions and their allies made reflections and dedications including the CWU. There was a large attendance of CWU activists and their families and the Union would like to thank all of those who attended.

Ahead of the event ICTU issued a statement warning that cuts in health and safety budgets are threatening to turn the clock back on the progress made in keeping people safe at work. Last year 47 people were killed and 7,000 non-fatal injuries were reported.

“The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is facing devastating cuts in its government grant over the next three years, which will hit health and safety inspections and the body’s prevention work hard”, according to 38

TB in the Post Office and the establishment of Medisan

by Pat Kenny, CWU increased to 4,000 which, while considerable, did not represent its potential membership.

In the early 1900s, the greatest danger to health, particularly among young adults both male and female, was tuberculosis (TB) with over 11,500 deaths from the “white plague”, as it was called. At this time TB was rife in the Post Office, particularly among Sorting Clerks. TB was considered by many to be an occupational disease for postal workers, given the conditions they worked under. Infection was believed to come from unhealthy premises and the dust on mail bags which had been dragged along floors and platforms of train stations which were covered with germ-laden dirt. In addition, TB could result from contact with infected members of the public, who spread infection by coughing over the counter or spitting on the floor. This was compounded by bad housing, poor sanitation, bad diet and very low wages.

In 1905, Charles Garland, a Post Office Clerk based in the GPO in London, decided to create a mutual selfhelp organisation so that the less well-off could get access to the Health Care they needed and the Post Office Sanatorium Society was established to provide financial assistance to Post Office Workers suffering from TB. Post Office staff were encouraged to join and paid a small weekly subscription into a common fund that covered their treatment in the event of contracting TB. The subscription was 2s annually.

At the time, TB rates in Ireland were 50% higher than in the rest of the UK and the Post Office Sanatoria Fund was established in Ireland in 1906 to provide assistance for members in the early stages of consumption, as well as Convalescent Home treatment for those recovering from the illness. This brought the most modern treatment into the reach of every Post Office Official in Ireland. This fund, although supported by the Postmaster General, did not receive any financial backing from the Post Office and the push for membership came from the various Branches of the Association of Irish Post Office Clerks (AIPOC), as it was then called.

As a result of the large number of applicants in 1909 for Sanatoria treatment, the fund found itself in serious financial difficultly. The fund was in debt to the tune of £400 and the expenses showed no sign of decreasing.

The AIPOC set about fundraising, particularly through sporting events, raffles and grants. In addition, they advanced it £400 which allowed the fund to meet some of its debts as well as continuing to assist members By 1924, the finances of the fund had improved considerably and it was in credit to the tune of £1,000.

This was supported by a number of individual donations. In 1924, the membership of the fund had

•

In 1927, subscriptions from members amounted to £706 7s and the payments for treatment amounted to £625 8s. Membership had increased to 6,000

•

Between 1906 and 1934, 850 members were treated in convalescent homes and fully restored to health. One Post Office Assistant from Limerick spent five years in a sanatorium from 1926 to 1931 at a cost of £636 5s

•

In 1933, the Post Office Workers’ Union sought a more proactive approach from the Department regarding TB and suggested, among other things, the utilisation of vacuum cleaners and the introduction of ventilation in all offices

•

In 1944, the POWU National Executive Council decided to make gifts of cigarettes to the male members of the Union in Sanatoria and chocolates to female members and they did this for many years afterwards

•

In 1945, William Norton, the General Secretary of the Post Office Workers’ Union, who was also a Labour Party TD, was instrumental in introducing a Bill in the Dáil to provide for the establishment of additional sanatoria for the treatment of persons suffering from TB

•

In 1961, the fund had over 13,000 members and extended the range of benefits to cover certain nervous disorders, Parkinson’s disease and lung cancer

•

In the early 1970s, convalescent treatment was extended to the wives and children of members and over the years the range of illnesses catered for by the fund has increased.

The Scheme is still in existence today. In 2001, it changed its name to “Medisan”. At the end of 2012, it had 8,173 members, primarily in An Post and eircom.

It provides support and financial assistance to members suffering from Tuberculosis, Psychiatric Illness, Cardiac Disorders, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Insulin Dependent Diabetes, Cancer, Diseases of the Central Nervous System and Renal Failure.

We would like to take the opportunity today to remember all those who have suffered or lost their life as a result of occupational illnesses and also to remember all those who, by their selfless efforts, have sought to improve the lot of working people.

39

HEALTH AND SAFETY

1913

300,000 FACE DESTITUTION In 1913 over 400 employers locked out 15.000 workers in Dublin city and county in an effort to destroy the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, which had been established four years earlier to win better pay and conditions for unskilled and semi-skilled workers.

Another 10,000 workers were laid off as a result of the dispute. When their dependants are taken into account over a third of the city’s population of 300,000 faced destitution.

Inadequate health and safety laws, along with poor enforcement were major issues for workers.

There were practically no prosecutions in Dublin under the Factory Acts before the First World War. When the Lockout highlighted the appalling

after 1897 had little impact on safety figures because employers were covered by the insurance scheme set up under the Acts.

Compensation amounts were so low that workers disabled often preferred to continue in employment at lower rates than accept the lump sums available.

conditions there was a surge of 18 prosecutions in 1914, but this still paled against the 250 of parents as ‘employers’ of children selling newspapers, shoe laces and other items on the streets to help ends meet.

‘In every way it is excessively difficult to collect evidence in Ireland’, one inspector reported in 1908. ‘Added to the fear of answering the inspector’s questions so often exhibited by the worker, the custom is somewhat prevalent among foremen and forewomen of going to a worker soon after I have left her and enquiring a to my questions and the replies given’.

The introduction of Workmen’s Compensation

Payments were directly linked to earnings, regardless of how many dependents a worker had.

Young workers, and most children left school at 14, were particularly vulnerable but entitled to virtually nothing because of very low pay.

If the worker could be shown to be at fault for undertaking dangerous work on his own initiative this could mitigate liability for the employer. Many workers were afraid to say they were coerced and employment of a lawyer was impractical as his fees would absorb all or most of any amount secured.

Ironically, it was even more difficult to secure compensation if a worker died, unless fellow workers were prepared to testify.

It was this lack of protection that was a major 40

factor in attracting men and women to Jim Larkin’s trade union and made it imperative for so many employers to join the Lockout and smash the infant ITGWU. The Congress Health and Safety Committee in marking the centenary of the 1913 and Workers Memorial Day 2013 while reflecting on the significant challenges ahead of us still recognises how far union led demands for safe and healthy work have brought us during the last 100 years. Not least in raising awareness that accidents are not the result of Bad Luck in the Workplace.

EAMON DEVOY Chairman, Congress Health and Safety Committee.

Irish Congress of Trade Unions

For further information on

Health, Safety & Welfare Matters in the Workplace contact:

Irish Congress of Trade Unions 31/32 Parnell Square Dublin 1, Ireland Tel: +353 1 8897777 Fax: +353 1 8872012 Email: congress@ictu.ie

‘After a long day’s work they get home half tired and half drunk. No man would work under the old conditions except he was half drunk.’ - JIM LARKIN

SAD CASE of GIRL KILLED BY TRAIN A girl named Annie Reilly was run down and killed by a train near Balbriggan last night.

The deceased, who was a native of Louth, was in the employment, as a domestic servant, of District Inspector Dowling, Balbriggan, and it appears she was passing the level crossing to post a letter to the Nun in charge of Trim Industrial School where she was educated, when she was knocked down by the train, which left

Dublin shortly after 8 pm and killed.

A train for Dublin had just passed, and she apparently did not see the approach of the one which caused her death. A number of people seeing her position shouted a warning, but it was too late.

BOY KILLED

BY A LIFT A verdict of ‘accidental death’ was returned by the city coroner’s jury on Saturday in regard to Victor Larkin aged fifteen of Batenan-road, who fell on to an ascending lift at the Civil Service Stores, Queen Victoria Street, where he was employed as a messenger and was crushed.

On July 30 the lad, it was explained, was reaching for a file of papers on the ground floor of the stores and fell on to the ascending cage of a lift and was injured.

In the hospital when asked by his mother how the accident happened he said: “I had to get on the lift to reach my papers. Being rather short I had to jump. I put my hand on the bar to steady myself and it pulled me in.”

Leitrim Observer September 6 1913

Irish Independent July 7th 1913

BALLINA BAKERS SAD END

CAVA N M A N K I L L E D B Y BU LL

The inquest was resumed at BALLINA yesterday into the circumstances of the death of Joseph Trodden, who a week ago died as a result of being crushed in a kneading machine in Messrs Moylett’s Bakery. The medical evidence showed that Trodden’s right arm was almost completely cut off, a scissors only being required in the operation of amputating it. Death was caused by shock due to the injuries. It was proved that the Factory Department’s regulations were fully complied with and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death exonerating Messrs Moylett’s from all blame.

Wm. Reilly, aged 45, farmer of Dunmanyplydle, Belturbert has succumbed to terrible injuries received on Monday evening in an attack by a three-yearold bull, of which he was the owner.

Reilly, who lived alone, was milking a cow in a field near his dwelling at a late hour in the evening, when the bull rushed at him, knocked him down, tore his clothes to ribbons and ate away at his boots. Three of his ribs were broken and he suffered grave injuries to various parts of his body.

Freemans Journal January 30th 1913

Irish independent August 7 1913

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DUBLIN SAILOR’S DEATH An inquest was opened at the County and City Infirmary, Waterford yesterday evening touching the death of William Clarke, of Rush, County Dublin, a sailor on board the S&D City of Frankfort, owned by Messrs Palgrave, Murphy and Co Dublin. It appears that last week, when the vessel was leaving Waterford, Clarke was engaged at the hatches when he accidentally fell into one of the holds. The vessel put back to Waterford and deceased was removed to the Infirmary, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday evening. Evidence having been given by Mrs Clarke and Dr Ford the inquest was adjourned for the attendance of witnesses on board the vessel

BOY’S TRAGIC END While transferring parcels from a tramway car at Nelsons Pillar to a handcart yesterday John Bergin of 2 South Gloucester Street was struck by a tramway car and knocked against the handcart. He succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards in Jervis Street Hospital.

Irish Independent February 1st 1913

Freemans Journal June 10th 1913

‘Ireland is a country of wonderful charity and singularly little justice. And Dublin, being the epitome of Ireland, it is not strange to find that Dublin, a city famous for its charitable institutions and its charitable citizens, should also be infamous for the perfectly hellish conditions under which its people are housed, and under which its men, women and children labour for a living’. - JAMES CONNOLLY RIVETTER’S

DEATH

A CONVENT FATALITY A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest yesterday on the body of Catherine Neill, aged 18, an inmate of St Mary’s Convent Cabra, who had fallen from a step-ladder in the institution while engaged in cleaning a window.

Margaret G Cassidy stated she was working with the deceased when a cord broke and the ladder slipping. Neill fell and her head struck a table. Sir Arthur Chance said one of the Sisters of the Convent was at once summoned and expressed the opinion that the girl had sustained a fracture of the skull. Mr Coroner Friery said there was no reflection on anyone in the institution, which was well known as one of the most admirable of its kind in Europe.

The Right Hon The Recorder yesterday refused the application made by a sister of Lawrence Doran who was accidentally killed by a crane, to recover compensation from Dublin Dockyard Co. Doran was in the employment of the respondents as a rivetter and on the 30th October last he was sent to do work in connection with a contract they were carrying out in Limerick. On that date he was struck by a crane, and received injuries which resulted in his death. His wages were 30s per week and he lived with the applicant until May last and contributed 12s weekly towards her support.

Irish Independent January 9th 1913

Irish Independent June 30 1913

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DOUBLE FATALITY NEAR LARNE

MAN ELECTROCUTED

Robert McVeigh and John McAllister, quarrymen engaged at the Greenland limestone quarries near Larne, were yesterday crushed to death by a huge piece of rock weighing about eight tons falling on them while engaged in undermining the face of the quarry. McVeigh’s death was instantaneous and McAllister was found to be dead on his being taken to hospital.

The City Coroner Dr Louis Byrne held an inquest yesterday in the Morgue in connection with the death of Edward Blanco (43) which took place on Monday evening as a result of his coming into contact with a live electric light wire.

Irish Independent April 4th 1913

Mr Gerard Byrne junior appeared for the next-ofkin; Mr J Beatty (of Messrs Vincent and Beatty) for Mr Denehy; and Mr Rice for the Corporation.

TWO SISTERS KILLED SAD FATALITY IN WATERFORD

A sad fatality occurred in Waterford on Wednesday evening, the victims being two sisters, named Margaret Hickey (7) and Lily Hickey (6). The little girls, daughters of an engine-driver, were playing in an empty house owned by Mr James Power, T C, at Walsh’s Lane, when the ceiling of the room in which they were collapsed.

At an inquest held yesterday on the body of Lily Hickey Sargeant Baldwin stated that he was aware that Mr Power, the owner of the house, had a claim for malicious injury pending in respect of the house and some others adjoining.

The houses had been vacant for some months and there were no doors on them, nor was there any protection around them.

Inspector Bannon appeared on behalf of the authorities.

Mr May Inspector of Factories, was present.

Mrs Anne Blanco identified the body as that of her husband, who was employed as a yardman by Messrs Denehy .

Mr Francis Denehy, the proprietor of the motor works, stated that the wire was always, when not in use, coiled up near the roof. He believed it must have blown down and he did not know if

The jury found the deceased died from shock as a result from injuries received and they exonerated Mr Power, the owner of the house from all blame.

Mr Rice asked the witness if the portable lamp was portion of the original electric light installation as passed by the Corporation, and Mr Denehy said he could not say.

In reply to Mr May, the witness said that he had not read the Board of Trade regulations governing the installation of electric light into factories and did not know that a portable lamp should be connected to permanent sitings or perfectly constructed connectors. At the time of the accident a portion of the end of the wire of this portable lamp was bare. He had no instructions posted up in the factory as to the treatment of persons suffering shock.

Freemans Journal February 7th 1913

BRICKLAYER KILLED

Irish Independent June 27 1913

A VAN MANS DEATH

A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest held by Dr Louis Byrne in Jervis Street Hospital yesterday on the body of Patrick O’Reilly, 1 Brian Boru Street. It appeared that the

it was the duty of any of his employees to see that it was coiled up except that when after use the men tied it up.

deceased was putting a horse and van into the stables of his employers, Messrs Bewley and Co, Clontarf, at Capel Lane on Thursday, when he was caught between the wheel and the gate pier.

Freemans Journal September 13 1913

A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest held at St Michael’s Hospital on Denis Kelly aged 55 a brick layer who died from delirium of the brain caused by having fallen from a scaffolding while building a wall in Stillorgan.

Edward Kelly, son of the deceased, said his father had complained of injury to his head. Patrick O’Byrne who worked with Kelly said he slipped and fell. He told the juror there was no guard board on the scaffolding.

Irish independent April 30 1913

S P O N S ORE D BY – T H E T E C H NI CAL, ENGI NEER I NG AND ELECTR I CAL UNI O N 43

Colombia at a Crossroads On Sunday, 26th May 2013, the Colombian government and the FARC representatives released a joint statement confirming agreement between the parties on the first of six items on the agenda for peace, relating to land and rural development. This is the most promising development to have taken place in addressing Colombia’s civil conflict since it began over 70 years ago.

1957, the Liberal and Conservative parties entered into a power sharing arrangement known as the Frente Nacional (National Front), which saw the parties exchange the presidency every four years. The Frente arrangement came to an end in 1974, when “meaningful electoral competition” was restored. In 1977 trade unions took part in Colombia’s first general strike, but this action was subsequently deemed to be an act of subversion by the Colombian military. What effect has this early association between trade unions and subversion had on the organised labour movement?

Workers in Colombia were some of the most organised in Latin America until the 1980s. Since then trade union density fell to 7% in the 1990s and further declined to approximately 5% in the last ten years. Between 1988 and 2008 there were approximately 2,500 trade unionists murdered in Colombia, although the rate of murder has varied considerably year-on-year. Human rights monitors regularly report on the human rights violations of trade unionists in the state, assigning responsibility for the murders primarily to paramilitary groups with ties to the Colombian state army. These advocates, along with the main Colombian congress of trade unions (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores), claim that trade unionists are

The Colombian government has been engaged in peace talks with FARC guerrillas in Havana, Cuba since November 2012, attempting to find a negotiated solution to the country’s civil conflict. Violence in Colombia is not a new phenomenon. The state has been involved in a low-intensity conflict with left-wing guerrillas and rightwing paramilitary groups for decades. This conflict has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. Furthermore, the proliferation of coca cultivation since the 1980s has seen common criminality increase considerably; Colombia has had one of the highest homicide rates in the world. It also holds another title:

“Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist.”

The Colombian conflict escalated to extremes in 1948 after the assassination of the presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Despite the ongoing conflict, Colombia has remained a democracy, with only one period of military rule from 1953 to 1957 under General Gustavo Rojas-Pinilla. Following the ousting of Rojas-Pinilla in 44

strategically targeted and not simply innocent victims of violence.

The proliferation of paramilitary groups during the 1970s and 1980s, which came from a government decision to bestow powers on the citizenry to protect themselves against violence perpetrated by guerrilla groups was the main reason for the extensive attacks on trade unionists during the 1990s. Paramilitary groups were outlawed in 1989 amidst mounting claims of gross human rights violations, although this had limited impact on the growth of these groups. In 1997 paramilitary groups united under a main confederation; the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC). Human rights advocates claim the paramilitaries are responsible for between 70% and 80% of civilian murders since the 1990s. In a 2004 interview with El Tiempo, a Colombian newspaper, the leader of the AUC, Carlos Castaño, stated

disappearances and intimidation – increased at the same time. Therefore, this form of repression of the organised labour movement has simply been replaced with another and this is why Colombia remains the most dangerous place to be a trade unionist today.

What does the future hold for organised labour in Colombia if the peace process is successful? Successive governments (and paramilitary groups) frequently accused trade unionists of being “guerrilla sympathisers” or “left-wing subversives” and have used this as justification for attacks. However, this masks the actual truth that the repression of the labour movement and direct targeting of trade unionists underpins the firm commitment of the Colombian government to a neoliberal economic agenda which sees organised labour as an obstacle to economic growth. This view is supported by reports from various international organisations and Colombian trade unions that multinational companies – particularly in the extraction industries – have paid paramilitaries “protection rents” against guerrilla attacks and which has often extended to intimidation of workers to deter them from joining a trade union. The government has been complicit in allowing these practices to continue as the revenues generated from such companies took precedence over the welfare of Colombian citizens. The best case scenario following the peace process will be the gradual rebuilding of the organised labour movement in Colombia; however, this outcome is highly unlikely. Both the current and previous administration amended labour legislation resulting in a weakening of protections for workers and increasing the ‘flexibilisation’ of employment significantly favouring employers. A peace process may increase the attractiveness of Colombia as a place to do business or as a trade partner, fostering economic growth, but the positive impacts on workers and the organised labour movement may be marginal at best.

“We kill trade unionists because they interfere with people”.

The last president, Álvaro Uribe, negotiated a ceasefire and demobilisation with the AUC and by the end of 2005 an estimated 30,000 paramilitaries had demobilised.

However, questions have been raised as to whether this process was successful in demobilising actual paramilitary fighters. Furthermore, a controversial law was passed in 2005 known as Ley de Justicia y Paz (Justice and Peace Law) to speed up the process. It provided a new framework for the demobilisation of armed actors. Under this law those who took part in the demobilisation process were required to confess their crimes, return stolen land and pay fines. The demobilisation of the AUC does coincide with the reduction in the murder of trade unionists in Colombia, however over forms of violence – including

45

Global brands pull together on Bangladesh safety deal Geneva 23 May 2013 – Major retail companies behind the global Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord showed their commitment to improving the lives of Bangladeshi garment workers at the kickoff meeting, held at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva today.

Work is now beginning on the implementation phase of the Accord.

The companies alongside IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union agreed to immediately move forward with implementing the Accord. The aim is to have safety inspectors on the ground as quickly as possible in order to begin to fix the most urgent problems.

The participants, including the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Worker Rights Consortium who have signed as witnesses to the agreement, said that the Accord was an opportunity to rectify the unacceptable risks currently faced by Bangladeshi garment workers because of poor standards on factory safety.

More than 1,100 people died in the Rana Plaza building collapse, Bangladesh’s largest industrial tragedy, sparking a worldwide debate on how to improve safety.

IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina said, "This is standard setting work from the over 40 founding signatory clothing brands of the legally binding Accord with IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union.

Workers everywhere will now seek to expand this historic Accord to other countries and to other industrial sectors.

We are invigorated to work with this critical mass of market leading clothing brands and retailers to turn the sentiments of the Accord into reality in Bangladesh."

UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said, “It is time to roll up our sleeves and get on with the urgent task of improving factory safety in Bangladesh.”

Company Signatories

Here is the list of companies who have signed the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord:

Abercrombie & Fitch, Marks and Spencer, Aldi, Benetton, Bonmarche, C&A, Carrefour, Charles Vögele, Comtex, El Corte Inglés, Ernstings's Family, Esprit, Fat Face, Gstar, H&M, Hema, Inditex, jbc, John Lewis, Kik, Lidl, Loblaw, Mango, Mothercare, N Brown, New Look, Next, Otto Group, Primark, PVH, s.Oliver, Stockmann, Switcher, Tchibo, Tesco, V&D, We Europe The agreement is a very welcome development and is an example of how trade unions, at international level, can bring pressure to bear on companies to improve working conditions. It is also a damning indictment of these companies that it took a tragedy which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 workers, many of whom were children, to force them to act. Two companies – GAP and Walmart – refused to sign the agreement. Trade unionists are consumers and should, as a mark of protest, refuse to spend their money at stores which are not willing to support agreements designed to protect workers’ rights.

There is still a long way to go in this industry. The agreement does not deal with the deplorable low rates of pay of workers and the long hours they are required to work. This amounts to modern-day slavery and it is a battle the trade unions concerned are determined to win.

46

EMU roadmap need Social Europe at its core

by Oliver Rรถthig, Regional Secretary

47

Successful protest against Deutsche Post DHL at London Fashion Week Dear Colleagues, UNI Global Union and ITF, with support from our affiliates, put Deutsche Post DHL's appalling record on workers' rights firmly in the spotlight at London Fashion Week where the company is one of the main sponsors.

Using models dressed in packaging materials, who paraded outside of the main event distributing leaflets, the fashion industry, the public and media got the message: DHL must change its behaviour.

The mainstream media reported widely, especially in Turkey where more than 20 DHL workers were unfairly sacked for union activities. Important trade press publications, such as the Freight Business Journal also publicised the protest.

UNI Global Union General Secretary Philip Jennings and ITF Acting General Secretary Steve Cotton published an op-ed in the Huffington Post calling on DHL to begin a constructive dialogue aimed at creating a global agreement to protect DHL's worldwide workforce.

A comprehensive media blitz, including Twitter, Youtube videos and Facebook, where the campaign page now has more than 50,000 "likes", ensured DHL's unacceptable behaviour was highlighted widely.

Challenging DHL at London Fashion Week – Press coverage

Thanks to all our affiliates and partners who contributed to this successful event!

Because of DHL’s increasing reliance on the fashion industry for its business and its branding, the demonstration aimed to reach out to both media sources and fashion customers for them to raise concern with DHL’s management.

48

Executive Committee Brussels, 29 - 30 May 2013

Lifetime achievement Award Personal message from Ken Loach lifetime achievement award for your solidarity with workers during your career in film.

We know you have a very busy schedule but we would be honoured if you could join us to receive this award and to attend an evening reception in your honour at the meeting of the UNI Europa Executive Committee scheduled for 29 May in Brussels.

One of the largest affiliates of our global organisation, UNI Global Union, is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In fact, we are delighted that Rocio Saenz just became a member of UNI’s top body at the UNI Americas regional conference in Montevideo. We were then reminiscing about “Bread and Roses” and the way in which you made the story of the Justice for Janitors Campaign in Century City come alive through the medium of film. Your name is wellappreciated in all of UNI for a number of movies but “Bread and Roses” is at the top of our list.

Please let us know if you will be available on 29 May. Again, thank you for the your ongoing support of worker struggles across the world.

Recommendation Letter sent to Ken Loach (8 February 2013) We seldom see acts of real solidarity like the one you showed when you declined the lifetime achievement award of Italy’s National Museum of Cinema in Torino in support of cleaners working there. Your work in cinema has been outstanding and well-justifies such an award. We thank you for using that opportunity to stand with the cleaners who have been threatened and mistreated in their struggle to hold on to their salaries and benefits.

The pressure on these workers and their families is huge and to have someone with your notoriety and list of accomplishments acknowledge the importance and legitimacy of their struggle was moving and appreciated.

UNI Europa is the European trade union for the services sectors. We know our organisation is not the equivalent of the National Museum of Cinema in Turin for bestowing an award. Nevertheless, on behalf of the seven million service workers we represent, UNI Europa would like to give you a

Message from Ken Loach Dear Friends, I am very touched by this honour. You are very generous to make this presentation and I would like to say a big thank you. A am very sorry not be with you in person - but I'm there in spirit! Of course, we all know that the real heroes are people like those in Torino, who are prepared to fight for the right to belong to a union, for fair wages and job security. Attacks on workers, as in Torino, are happening across Europe. Mass unemployment, the cutting of welfare benefits, the lack of security in every aspect of life - all this demands a response. The old parties of the centre left are now compromised by their support for the austerity programme. Their idea of a compassionate capitalism that can be made to work in the interests of all is clearly a fraud. Predictable, when faced with this truth, they line up with the parties of the Right. We need to start again. We need new parties of the Left that understand and defend the interests of ordinary people. We need to unite in this project across Europe. We can only succeed if we make a reality of the "Internationale" !

I hope your union - and all unions - go from strength to strength.

With warmest good wishes, Ken Loach

49

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Tommy Clancy Photography

President Michael D. Higgins delivers inaugural Dónal Nevin Lecture

President Michael D. Higgins delivers inaugural Dónal Nevin Lecture in the CWU Conference Centre, William Norton House on Thursday 23rd May 2013.

About Donal Nevin

President Higgins paid tribute to Dónal Nevin for his contribution as a public and committed citizen, and welcomed the Nevin Economic Research Institute and its important mission in undertaking research of relevance to the Trade Union Movement and the general public across the island of Ireland. He addressed a range of critical themes and issues of relevance to society on a national and European plane.

The inaugural Dónal Nevin Lecture honoured the memory of the late Dónal Nevin, former General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, after whom the Nevin Economic Research Institute is named, and commemorated Dónal Nevin's promotion of and contribution to objective and thorough economic and social research, and the setting of public policy within the context of such research and analysis.

The NERI (Nevin Economic Research Institute) is a new research think-tank funded by a number of unions affiliated to the ICTU. It aims “to influence policy outcomes that have the greatest effect on the achievement of equity and fairness in the political economy on the Island of Ireland, to the benefit of working people, their families and communities and the enhancement of the quality of life of all people living on the island of Ireland, through the provision of high-quality macro and micro economic research and analyses, awareness raising and capacity building programmes.”

Born in Limerick in 1924, Donal Nevin was a significant figure in twentieth century Irish trade unionism and a persistent force for social responsibility and social justice in Irish society. Commencing his career as a statistician in the Department of Industry and Commerce, he joined the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in 1949 as a Research Officer and rose to the position of General Secretary between 1982 and 1989. Dónal Nevin was also a member of the Labour Party.

Always committed to research, he was one of the founders of the Economic and Social Research Institute in 1960 and a major contributor to policy formation and enactment in public life. He was awarded Doctoral degrees from the National University of Ireland, the National Council of Educational Awards and the University of Limerick. He was also a noted historian and published author on the history of the labour movement in Ireland.

The website of the institute is: www.NERInstitute.net 54

Tommy Clancy Photography Tommy Clancy Photography

President Higgins is escorted to the lecture by Tom Healy of NERI.

Dave Begg chats to President Higgins and Sabina Higgins.

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CWU Retired Members’ Section IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Communications Workers’ Union would like to advise all our members that, following a Motion to the Rule Change Conference 2013, the Associate Member rule has been replaced with a new rule relating to the Retired Members’ Section. Therefore, any entitlements previously covered by Associate Membership of the Union, such as Mortality Grant payments, are now discontinued and only available to individuals who become members of the Retired Members’ Section.

The new rules are as follows: The following rule replaces the old Associate Membership rule: Rule 2.6 RETIRED MEMBERSHIP 1.

Retired employees of the Companies organised by the CWU shall be eligible for membership of the Union subject to the following: (a) A Retired Member shall be bound by the Rules and shall be allocated to a particular branch in accordance with Rule 3.1 (b) Membership Fees and Benefits for Retired Members shall be those which are set out in the ‘Retired Members’ Benefits’ Handbook as amended and updated by the National Executive Council from time to time.”

The following rule replaces the old Mortality Grant rule: Rule 10.1 SOCIAL BENEFIT FUND 6.

A member may be paid €635.00 on the death of his/her spouse. The estate of a member may be paid €5,080.00 on his/her death. A member may nominate during his/her lifetime to whom the sum shall be payable. A Retired Member (as referred to in Rule 2.6) may be paid €635.00 on the death of his/her spouse. The estate of a Retired Member (as referred to in Rule 2.6) may be paid €1,270.00 on his/her death. A Retired Member (as referred to in Rule 2.6) may during his/her lifetime nominate to whom such payment may be made.

The Retired Members’ Section is open to all individuals, over the age of 55, who have retired.

If you wish to join after your retirement and continue availing of the many benefits of CWU membership, you may do so by completing the attached Application Form and either the DAS Form (if you are in receipt of your pension) or the Direct Debit Form (if your pension payments have not yet started at the time of retirement).

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CWU People

President warns of ‘danger’ of disregarding creativity Postage stamp unveiled to mark Dublin as Unesco City of Literature

Pictured from l to r: Colin Moore, President Higgins, with Eoin, Catherine and Clodagh Moore

Pictured from l to r: Eoin Moore, Colin Moore & Donal Connell (CEO An Post).

There is a “real danger” in forcing people into being useful in a material sense and disregarding their creative side, President Michael D Higgins has warned.

It was vital that young people were allowed to develop their imaginations and curiosity, he added at the unveiling of a 60 cent postage stamp to mark Dublin’s designation as a Unesco city of literature. “When education is going badly that wonderment is stopped and people are asked to adjust themselves to something that may not in fact be the very best,” he added.

“People are sometimes, it is suggested, being asked to fit themselves in to what is available in a material sense in life,” he said.

The stamp chosen has a short description of Dublin by Eoin Moore (19), son of Dublin Postal Managers Branch Secretary, Colin Moore, who took part in a creative writing programme at the Fighting Words centre in Dublin, which runs writing workshops for young people.

Eoin described the city in just 224 words, while it had taken James Joyce 265,000 words in Ulysses, said President Higgins, adding it was an “extraordinary achievement”.

Thousands of stories, five anthologies, a novel and several films had been produced at the centre, said President Higgins. “It is an impressive record of which you should be very proud,” he told the audience of mainly young people at the Fighting Words centre.

Roddy Doyle and Sean Love, co-founders of the centre, said they hoped to open a centre in Belfast next year. The Dublin centre has run courses for 40,000 students since it was set up in January 2009. Times.

Dublin was designated a Unesco city of literature in

2010, one of six cities awarded the title, including, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Iowa City, Reykjavik and Norwich. The bright yellow stamp marking the designation was designed by the Stone Twins, two Amsterdam-based Irish designers.

The following text of Eoin Moore’s short story appears on the 60 cent commemorative stamp, celebrating Dublin’s designation as a Unesco city of literature: The thick clouds cover up the moonlight, but the city’s lights provide worthwhile illumination - above them all, the beacon burns bright atop the monolithic podium, signalling to wayfaring voyages the ancient Viking settlement. Now, where Norsemen once stood, I look back, along the quays, streets and alleys, to where the inhabitants live their lives: eating, speaking, and breathing their city into existence. It gives me cause to wonder, as I stroll aimlessly along the cobbled paths, about those who have traversed them before me, by carriage or before there were even cobbles to walk upon.

I feel their lives and mine are somehow connected, that we all were at one point a part of this city, living pieces of its grand, striking framework. Every High King and scholar, every playwright and poet, every politician and every rebel, every merchant, student, and busker who ever set foot in the city holds or held onto a chunk of this city’s soul; every one of them stepped to the city’s heartbeat. I listen to the streets at night and I can feel the city’s lifeblood pumping through me; I can feel myself flowing through it. All of us who travel those arteries step on the words, actions, and lives of those who travelled them before us. They city embodies the people, and the people embody the city.

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CWU People

Dublin Postal Delivery Branch Retirements Tony Walsh (Ballyfermot DSU) being presented with his Union Scroll by Frank Donohoe, Branch Secretary, Dublin Postal Delivery Branch.

Eddie O’Toole (Edmondstown DSU) showing off his Union Scroll to Frank Donohoe, Branch Secretary, Dublin Postal Delivery Branch, on the occasion of his retirement.

Liam Moore (Fingals DSU) receives his Union Scroll from Frank Donohoe, Branch Secretary, Dublin Postal Delivery Branch.

John Brennan (Malahide DSU) receiving his Union Scroll from Frank Donohoe, Branch Secretary, DPDB, on his last day of service. John and his family celebrated with all John’s colleagues from Malahide DSU, in the Ierne Sports & Social Club.

Jas Furlong (Churchtown DSU) accepting his Union Scroll from Branch Secretary, Frank Donohoe (DPDB).

A great night was had by all in the Glenside, to celebrate Jas’ retirement.

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CWU People

Noel Whelan Retires

DPDB Branch Officers with Noel Whelan, on his retirement. years and has made friends in many Branches.

The large turnout of Noel’s colleagues and Union Reps from across Dublin showed the respect and fondness people have for Noel.

John McGuirk, who is the current Rep in Clondalkin, led the tributes to Noel, with Frank Donohoe, the Branch Secretary of the DPDB, and Cormac Ó Dalaigh, the President of the CWU, also joining in the tributes.

We wish Noel and Theresa the very best in the future.

Friday the 31st of May saw a great gathering in the “Glue Pot” in Clondalkin, to bid farewell to Noel Whelan, who has retired from An Post. Noel has been a union activist since 1983, when he first went on the local committee in Clondalkin.

Some years later, he became the Rep in the office and eventually he became a Branch Officer on the Dublin Postal Delivery Branch.

Noel has attended many CWU Conferences down the

eircom Central Managers Branch Retirement

Pictured from l to r: John Clarke (Chairman),with Mick Clifford (retired member), Tommy Keane (retired member) and Terry Moorehouse (Secretary).

Pictured from l to r: Tom Gallery, John Clarke (Chairman), Tony Memery and John Slattery.

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CWU People

June Bank Holiday Commemorative Race Over the June bank holiday weekend, the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association held a number of sailing events based around Dublin Bay. On Saturday the 1st of June a race was held from Dublin Bay out to the spot where the RMS Leinster sank and back to the Poolbeg Lighthouse.

The race is an annual event to commemorate the 500 lives that were lost at sea on the Leinster in 1918.

Special significance to the CWU is the fact that 21 of the 22 postal workers on board ship lost their lives and the Communications Workers Union presented a trophy to the Old Gaffers Association which will be presented annually in their memory to the winners of the race.

Fred Caulfield Retires The Galway Postal Branch would like to wish Fred Caulfield all the best in his retirement.

Fred retired as a Patrolman with An Post, on April 11th last, after 15 years’ service to the CWU. Fred was a popular Member of the Branch and will be missed by his colleagues in Galway DSU.

The photo shows Fred locking the door of the security hut, for the last time.

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CWU People

Reunion of Telephonists in the Garda Club Main, Dame Court, Telephone House Marlborough St and the various Government PABXs reunited to catch up with old friends.

A donation of €10 fee was taken at the door and the proceeds were donated to three charities: The Jack & Jill Foundation, The Irish Hospice Foundation and Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

Well done to the organisers, Aggie Gilligan and Kathleen Dowling and all the helpers on the night!

A Reunion of Telephonists took place on Friday, 24th May, for Day & Night staff, management and supervisors, who had worked in the Central Telephone Exchange, formerly Department of Post &Telegraphs/Telecom Éireann now eircom.

There was a fantastic turn out on the night, with people coming from all over to attend. It was a great night of music and chat which continued into the small hours.

Staff who had worked in Exchequer St, the AUX, the

Bertie Cadden and Bernie Duignan.

Organisers, Aggie Gilligan and Kathleen Dowling declare the Reunion a success!

Yvonne Heffernan, Margaret Jenkins and Bernie Duignan.

Mary Deans and Mary Ryan

Ann Hennessy and Breda Cooke with the Sam Maguire Cup.

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CWU People

Joe O’Hara Retires John McGeady, Branch Secretary, Drogheda Clerical and Admin Branch, presenting Joe O’Hara, Mullingar, with Union Scroll and badge on his recent retirement from eircom. We wish Joe every good wish and happiness for his retirement.

Jimmy Bradley Retires Jimmy Bradley retired on 17th May after 30 years service to An Post and the Lifford/Inishowen Branch of the CWU. Jimmy delivered mail in the Buncrana area of Donegal and was a great ambassador for An Post. Jimmy is presented with his Union Scroll and Badge. A presentation of the Cú Chulainn statue was also made by Paul Harkin (Cluster Manager).

The Lifford/Inishowen Branch would like to extend best wishes to Jimmy and wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement.

Pictured from l to r, on his last day of service are: Michael Gallagher (Branch Secretary), Jimmy Bradley and Paul Harkin (Cluster Manager).

Success for Eamon Walsh!

Postal sorter, Eamonn Walsh, who is also the World Champion Piper, recently completed studies in Print Journalism and Public relations with the Irish Academy of Public Relations in Dublin. We wish Eamonn every success.

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CWU People

Charlie O’Neill Retirement Presentation

The North Kerry Postal Branch made a presentation to Charlie O Neill at their AGM recently, to mark his retirement.

Pictured from l to r: Danny Roache, John Boner, Ger O Brien, Charlie O Neill and Steve Fitzpatrick.

Dublin No.1 Branch Retirements Tony O Reilly, John Owens, Brendan O’Donoghue, Paul Sherry, Paddy Reilly, Patsy O’Leary, Brian Robinson, John Kelly, Willie Hennessey, Pat McDonnell, Mossie Carroll, John Murphy and Dan Spillane.

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CWU People

Tadhg Culbert RIP It was with great sadness that, on 17th April, we learned of the death of our work colleague and friend, Tadhg Culbert, aged just 57, at Donegal Hospice, following a short illness.

A native of Limerick Junction, Co Tipperary, he joined the P & T on 1st May 1973 and would have completed 40 years’ service just two weeks before his sad passing.

Tadhg will be sadly missed by his family – his wife Hilda, daughter Lisa and son Andrew – and by all his colleagues and customers in Letterkenny Post Office and his sporting and political friends.

The following eulogy appeared in the Donegal Democrat on 22nd April, 2013.

Final journey for a man with a heart of gold

Tadhg Culbert would have retired on May 1st after 40 years on the staff at An Post in Letterkenny.

Over the years, Tadhg Culbert ensured the post office was always a happy place to go. He was a friendly face among the counter staff, someone who loved nothing more than a bit of craic with the customers. A chat and a laugh with friends.

His work colleagues will miss him dearly. They stood in silence on Saturday morning, heads bowed, as Tadhg’s funeral made its way slowly down Main Street before stopping for some minutes outside his former place of work.

Earlier on Tadhg’s final journey to

St. Eunan’s Cathedral, his coffin had been carried by friends from a host of local organisations of which Tadhg had been a proud member.

His political friends and colleagues in Fianna Fáil carried him down the High Road before the pallbearing duties were taken up by members of Letterkenny Town Council and then council staff.

After that it was the turn of the sports organisations, the Glencar Inn Golf Society, St. Eunan’s GAA club and Letterkenny Rovers.

At Upr. Main Street, the coffin was borne by the counter staff at the post office and then members of the sorting staff. All along the street, large crowds

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lined the pavements as the funeral cortege made its way farther down before it stopped for another poignant moment outside Blake’s Bar. Staff members and friends from Tadhg’s favourite local then carried the coffin down to Church Lane, before it was brought up to the cathedral.

The town had come to a standstill for a man who just two years ago had proudly worn the mayoral chain and was the town’s first citizen. On Saturday, that town and its people said a final goodbye.

As his friend and party colleague, Dr. James McDaid remarked in an emotional graveside oration, Tadhg had made many friends over his time in Letterkenny. He recalled him coming to Letterkenny as a 17-year-old to work in the post office and how over the years, he had engrained himself in the community, such was his outgoing nature and love of life.

Dr. McDaid recalled happy times and spoke of Tadhg’s popularity and ability to bring a smile to anyone he encountered. He also referred to Tadhg’s battle with illness and how he had managed to deal with the fact that it was a battle he wasn’t going to win.

He recalled how after a hospital visit, Tadhg had asked his daughter, Lisa, not to take him home but instead go for a drive “around his constituency.” It was, Dr. McDaid said, Tadhg’s chance to have one last look around a town that will be a lonelier place without his unique presence.

CWU People

Micheal Maguire RIP It was with great sadness we learned of the untimely death of Micheal Maguire. Originally from Aughacashel,Co Leitrim, Micheal joined the Company 1974 and worked in various locations around the country, which included Sligo, Letterkenny, Dublin and Carrick-onShannon.

Micheal was a diligent, hard worker, who put his life and soul into his job. He was also a very active Union member, who served on the Carrick-on-Shannon committee for many years.

He retired in January 2009 and is survived by his wife, Angela; sons, Oisin and Liam; brothers, Ken (eircom Sligo) and John; sister, Kathleen, and extended family and work colleagues thoughout the company.

A dheis de go raibh a naman.

Mickey (Mick) Rice RIP “The Bush” in his home area in Cooley, thereby realising a long-held wish to return to his native place. Sadly, they were only a short time in their new home when serious illness struck.

Despite suffering greatly in his near two-year battle with cancer, Mickey stayed outwardly in good spirits, more concerned for others than himself. This caring and generous aspect to his nature, allied to his joviality and sheer love of life, were the hallmarks of his character.

To quote the words of Dylan Thomas, Mickey did “not go gently into that goodnight” and indeed he did “rage against the dying of the light”, but now that this phase has passed, may he have crossed over to that place of peace where the light of Heaven shines.

The death, at an all too young an age, of Mickey (Mick) Rice, took place on Christmas Day 2012 in his home on the Cooley Peninsula, Co Louth.

Mickey joined the P+T in 1967 as a Trainee Tech, serving most of his 41 years in Drogheda Exchange and later as E.S. in Network Planning, also in the Drogheda Region.

He completed his career in eircom as an E.M.in Logistics in Dublin.

During his time in Drogheda, Mickey was an active Union member and served for some years as Branch Secretary.

Married to former Telephonist, Rita Fallon, from Gort, they set up home in Georgean Close on the North Road in Drogheda, where they reared their boys, Michael, Enda and Simon.

On retirement in 2008, Mickey and Rita and the boys completed their superbly appointed home at

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Books reviewed by Adrienne Power THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS

by Tan Twan Eng

Genre: Historical Fiction

How much do we remember in life and how much do we forget?

Teoh with her strong survival instinct.

I especially loved the idea of what a garden is, e.g.

“Gardens were created to approximate the idea of a paradise in the afterlife” There are bits of philosophy here and there orchestrated into words, e.g. “And what was time but merely a wind that never stopped?” Also, “Memory is like patches of sunlight in an overcast valley, shifting with the movement of the clouds. Now and then the light will fall on a particular point in time, illuminating it for a moment before the wind seals up the gap, and the world is in shadows again.”

One of my favourite sentences from the book: “It was odd how Aritomo’s life seemed to glance off mine; we were like two leaves falling from a tree, touching each other now and again as they spiralled to the forest floor.”

Set during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia, the story centres on the lone survivor of a civilian internment camp, Yun Ling Teoh and her relationship with Nakamura Aritomo, Royal Gardener to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito.

This is a fairly long, drawn-out tale that gets a bit lost in the mists and the garden. But I think that is the point. It is a story you have to immerse yourself in but it is worth it.

The characters are all fascinating, especially Yun Ling

A story to get lost in!

THE GREAT GATSBY

by F Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: Modern Classic Not only is this a great story with great characters but the descriptions and writing is probably the best you will ever read.

A scene from Chapter two: “….a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.

Occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from sight.

But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T J Eckleburg….”

The last line: So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

What makes The Great Gatsby great?

It is a story that just keeps getting better with every screen adaptation and every time you read it!

The central character “Gatsby” is a man full of hope that he will get together with his one true love no matter what.

It is the time of prohibition and the dawn of the Jazz Age (being the term Fitzgerald himself gave to that time). The Great War is over. It is a time of rebirth and regeneration.

The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carroway who moves to the fictional area of Long Island called West Egg. His neighbour is the enigmatic Gatsby who throws elaborate parties at the weekend that practically all of New York comes to. Across the bay in East Egg live Nick’s cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan. Tom also went to college with Nick. The story is set over the summertime full of parties and intrigue among the characters that leads to tragedy and betrayal.

It is sad to think that in his lifetime this amazing novel was not particularly well received and Fitzgerald died feeling a failure. It became popular during the Second World War and then went onto the school curriculum and has been there since.

It is a short novel full of grand themes of decadence and idealism.

This is a story to be read and savoured not just once, but many times!

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