AUTUMN 2017 VOL: 19 NO. 3
Are you fed up with:
• Rip-off Rent? • Debt? • Job insecurity? • Childcare costs? • Extortionate car insurance? If you answered, YES, then this event is for you!
Editorial
Dear Colleague, As a born and bred Dubliner, I have always taken pride in my hometown and it has always been a pleasure to walk through the city and get the feeling that you are in the right place. That pleasure has been eaten away over the last number of years, as the failure of successive governments to aid Ireland’s homeless has brought this dreadful situation to catastrophic proportions. There is hardly a doorway in the city that does not have a sleeping bag or a haversack, and in many cases, for the first time, those doorways are occupied by families and children and these scenes are replicated across the country. Homeless charities like Focus Ireland have announced that it is their expectation that the homeless figures for the country will reach 10,000 by the end of this year, with more than 50% of those homeless people being children. At the present rate, you can expect sometime next year that the figure of 10,000 (including over 5,000 children), will become the norm. It is extremely difficult to listen to consecutive Ministers, from the last government right through to the present government, make excuses for their inaction in helping these unfortunate souls. In simple terms, every government knows what its population growth is and where that growth occurs. They get this information every five years from a National Census in order to allow them to plan for the future. The fact that they have not planned for the future, has meant that their supporters – in particular land-hoarders, landlords and developers – have seen massive increases in their income as a result of the policies in relation to homelessness being implemented by these governments.
Contents Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2-5
Equality Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6-7
FM Downes Insurance & Mortgage Brokers . . . .
8
Organising Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Health & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Syriza: two years governing Greece . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 UNI Global Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17 Halligan Insurances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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How Unequal is Ireland? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21 CSTWF Annual Report 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-25 An Post Employees’ Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . .
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CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy 2017 . . . . . . . . .
27
Postal Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-33 The Vision Walk - walking for blindness . . . . . . .
32
Telecoms Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-37 Gaza Kids to Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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CWU People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-46 CWU Membership Application Form . . . . . . . . . . 47-48
Editor: Steve Fitzpatrick Sub-Editor: Imelda Wall Issued by: Communications Workers’ Union, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1. Telephone: 8663000 Fax: 8663099 E-mail: info@cwu.ie Web: www.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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tion of tenancy and the limits on rents are issues successive governments have refused to grapple with. This is probably not all that surprising, given the number of landlords who sit in parliaSteve Fitzpatrick, ment! For parGeneral Secretary, CWU ents attempting to send their children to college, they also have to deal with an acute lack of accommodation if the child has to travel. In the circumstances where they can find some form of accommodation, it is always massively overpriced. Therefore, what we have been saddled with is a chronic lack of social housing for young families, a chronic lack of rental properties, massive increases in rents by unscrupulous landlords, lack of accommodation for our young if they wish to pursue third level education, and a lack of accommodation or extremely expensive accommodation for those who are being tempted over to Ireland as a result of the upcoming Brexit. If the statistics above are not shocking enough, it was reported in the media recently that 14 babies were born into homelessness so far this year. I know that I never voted for any of the above and I doubt very much if you did either. In those circumstances, I think it is time we asked; “On whose behalf are these injustices allowed to happen?” Surely at this stage, we must consider asking ourselves why would we ever vote for politicians from the last three governments again. Austerity is not now, and has never been, a victimless crime.
Homelessness is the type of problem that only seems to hit home when one of your own is involved, as sometimes it can be hard to see and feel another person’s pain. The long term emotional and developmental impact of housing children in emergency accommodation will bring untold problems for the country long into the future, as those issues manifest themselves. It was reported on RTÉ by one of the homeless charities last week that, between the last five Ministers responsible for housing, there have been twenty-seven emergency plans, all of which have failed miserably. It is all the more sickening then to see Fianna Fáil use the crisis as an opportunity to come out with proposals to give bigger tax breaks to developers, almost as if they are attempting to replicate the crash they created after the Celtic Tiger. We should have passed the stage of people being angry over this appalling situation. Indeed, it is way past the time that people took action. Irish society, and particularly its public services, are crumbling from chronic lack of investment, and from the continuing rush towards privatisation and tax cuts for people who do not need them. It almost seems as if the only action towards a political resolution occurs when one of those unfortunate citizens is found dead. We have also seen the compliant media change its terminology from homelessness to rough-living, as if the people concerned made a conscious choice. Of course, there are solutions (see the article from Tom Healy of Nevin Institute herein), but the politics of our main parties preclude them from doing what is so desperately needed. Of course, the homelessness crisis has been exacerbated by evictions of families, as their mortgages have been transferred to vulture funds. Massive increases in rent by unscrupulous landlords have further driven people onto the streets, yet still the protec3
Equality Update
Domestic Violence as a Trade Union Issue Here are some other facts from the ICTU report:
Trade unions play a key role in the fight for social justice and gender equality, and members will be aware that over the years the CWU has played its part through our campaigning, negotiations and motions to Conference. The issues that we deal with are vast, however our primary concern is the wellbeing of our members. November 25th to December 10th marks the annual “16 days of Activism” opposing violence against women. In the run up to this campaign and through this article, we would like to raise awareness of domestic violence and its potential impact on working lives.
• As many as one in four women has experienced domestic violence; • Research indicates that 90% of reported cases of domestic violence are perpetrated by men against women; • 75% of abused women are targeted at work; • 53% of abused women miss at least 3 days of work a month; • On average, there will be 5 deaths every year because of domestic violence.
Why is this a trade union issue?
What is Domestic Violence? The ICTU issued a report entitled “Domestic Violence is a workplace issue” and in this report it defined domestic violence as “threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, verbal, sexual, financial or emotional) inflicted on one person by another where they are or have been intimate partners or family members, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation”. The report states that violence happens “regardless of age, gender, sexuality, social class, ethnicity, disability or life style”. It is therefore recognised and accepted that domestic violence can also be directed at men and people in same-sex relationships, however, statistics show that such violence is still predominantly an issue for women.
Domestic violence can have a catastrophic effect on the individual who may also be in employment. It can be difficult to draw a line between our personal lives and our working lives, and in this situation domestic violence as highlighted previously can spill into the workplace. This is particularly so if the individual is followed to work or is the recipient of abusive phone calls, text messages and so on. If domestic violence impacts the individual at work, it may result in the victim having poor work performance, poor time-keeping, increased absence, poor morale and so on. It is for these reasons that domestic violence is a trade union issue. Because trade unions stand up for social justice and because we are concerned about the welfare of workers, we must play our part.
Survey Results
What can we do?
In 2014, ICTU participated in a broad survey (both UK and Ireland) regarding the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. It is telling that 82% of the survey respondents for Northern Ireland were women. The survey also found that domestic violence has a huge effect on the individual at work, affecting their health, safety and work performance. Furthermore, the results revealed that “a third of respondents had experienced domestic violence with over 40% of those reporting that it affected their ability to get into work for reasons including threats, physical injury and restraint”.
There are many practical steps that can be taken, however our goal in the first instance is to raise awareness and ensure that any of our members who may be affected know where to go to get professional help and support. Firstly, we wish to highlight domestic violence as a trade union and a workplace issue, and to raise awareness of this matter and its potential effect on people at work. Promoting campaigns, communicating with our members and highlighting national events will be part of this process. We can also achieve this goal by putting domestic violence
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Equality Update to ensure the delivery of a well co-ordinated “whole of Government” response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The work of Cosc covers issues relating to domestic and sexual violence against women and men, including older people in the community”. (Source: www.cosc.ie) Please also see details of their awareness raising campaign www.whatwouldyoudo.ie
on our union agenda and liaising with support groups. Secondly, we believe that there is a need for dialogue about domestic violence so that we can aim towards reducing the stigma and to challenge the myths and stereotypes surrounding this issue. By doing this we are taking the first steps towards fostering a safe working environment. It is also important that as many as possible know where to access services that can assist those impacted by domestic violence and we have provided some links in this article. Finally, we are asking our members to be agents of change, which means that we have the power to stand up against this type of abuse. Victims must be supported without judgement, which can mean making a fundamental change in our way of thinking.
SAFE Ireland: “SAFE Ireland works with frontline domestic violence services across Ireland to provide state of the art and sustainable responses to women and children experiencing domestic violence in our communities. SAFE Ireland identifies and understands what drives and contributes to domestic violence and violence against women in Ireland and provides evidence-based guidance to government, the private sector, civil society and communities on how to strategically and effectively lead, coordinate, resource and support prevention efforts across Ireland.” (Source: www.safeireland.ie) You can also find out more about the Man Up and Face Up to Domestic Violence campaigns on their website.
White Ribbon Ireland: “White Ribbon is the world’s largest male-led movement to end men’s violence against women. Through primary prevention initiatives and an annual campaign, White Ribbon Ireland seeks to change the attitudes and behaviours that lead to and perpetuate men’s violence against women, by engaging boys and men to lead social change”. (Source: www.whiteribbon.ie) The White Ribbon Campaign in Ireland is run nationally by the Men’s Development Network, please see this website for more information: www.mens-network.net
Further information: As referenced, the CWU would like to raise awareness of this crucial issue amongst our members and any members wishing to provide feedback on how we can do this are free to contact Head Office. Furthermore, if members are affected by domestic violence or know someone who is, further information and professional support can be accessed through the following organisations (this is not an exhaustive list of supporting organisations).
Women’s Aid: “Women’s Aid is a leading national organisation that has been working in Ireland to stop domestic violence against women and children since 1974. The Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides support and information to callers experiencing abuse from intimate partners.” (Source: www.womensaid.ie)
Cosc: “Cosc is the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Cosc is an Irish word and means “to stop” or “to prevent”. Following a Government Decision, Cosc was established in June 2007 with the key responsibility
ALWAYS REMEMBER – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS 5
NEVER
OKAY
In order to encourage as many young members as possible to become active in their union, the CWU has decided to hold an open day for young members under the age of 35. The event, entitled ‘Why You’re Skint’, will take place on Saturday, 30th September at 10am in Head Office and will be hosted by the Union’s Organising Department along with Stevie Nolan of Trademark Belfast. The open day is aimed at younger members of the CWU, whether they have been active for some time, or have never attended a Union event before. The event will discuss why young people are facing an uncertain future defined by rip-off rents, increasing wealth inequality and attacks on working conditions. Most importantly,
we will be discussing what trade unionsists can do to change it. The training has been designed to allow for the maximum amount of interaction, so that members feel comfortable asking questions and contributing on the day. For those of you who have thought about becoming more active, but are unsure of what the trade union movement does and your role within it, this is the ideal opportunity for you to find out more. We are asking that all Branches, where possible, endeavour to send a delegate to the open day. For attendees travelling from outside Dublin, accommodation will be available and the equivalent cost of public transport to the event will be covered by the Union.
If you are interested in attending thiss event, or would like more details, please contact Ruairí Creaney (Organiser, CWU) on
01 866 3029 or by email at
ruairi@cwu.ie 7
Congratulations to both Steve Fitzpatrick, General Secretary, and Fionnuala Ní Bhrógáin, Head of Organising, on their election to the National Executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).
continues to play a key role in shaping and developing policies for the trade union movement on the island of Ireland. Steve and Fionnuala were elected at the ICTU Biennial Conference 2017, which took place in Belfast this year.
This represents a little bit of CWU history in the making, as it’s the first time the CWU has secured two seats, and the first time a woman has represented the Union, on the ICTU Executive. Their success will help to ensure that the CWU
Vodafone Targets & Commission Survey The CWU Vodafone Branch and members of the Organising Department conducted a survey on Targets and Commission across all Vodafone stores in June. The Union wishes to thank all of those who participated in the survey and for providing their feedback and comments. The survey results have now been collated and have been presented in the form of a booklet. Organisers, together with the Vodafone Branch, have been visiting Vodafone stores across the country to distribute the results booklet and to discuss the findings. These visits have been extremely positive and members continue to engage with this issue. Also, during these visits, many of those who have not had the opportunity to meet the CWU joined the union and we would like to welcome all new members. Discussions with Vodafone on the issues raised in the survey are expected to begin in the coming weeks. Members will be kept up to date on developments. If you would like to know more, please contact Mike O’Connor at mike.oconnor@vodafone.com 9
Health & Safety Update
HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK The Union intends in the coming months to include a number of articles in Connect covering various aspects of Health and Safety Legislation in addition to highlighting the protections and rights contained within Irish Legislation. In this issue, we are going to cover topics such as Consultation, Risk Assessment, Safety Statement and Responsibility.
Consultation
representations made by their employees. This requirement covers not only the above, but any other matter relevant to the employees health and safety. Employers are required, insofar as is reasonably practicable, to take such action as the employer considers necessary with regard to the representations made.
Section 26 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 confers the rights of employees to be consulted about measures to ensure safety, health and welfare at work. In addition, employees have the right to make representations to their employer on matters concerning health and safety. Consultation must be made in advance and in good time so as to allow employees time to consider, discuss and give an opinion on matters before management make a decision. For consultation to be effective, it needs to take place at a time which will allow employees an opportunity to prepare a response and to be engaged in meaningful dialogue. Employers who make a decision on Health and Safety, and then inform employees what it is doing, are not engaged in consultation. Consultation with employees involves listening to their views and taking them into account as part of the decision making process. The information provided in a consultation must be sufficient to allow employees to fully and effectively participate in the consultation. Effective consultation is vital to ensure that health and safety is managed effectively. It helps to promote a positive health and safety culture and ensures that everyone in the organisation is given the opportunity to influence health and safety policies and procedures. Lack of consultation can affect everyone as it increases the chances of something going wrong and can lead to serious accidents.
Responsibility for Health and Safety Responsibility for Health and Safety does not rest solely with the employer. Employees also have responsibilities and they must: • Comply with relevant laws and protect their own safety and health as well as the safety and health of anyone who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work • Ensure that they are not under the influence of any intoxicant to the extent that they could be a danger to themselves or others while at work • Cooperate with their employer with regard to safety, health and welfare at work • Not engage in any improper conduct that could endanger their own safety or health or that of anyone else. • Participate in safety and health training offered by their employer • Make proper use of all machinery, tools, substances, etc. and of all Personal Protective Equipment provided for use at work • Report any defects in the place of work, equipment, etc. which might endanger safety and health
Employees should be consulted in advance on:
If you, as an employee, feel that something is unsafe, then you need to take time to think about the task. Ask yourself what is the best way to deal with it. If you think you can’t deal with it, tell your employer and ask them to undertake a risk assessment or see a copy of the risk assessment already carried out. Remember, risk assessments must be in writing. Accidents are often the result of human behaviour like cutting corners, rushing a job or taking chances. Think about the consequences of a bad accident, what impact it would have on yourself, your family and your colleagues, and make sure you do everything you can to avoid it. The most important reason to create a safe and healthy work environment is to ensure that you and your colleagues can
• Measures which would substantially affect health, safety and welfare • The designation of employees to deal with emergencies • The preparation of the safety statement • Hazard identification and risk assessment • Information to be notified to the HSA in respect of accidents and dangerous occurrences • Appointment of competent persons to perform health and safety functions • The planning and organisation of training • The planning and introduction of new technologies In addition, employers are required to consider any
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Health & Safety Update return home safely at the end of the day. Section 27 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 protects employees from penalisation where they have acted in compliance with health and safety legislation, exercising any duties or rights, making a complaint or representation, giving evidence in a court case against an employer in relation to emergencies or serious or imminent danger, or when acting as a safety representative.
The principal reason for carrying out a risk assessment is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill. Accidents can ruin lives. Carrying out risk assessments and preparing and implementing a Safety Statement will play a crucial role in reducing the likelihood of accidents. In order to assist businesses to prepare Risk Assessments and Safety Statements, the Health and Safety Authority has developed a free online tool (BeSmart.ie) which is easy to use. Any Risk Assessment should be written into a Safety Statement.
Risk Assessments
Safety Statement
Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires that employers must identify the hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risks to safety and health at work presented by these hazards. These workplace risks should then be written down. Assessing risks means that anything with the potential to cause harm to employees should be carefully examined. Employers should then consider whether the risk is acceptable or whether precautions are needed to prevent harm.
Every employer is required to manage safety and health at work so as to prevent accidents and ill-health. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to: • identify the hazards • carry out a Risk Assessment • prepare a written Safety Statement This process helps employers to manage employees’ safety and health, and get the balance right between the size of any safety and health problems and what has to be done about them. This is because the system must be risk-based. The required safety measures must be proportionate to the real risks involved and must be adequate to eliminate, control or minimise the risk of injury. The system must involve consultation between the employer and its employees, who are required by law to cooperate with the employer in the safety-management process. Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out the specific areas that should be covered by the Safety Statement. This should be based on the identification of the hazards and risk assessments carried out.
A risk assessment is a written document that records a three step process: 1. Identifying the hazards in the workplace(s) under your control. 2. Assessing the risks presented by these hazards. 3. Putting control measures in place to reduce the risk of these hazards causing harm. There are five important terms you need to understand when doing a risk assessment:
Hazard: Anything with the potential to cause injury or ill health, for example chemical substances, dangerous moving machinery, or threats of violence from others.
It must include:
Risk:
• the hazards identified and the risks assessed • the protective and preventative measures taken and the resources allocated to safety, health and welfare • the plans and procedures for dealing with emergencies • the duties of employers and employees, including the co-operation required from employees on safety and health matters • a commitment to employee consultation and participation, including arrangements for appointing safety representatives • welfare arrangements
Risk is the chance that someone will be harmed by the hazard. It also takes account of how severe the harm or ill health could be and how many people could be affected.
Chance (or likelihood): Chance is a measure of how likely it is that an accident could happen. When people are working safely there is less chance that an accident will occur.
Severity: Severity is a measure of how serious an injury or health effect could be, as a consequence of unsafe working or of an accident. The severity can be influenced by the following: • the environment, • the number of people at risk, and • the steps already taken to control the hazard.
The Safety Statement (including the Risk Assessments) should be brought to the attention of all employees and others at the workplace that may be exposed to any risks. This should be done at least once a year, and whenever it is changed or updated. New employees should also be made aware of the Safety Statement, especially the sections that may affect them directly. The statement must be in a form and language that is likely to be understood. Further information on all of the above is available on the Health and Safety Authority’s website www.hsa.ie
Control Measures: Control measures are simply what steps you are going to take to remove the hazards, or at least reduce the risk of them causing harm to as low a level as possible.
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SYRIZA
2 Years Governing Greece
by Jerry Melinn Dublin No.1 Retired Members’ Section Athens, Greece
Members may recall an article I wrote for Connect following the election of SYRIZA in the Greek elections of January 2015. Alexis Tsipras and his party were elected on an antiausterity platform and it was the first time since World War 2 that a hard-left party was elected in Europe. At the time there was great optimism that the dogma of austerity in the EU would be challenged and there was speculation that this would spread and increase support for parties such as Podemos in Spain and Sinn Féin in Ireland. Two years later it is worthwhile examining how events unfolded in Greece since the heady days of SYRIZA’s ascension to government. Immediately on assuming power, SYRIZA refused to recognise ‘the Troika’, composed of the European Commission (EC), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB). A compromise was agreed in relation to the name and the Troika became “the Institutions”, which was composed of the same members as the Troika. Almost immediately it became obvious that SYRIZA had no plan other than to demand a restructuring of Greece’s debt, to include a 50% reduction. It soon became clear that this would not be granted and very little progress had been made by June 2015, the expiry date of the second bailout. Greece’s Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, made alternative proposals in relation to restructuring Greece’s debt, to no avail. His proposals were rebuffed and he accused the Troika of not even listening to what he had to say. Eventually, Alexis Tsipras was forced to remove Varoufakis from the negotiations because the Troika representatives said he was too abrasive and impossible to deal with. In June 2015, Prime Minister Tsipras, announced that he would hold a referendum on the terms of the second bailout, which had been agreed in 2012 by the previous government. However, the Troika were being particularly hard on Greece - especially the ECB. In February 2015 the ECB had refused to accept Greek government bonds as collateral for normal lending, leaving Greek banks to rely on Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA), which carried a higher interest rate than that applied to ECB lending. Finally, in June 2015, just before the referendum, the ECB refused to increase the ELA provided to Greece and this led the Greek government to apply capital controls to prevent a run on the banks. The gloves were definitely off in the fight between SYRIZA and the EU institutions. The banks were closed for three weeks and a limit on withdrawals of €60 per day was imposed. Some of the capital controls have been eased, but capital controls are still partially in place to this day. In the referendum, the government called for a ‘no’ vote on the terms of the 2012 bailout memorandum and to many
people’s surprise, the result favoured the government, with 61% voting no and 39% yes. Most Greeks thought the government would oppose the implementation of Memorandum 2, but shortly after the result the government went back to the Troika and requested a third bailout. There was consternation among the MPs in the government. The third bailout was agreed on the basis of a new memorandum (Memorandum 3). This proposal had harsher conditions than Memorandum 2, the terms of which had been overwhelmingly rejected in the referendum! The new memorandum was discussed and voted on in Parliament, and passed because all the main opposition parties supported it. There was a revolt in SYRIZA and 43 of its MPs voted against the new memorandum. When he realised he no longer had a majority in parliament, Tsipras resigned as Prime Minister in August 2015 and elections were held on September 20th. Amazingly, SYRIZA was returned as the majority party and formed a government again with its previous coalition partner, the Independent Greeks. The 43 SYRIZA MPs who voted against the third bailout had formed a new party, the Popular Unity Party, but they failed to get a single seat in the election. Since September 2015, Greece has struggled to meet the terms of the third bailout agreement. The first review was eventually agreed and recently the second review was agreed, although this should have happened in mid2016. Since the election of SYRIZA there have been strikes and demonstrations against various measures in the memorandum related to pensions, merging social funds, privatisation and tax increases. These general one-day strikes have failed to prevent a single one of these measures from going ahead. The difficulty for SYRIZA, or any mainstream political party in Greece, is that the vast majority of Greeks want to remain in the single currency and this has weakened the negotiating position of successive Greek governments. In 2015, all the talk was about ‘Grexit’ - the exit of Greece from the Eurozone, but after the third bailout agreement, the threat of this happening had receded. However, following almost 8 years of recession and austerity, the sentiment towards the Euro has changed and an increasing number of Greeks are less enthusiastic about remaining in the Eurozone. Unemployment is at 23% and over 400,000 people have left Greece since 2008. The inability and inexperience of the government has been exposed, both in relation to its dealings with the Troika and a refugee crisis, which has resulted in 60,000 people being stranded on Greek islands and the mainland. The situation now is that there is a disagreement between the IMF and the EU about the sustainability of Greece’s debt.
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labour market reforms. In relation to pensions, they are a ‘de facto’ social welfare system, as unemployment benefit is only paid for a maximum of 12 months after a person becomes unemployed. The trade unions in Greece strongly oppose any labour market reforms and most political parties have factions within the unions who exert pressure on the politicians not to legislate these reforms. It must be said, that the unions seem to have no strategy in their approach to the crisis. As mentioned in the previous article, they arbitrarily organise ‘protest strikes’, with little or no prior notice. On the surface, it appears admirable that the Greek trade union movement is fighting against austerity. However, there are no alternative proposals or specific demands from the Greek unions - unlike, for example, the Right2Change principles, which underpin the Irish trade union opposition to austerity. The result is disruption to public transport, schools etc. but with no tangible gains. The Greek union leaders know that that there would be negative outcomes for the members if they were to contribute to addressing the huge problems Greece is facing and they are reluctant to face this prospect. On the other hand, if they do not become involved as part of the solution and the downward spiral continues, things will undoubtedly get a lot worse for their members. The election of SYRIZA and subsequent events have shown that it is very difficult to challenge the dogma of austerity currently being imposed in the debtor countries of Europe. The 2008 crisis has had a devastating effect on Greece, as can be seen from the chart below. The Greek crisis has lasted longer than the 1929 Great Depression and has been much deeper than the overall effect on the EU. The unions in Ireland have had success on single issues, such as the opposition to water charges, but the question remains about what can be done to confront austerity as an overall policy. Perhaps tackling this problem on an issueby-issue basis by means of peaceful protest, which has been successful in the past, is the way to go.
The EU (Germany) wants the IMF involved in monitoring the implementation of the measures agreed in the 2015 memorandum (Memorandum 3). The IMF want some form of debt reduction for Greece, but the EU has consistently refused to consider this option. This has led to a standoff between both parties. In early February, the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schauble, had suggested that Greece should voluntarily exit the Euro and that would enable it to receive debt relief. For its part, Greece, through its Finance Minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, has said that onethird of the measures have been implemented, one-third are in train and the final third are still subject to political negotiations. The big problem for Greece was that it had an €8bn debt repayment in July and the bailout funds were necessary to meet this payment. Eventually, agreement was reached on the second review of Memorandum 3 and the funds were released. The bailout will conclude in 2018 with the third review of Memorandum 3. In conclusion, very soon after SYRIZA was elected, it became obvious that most of the MPs were inexperienced in relation to running the country, including the Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras. Most, if not all of the Ministers, seem not to have the capabilities to carry out their ministerial duties and in many cases they disagree with the measures of the memorandum they are supposed to be implementing as part of their job. For example, elements of the privatisation programme agreed under the terms of the bailout are often delayed due to obstacles being placed in their paths, often by Ministers charged with carrying out these measures. The difficulty for the Troika is that they are frustrated by the behaviour of the Greek government and they cannot understand why agreements are not implemented. This reluctance is not exclusive to SYRIZA, as all Greek governments elected since 2009 have ended up in the same situation. They go so far with implementing the terms of an agreement and then it becomes “politically impossible” to implement certain measures and an election is called. Two of the most difficult issues in Greece are pension and
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UNI Global Union and IndustriALL reach new Bangladesh Accord with leading brands
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New Report Shows How Unions Still Matter for American Workers
In advance of Labour Day in the United States, there was good news for the American union movement. Despite decades of attacks by corporate interests and their political allies, there is a resurgence of interest in collective bargaining, especially among young people. And U.S. unions are more diverse than ever.
13.2 percent more in wages than a peer with similar education, occupation, and experience in a nonunionized workplace in the same sector. But importantly, collective bargaining also raises wages for nonunion workers—as an economic sector becomes more unionized, nonunion employers pay more to retain qualified workers, and norms of higher pay and better conditions become standard. However, there is an ongoing attack on workers’ freedom to unite and bargain with their employer. Threequarters or more of private employers facing organizing drives hire union avoidance consultants to quash the campaign, and a growing number of American states have adopted so-called “Right-to-Work” laws, which seek to defund private sector unions. Additionally, more companies are misclassifying workers to avoid responsibility for the conditions of their employment. In the face of this, unions have faced an upsurge in popularity—with a favorability of 60 percent in one survey—and given growing inequality and stagnate wages for workers, it is easy to understand why. “Unions raise workers’ wages and strengthen their rights at work, but they also give working people a voice in our democracy,” said EPI President Lawrence Mishel. “We will never again see consistent robust middleclass wage growth or a healthy democracy without first rebuilding collective bargaining.” The EPI’s report makes the strong case that to promote an inclusive economy and a robust democracy, the U.S. must rebuild its collective bargaining system.
These are key findings from a comprehensive new report by the Economic Policy Institute, How today’s unions help working people. EPI researchers detail how collective bargaining plays an essential role in today’s labour market, by raising workers’ wages in the United States, and supporting a fair and prosperous economy as well as a vibrant democracy. According to the report, U.S. labor unions are diverse like America itself: members include dental hygienists, graduate students, and digital journalists, as well as manufacturing workers and public-sector employees. About two-thirds of union workers age 18 to 64 are women or people of color. 14.5 percent of black workers age 18 to 64 are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, compared with 12.5 percent of white workers and 10.1 percent of Hispanic workers. Working people in unions use their collective power to secure a fairer share of the income they create. On average, a U.S. worker covered by a union contract earns 17
How unequal is Ireland GOVERNMENT RELIES ON PRIVATE SECTOR TO SOLVE HOUSING CRISIS There’s a notion that should be instantly dispatched to the annals of wishful thinking: that the government will, one of these days, do something significant to address the housing crisis. It assumes that the colossal spike and collapse in property prices that drove the State to the point of bankruptcy in 2008/2009 and the now seemingly endless headlines about soaring prices and “generation rent” has prompted a rethink about how we deliver housing in this country. It hasn’t. The government remains ideologically wedded to the idea that the market is the most efficient model for dealing with the State’s housing needs, and by extension posed to the type of large-scale social housing projects we’ve had in the past. The crash has only served to harden its stance.
Since the crash the government has had two overriding objectives; the rehabilitation of the banks, necessary to restore the sovereign’s credit rating and allow the government to borrow on international markets; and the successful execution of its NAMA plan to deal with bad loans removed from the banks’ balance sheets. Both these aims have required the reinflating of property prices. A major State intervention in the housing market to address the supply deficit and the affordability gap might have worked against this, just like more pointed action on variable mortgage rates while politically popular, would have delayed the banks’ return to profitability.
Big beneficiaries The big beneficiaries of the government’s policy have been the banks, developers and, increasingly, international capital and vulture fund investors who have bought up significant chunks of the Irish real estate market since the crash. Having been established in 2014, Ires Reit (Irish Residential Properties Real Estate Investment Trust) has already amassed a portfolio of nearly 2,400 apartments. Last year it told shareholders that a “deep imbalance between demand and supply in Dublin’s housing market” meant the firm’s profit outlook was “very positive”. Similarly, US real-estate firm Kennedy Wilson, which controls €1 billion of property assets here, recently described Dublin as “the most attractive property market in Europe”. Blaming investors for crowding out conventional buyers is, however, too simplistic. With the government essentially vacating any meaningful role in the supply of affordable housing, investors are the only ones who will deliver rental accommodation for a growing proportion of people who can’t afford to buy. The idea that the Central Bank’s mortgage restrictions could restrain house-price inflation over the longer term
Record Low Since coming to power in 2011, it has presided over the lowest social housing build in the State’s history, building just 1,300 units in its first five years in office, culminating in a record low of 75 in 2015. These build rates would have been unthinkable even to the penurious Irish administrations of the 1950s. In 1975, for instance, local authorities built 8,794 social housing units, while the private sector built 18,098 homes. Even the social housing element of the government’s flagship Rebuilding Ireland strategy, which promises 47,000 units by 2021, is entirely predicated on the private sector. The bulk of the units (32,000) will come from what the Department of Housing dubiously calls “social housing solutions”, which is a euphemism for private sector rentals. A further 4,700 units will be delivered via the Part V planning regulations, which require developers to allocate 10 per cent of their estates for use as social housing. 18
is now also in question. While the rules initially prevent some people from buying, causing a temporary slow down in the market, these buyers were simple pushed into renting, which has driven up rents. This has enticed more rent-seeking investors into the market, a process that has triggered a further surge in house-price inflation, completing a not so virtuous circle at the heart of the Irish property market. Since the 1980s successive Irish governments have moved away from funding social housing projects, deeming the private market a more efficient model for the delivery of housing. The aversion to State intervention can be traced back to the 1980s when there was a consensus around the need for budgetary tightening, embodied in the socalled “Tallaght Strategy”, which slashed local authority budgets for social housing. The ideology was also part of a wider international shift away from state intervention toward privatisation and deregulation.
In the property sector this process ran in tandem with what sociologists refer to as the hyper-commoditisation of property, which transformed housing from an infrastructure into a financial asset, a process that eventually led to the securitisation of sub-prime mortgages, a trigger for the financial crash. It’s naïve to think of rolling back this tide, given how enmeshed the global financial systems is in real estate. Despite the availability of brown-field sites and the possibility of borrowing at historically low rates, the government appears resistant to funding a major State intervention. Every now and then it gives succour to the rumour that it is lobbying hard in Brussels for a derogation from the EU’s fiscal rules to facilitate a major infrastructural spend, but this has been going on for years and nothing ever comes of it. Either way, the notion that a certain proportion of people won’t be adequately housed by the market is now an accepted fact of life, in Angle-Saxon countries at least, a deficiency that the government here will endeavour to ameliorate through rent subsidies.
Ireland’s Housing Crisis “While there are 1,400 homeless families and 2,500 children in emergency fa accommodation across the country, an additional acco 55,000 00 people became millionaires in 2016. Over 77,000 households are still in mortgage arrears while the debt of the developers that owed billions has been written off by NAMA and the banks. In Dublin, there are queues of hundreds of homeless people to get food in nightly soup runs, queues trying to get private rental accommodation and queues of a different kind in higher income suburbs where families are ‘outbidding each other’ to buy homes. Six ‘trophy’ houses on one road in Dublin 4 were sold for between €3 and €4 million each in 2016. Meanwhile 198,358 homes lie empty in Ireland (about 13% of total housing stock). In Cork, there are 269 people homeless, and 21,287 vacant units, while in Dublin, 3,247 people are homeless and 35,293 vacant homes. At the same time, housing and property have provided a key source of wealth for Ireland’s richest. A quarter of Ireland’s wealthiest 100 people amassed their wealth through construction, property and building.” (Sunday Times 2017).
“Housing is the basis of stability and security for an individual or family. The centre of our social, emotional and sometimes economic lives, a home should be a sanctuary; a place to live in peace, security and dignity... Housing has been financialised: valued as a commodity rather than a human dwelling, it has become, for investors, a means to secure and accumulate wealth rather than a place to live in dignity, to raise a family and thrive within a community... Deprivations of the right to adequate housing are not just programme failures or policy challenges but human rights violations of the highest order, depriving those affected of the most basic human right to dignity, security and life itself.” UN Rapporteur for the Right to Housing 2017 Source: TASC - Cherishing All Equally 2017 Economic Inequality in Ireland: James Wickham
Epitaph for the eighties? “there is no such thing as society” Prime minister Margaret Thatcher, talking to Women’s Own magazine, October 31 1987 “I think we’ve been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it’s the government’s job to cope with it. ‘I have a problem, I’ll get a grant.’ ‘I’m homeless, the government must house me.’ They’re casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society.” 19
Figures were provided by Focus Ireland, at the Congress Briefing on the topic of Ireland’s Homeless crisis, which took place on 8th September 2017.
A key to solving the housing crisis? By Tom Healy ‘WHAT is the concept of market failure and give an example’ was once asked in a school economics exam. Here is a tip if you are studying economics yourself: take housing in Ireland as an example. It ticks lots of boxes: • •
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in the private or public sectors) housing matters greatly. Get housing costs and supply under control and it is possible to have a real and evidence-informed debate on pay recovery or the living wage as the case may be. It is not that policymakers and officials do not care about housing as a social need. It is, rather, a case of not being able to see the situation for what it is: a crisis of supply due to a model built on private profit and exacerbated by land speculation. In a recent research paper published by the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI), we have made the case for a radical and new departure through the establishment of what we term a European Cost Rental Model (ECRM). The idea is simple enough and is used in some other European countries including Austria. It involves using a public company or association to undertake the building of high-quality housing, and renting them out at levels high enough to cover costs and low enough to be affordable for most people (combined, where appropriate) with public subsidies to households below a certain income threshold. To get up and running a combination of already existing financial sources such as state equity in the ‘pillar’ banks could be put to productive use. Might a future Minister for Finance and Taoiseach be so bold as to seek the forgiveness of the European Commission for doing what the Commission has already urged the Irish Government to do: deal with the supply problem and stop further stimulating house prices by tax breaks to first-time buyers? Might Ireland follow the examples of Germany,
A chronic under-supply of housing at current cost, credit, demand and policy conditions. A chronic failure on the part of some policymakers and politicians to recognise and admit the scale of the problem. A chronic failure on the part of many to see a connection between policies pursued consistently over recent decades and the current housing crisis. A chronic failure to tackle powerful vested interests that link in land ownership and speculation, corporate balance sheets and the private developer agenda.
The surprising aspect of all this, perhaps, is that such a market failure is bad for capitalism – at least in Ireland (that is, apart from the fact that it impacts on hundreds of thousands of workers and their families who struggle to save for a deposit or meet rising rents year on year). It is bad for capitalism because, whether we like it or not, under-investment in infrastructure, including affordable accommodation, is a significant consideration in terms of competitiveness for valuable skills and inward investment. We pay a price for the mess that is the housing crisis – not least in the Greater Dublin area where private rented accommodation is at an all-time premium because of scarcity. And when it comes to bargaining over wages (whether 20
France and Spain at various times and in various ways to apply the ‘fiscal rules’ more rationally and flexibly? Are rules not made for humanity and not the other way round? To develop such a model would take time and resources and the gains might not be fully apparent for many years. But, such a model could begin to have an immediate impact not only in terms of meeting everrising housing demand but in shifting the supply curve of accommodation with the result of putting a natural market break on the incessant upward pressure on market rents. While rent control is necessary, in my opinion, to deal with the scale of the housing emergency and affordability right now it does not solve the underlying problem of supply which is causing an escalation in rents over recent times. But how could we afford a brave new world of costrental? Surely it would take billions of euro of investment which the Government does not have (fiscal space is now close to the area around which a finite number of angels one could fit on an economist’s pin)? A key aspect of cost-rental not appreciated in this part of the world is that it breaks with traditional UK/Ireland thinking and practice because: •
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areas. However, a social housing initiative led by the local authorities and linked in with a European Cost Rental Model operated by a single, national commercial agency (The Housing Company of Ireland) could begin to make a significant difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who have suffered disproportionately from the fallout of the property-lender-developer crash of 2008-2013. Recent announcements of an ambitious plan to roll out public-private partnerships and use publicly-owned land in the bargain fit with the traditional thinking, assumptions and interests of the (failed) UK/Ireland model of housing development. Even if PPPs could relieve short-term pressure on public finances (a claim which has not been usually supported by convincing evidence and facts), they fail to come to grips with the wider role of local authorities and communities in coordinating the many complex aspects of creating sustainable and ‘liveable’ new homes in new community settings. Moreover, many PPPs (as with PFIs in the UK) have had a disastrous history and record in terms of delivering ‘value for money’ to ‘the Taxpayer’ not least in the domain of social housing. At least one big advantage of ECRM over PPPs is that the latter are much more susceptible to the building industry business cycle while a cost-rental model can be largely insulated from short-term fluctuations in public funding and credit conditions.
It facilitates the growth of a large-scale, affordable, long-term and secure rental sector (in other words renting for the rest of one’s life is quite OK and is not a sign of irresponsibility or social failure). It does not treat ‘social housing’ as a residual which goes, exclusively, to some social groups housed, educated and socialised in separate locations. It involves significant levels of capital outlay and activity that are funded by long-term streams of commercial rental income.
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If all of this sounds radical – it does. However, it is far from pie-in-the-sky as it is very mainstream in many parts of Europe. What about local authorities? There is no reason why local authorities could not continue their lead role in social housing provision. It might be possible for local authorities to avail of significant leasing arrangements with our proposed Housing Company of Ireland (see Ireland’s Housing Emergency: time for a game changer). Local authorities have been starved of funding for capital investment over many decades (but catastrophically in the last decade). To add to local government woes, various ‘populist’ decisions dating back to the abolition of domestic rates in 1978 have robbed local authorities over a stable and property-based source of revenue. The current model and approach to funding and provision are simply not working. Local authorities need a significant boost in capital funding and also in capacity to coordinate land management, public services provision and planning of new communities as well as the adaptation of existing spaces, especially in urban
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Think long-term Borrow long-term and, if possible, off balance sheet Cover your costs quickly Prioritise those who are most vulnerable to homelessness Plan at the national level and deliver locally Diversify the market and curb the dominance of a developer-led sector
Will we learn before it is too late again? Tom Healy is Director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute
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Submitted by Joe Maher
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CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy 2017 Destination‌ Moldova!
Congress Friday Briefing: Presentation by Jimmy O’Connor and Pascal Connolly.
Final preparations for the Convoy in CWU Head Office.
Jim Ryan and Pat Broderick, eir drivers, with Carolan Lennon, MD Openeir.
Rita Gaffney and Brian Ryan, An Post drivers.
If members or Branches would like to donate to the CWU Humanitarian Aid Fund, details are as follows:
Ireland HA Fund, Bank of Ireland, 2 College Green, Dublin 2 Account No: 17119681 Sort Code: 90-00-17 27
Postal Update
Labour Court Issues Further Recommendation on Union’s 6% Pay Claim. As you are aware the CWU has been engaged in extensive discussions with An Post management with the assistance of the Labour Court towards finalising pay arrangements in An Post. In its previous finding issued in April 2016, the Labour Court, LCR21206, set out the process and timeframe for dealing with the Union’s pay claim in two phases:
The Union and the Company have been in discussion for some time regarding Phase 2 in an attempt to agree further efficiency measures that will fund 50% of the cost of any further increase as provided for in the original finding. Under the Court’s recommendation, these were due to be concluded within six months of acceptance and that timeframe expired. Given the expiry of the timeframe for discussions, the Union sought further assistance from the Labour Court and a hearing took place on the 21st August 2017. At the time of writing, the Union has just received the finding from the Labour Court and the finding in its entirety is set out below. The Union’s National Executive Council will consider the finding at its meeting on the 12th September 2017 and a seminar for Branch Secretaries and Chairpersons will be held on the 13th September 2017, following which members will be advised of the next steps.
Phase 1 • Increase of 2.5% from 1st May 2016
Phase 2 • Any further increase in respect of the outstanding amount would not apply before the 1st July 2017, unless otherwise agreed.
LABOUR COURT RECOMMENDATION NO. LCR21563 CD” 7/274
SUBJECT:
RECOMMENDATION NO. LCR21563
Pay Increase
Industrial Relations Acts 1946 to 2015
This dispute concerns a claim by the Group of Unions for a 6% pay increase. The dispute was originally before the Court in October 2015 and March 2016. Following the two previous Hearings both parties engaged in further discussions. However, they were unable to agree to a satisfactory outcome. A Labour Court hearing took place on the 21st August 2017.
BACKGROUND:
Section 26(1), Industrial Relations Act, 1990 Parties: AN POST
UNION ARGUMENTS (SUMMARY)
- AND COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS UNION CIVIL AND PUBLIC SERVICES UNION
The CWU stated that; l.
ASSOCIATION OF HIGHER CIVIL AND PUBLIC SERVANTS
DIVISION :
2.
Chairman
Mr Foley
Employer Member :
Ms Doyle
Worker Member
Ms Tanham 28
It has cooperated fully with LCR21206 and implementation of the specific measures to apply in Phase 1, i.e. Sick Pay Scheme, Revised Severance Terms and Home Garaging cessation. Accordingly the question of additional savings in that regard does not arise. It has further agreed both the revised Staffing Process and the new Industrial Relations / Industrial Peace Protocol as a result of discussions arising from LCR21206. Both of these combined are worth more than any suggested shortfall between
Postal Update
3.
4.
the savings required and savings achieved to fund their 50% of the cost of the first phase pay increase. It does not accept any responsibility for the Company’s apparent difficulties in implementing change during the last year. It had suggested alternative approaches which would have resulted in a more effective implementation of these changes, which would have resulted in additional cost savings arising through reduced VS/VER Scheme costs in respect of departing surplus staff. There is an expectation of a 3.5% increase from the l” of July 2017 as this is provided for in the earlier Labour Court recommendation.
take place with a view to the potential of further pay increase(s) being implemented no earlier than 1st July 2017, unless agreed otherwise. A key feature of this was that negotiations should take place between the parties to identify further “additional efficiency measures”, in addition to those required under LCR21206 and relating to the payment of the 2.5% from lst May 2016. Those ‘additional efficiency measures’ would fund 50% of the cost of any further pay increase that could be agreed between the parties. The Court also recommended that the Monitoring Group would be responsible for verifying the achievement of savings and adjudication on any disagreement regarding the date and or amount of any further award including where there is a shortfall in the level of savings required. The Court understands that the parties last met with the Monitoring Group on 20th July 2017 to review the savings achieved to date in respect of the first phase and the progress made in respect of identifying additional cost saving measures to fund a further increase in pay. At this meeting the CWU advised that it wished for the matter to be referred back to the Labour Court as provided for in LCR21206. The Court has considered in detail the written submissions of the parties and the extensive oral submissions made by the parties at the hearing of the Court. The Court also notes the report received from the Monitoring Group. Taking account of all of the detail of the above and in the context of LCR21206, the Court recommends as follows:
COMPANY ARGUMENTS (SUMMARY) l. 2.
3.
4.
5.
The cost savings equal to 50% of the cost of the 2.5% phase 1 pay increase have not been achieved. An Post’s financial and trading circumstances have remained challenging since they were presented to the Labour Court at the hearings that resulted in two earlier Recommendations. The company has made real progress in respect of the contribution of pricing and growth to the future financial viability of the core business, by earlier this year achieving shareholder approval for a significant increase in prices. While this will result in a revenue increase annually there may be an acceleration of mail volume decline arising from this level of increase, but this may take some time to impact. While the new Industrial Relations / Industrial Peace Protocol and the new Staffing arrangements are welcome and beneficial to both parties, it is not possible to place a direct monetary value on them. By having them they will influence the achievement of other cost savings and these are either yielding savings or they are not. Even if ‘additional efficiency measures’ are agreed which equal or exceed 50% of the cost of a 3.5% pay increase, it would be inappropriate to award an increase of that amount in any circumstances.
1. Additional Efficiency Measures While the Court referred to ‘additional efficiency measures’ in LCR21206 it did not specifically set out how these could be measured. Ordinarily, the Company has the right to assign the necessary resource required for a particular body of work based on the volume of work and the application of the appropriate work standards. In this regard, any savings arising from assigning the necessary resources to appropriate workload would not be seen as ‘additional efficiency measures’. Notwithstanding the above, on the basis that the proposed significant number of staff reductions are implemented in Mails Collection & Delivery by the end of 2017 via the proposed alignment of resources with the reducing workload in a faster manner than heretofore, 50% of the savings accruing from this initiative should go towards the Union’s contribution to funding their 50% cost of the next phase pay increase.
RECOMMENDATION : This dispute relates to the finalisation of an outstanding claim by the An Post Group of Unions for a 6% pay increase. The claim has been the subject of two previous Labour Court Recommendations; LCR21053, dated 6th October 2015, and LCR21206, dated 1 April 2016, which have been accepted by the parties. LCR21206 set out a basis for an award of a pay increase of 2.5% with effect from lst May 2016 and also set out the context in which further pay talks could
2. Verification of Phase 1 funding Having considered a report from the Monitoring Group in this regard, and taking into account the verified actual savings on a current annualised basis, the ongoing 29
Postal Update benefits to the Company arising from the new Staffing Process and the new Industrial Relations / Industrial Peace Protocol, and the fact that the savings arising from the reduced cost of Voluntary Severance is a timing issue, the Court is satisfied that no further additional cost savings are required under phase 1.
be finalised between the parties, with the assistance of the Monitoring Group, as required, within a two week period from the date of this recommendation.
2. Retail The conversion of 7 Post Offices to contractor status, shall be completed by the end of 2017. In order to incentivise the staff option of becoming a Contractor (Sub-Postmaster) at each location, the following terms shall apply: (i) current Voluntary Severance terms (up to maximum of two years pay), (ii) after a period of two years from the conversion date, the rate which the company will cover in respect of seconded staff to the Contractor shall be the hourly amount in excess of the hourly “living wage” in Ireland, and (iii) revised contractual terms in accordance with the new commercial contract currently under negotiations between the Company and the recognised Sub-Postmaster / Contractor representatives. The parties should refer any unresolved issues arising in this regard to the Monitoring Group for consideration and determination. 50% of the total savings arising from the conversion of Post Offices is to be allocated to the overall pool of savings to fund the Unions 50 0/0 of the overall cost of this pay award.
3. Next Phases Subject to the verification of the implementation of the necessary additional efficiency measures, including those already discussed between the parties, as identified below, by 30th November 2017, the following phased pay increases shall apply: Phase 2 — 2% with effect from the 1st July 2017, and Phase 3 — 1.5% with effect from the 1st July 2018 The annualised cost of this two-phase pay increase is estimated by the Company at circa €15m. The required 50% funding contribution from agreed additional efficiency measures from the Unions is circa €7.5m. As the overall cost is dependent on the amount of the pay increase that is pensionable the Monitoring Group shall verify the actual cost and the required savings with the parties. In respect of the third phase, should the implementation of the phase 2 and phase 3 additional efficiency measures deliver verified annualised savings in excess of the required amount by the end of March 2018, then the 1.5% increase may be brought forward by up to three months, to the first day of April 2018. In these circumstances the third phase will be of 12 months in duration, expiring not earlier than the 31” March 2019. The savings under all phases and the payment date of phase 3 are subject to verification by the Monitoring Group based on the actual annualised savings. The Monitoring Group will therefore continue to review the achievement of savings on a quarterly basis and may make a recommendation in this regard if appropriate or, if necessary, refer the matter back to the Labour Court for final decision. In order to fund 50% of the cost of the pay increase, the following additional efficiency measures shall be implemented:
3. Clerical Managers A common Clerical Managerial structure to be introduced with the existing permanent post holders being red circled on their current pay scale, on a personal to holder basis. The structure is as set out below: CM1-HEO’s, Superintendent 1s CM2-EO’s, Superintendent 2s CSI -Overseer, DPM CS2 -Front Line Supervisor The parties will endeavour to conclude agreement regarding the remuneration of Future Entrants to the above Clerical Management structure within a period of three months from the date of this recommendation. If the parties cannot reach an agreement on the matter within that time period, it should immediately be referred for Third Party determination in accordance with the agreed IR procedures. An amount of 50% of any savings arising from this element of the agreement will be counted towards funding the unions’ half of the cost of the above pay increases.
1. Mails Collection & Delivery A reduction of circa 290 staff FTEs to be implemented by November 30th 2017 in accordance with the process recently agreed in this regard between the parties. This number is net the staff FTE reductions planned for 2017 under the traditional C&D redesign process. 50% of the ongoing savings arising from the above staff FTE reduction is to contribute to the overall pool of savings to fund the Unions 50% of the cost of this pay award. The staff FTE numbers and the C&D locations are to
4. Closure of a Mails Processing Centre The parties are to conclude discussions regarding the Company’s proposal to reduce the size of its mails processing network within a period of six months from 30
Postal Update efficiency measures and associated savings, or with the assistance of the Monitoring Group, the matter will be referred back to the Labour Court for a definitive recommendation in this regard. 50 % of the savings arising from the additional efficiency measures shall also be counted towards funding the two unions’ half of the cost of their portion of the above pay increases.
the date of this recommendation. As a first step, the parties should agree the operational changes to enable the cessation of the temporary diversion of the Fonthill/ Portlaoise mails, if feasible, within four weeks of the date of acceptance of this recommendation. Subject to the completion of the substantive discussions, including consideration of the review already carried out by the Company in this regard with McKinsey Consultants, the parties should also agree an implementation plan within the above period, including addressing the staff impact issues. If the parties cannot reach an agreement on the matter within that time period, it should immediately be referred for Third Party resolution in accordance with the agreed IR procedures. An amount of 50% of the total savings arising from the closure of a centre is to be allocated to the overall pool of savings to fund the Unions 50% of the overall cost of this pay award.
7. Addressing impact of proposed changes on specific Pensionable Allowances The Court recognises the impact which the introduction of the proposed changes may have on staff earnings through the loss of Night Duty and/or Shift Pensionable Allowances. To offset these the following shall apply; All Staff impacted by the loss of Night Duty and/or Shift Pensionable Allowances under this Recommendation, who have had such allowances for a minimum period of five years, shall be compensated in respect of the actual established loss. The formula for compensation reflects the nature of previous agreements between the parties in this company for compensation in respect of permanent and pensionable allowances and is reflective of the unique nature of such agreements within this company. In that context therefore the compensation should be calculated by reference to the prior three year average and by the payment of a once-off lump sum equal to 2.5 times the established annual gross loss. This payment will be pro-rata where an employee has less than 2.5 years remaining service to normal pension date. Additionally, staff who are within 3 years of normal pension age from the date of this recommendation shall have the benefit of their Pensionable Allowance(s) credited to their final pensionable salary. The parties should refer any issues arising in this regard to the Monitoring Group for consideration and determination.
5. Other Additional Efficiency Measures The parties should discuss any other additional efficiency measures that may be necessary to fund 50% of the cost of the recommended pay increases, from any existing listed proposals or other proposals, in accordance with the process set out by the Court previously in this regard. If the parties cannot reach an agreement on these additional efficiency measures within the specified period of time, it should be referred to the Monitoring Group for resolution in accordance with the agreed IR procedures. An amount of 50% of the total savings arising from the above measures are to be allocated to the pool of savings to fund the Unions 50% contribution to the overall cost of the above pay increases. Should circumstances arise where the agreed annualised savings from the additional efficiency measures achieve in excess of the Unions’ 50 % funding requirement, the parties should discuss how these additional savings can be used to address staff aspirations in respect of future pay increases in the context of the company’s prevailing financial and trading circumstances.
8. Voluntary Severance Scheme Terms The Court has been requested to address issues arising and to provide clarification in respect of the Voluntary Severance Scheme terms, as recommended under LCR21206. The Court addresses and clarifies matters as follows:
6. Additional Efficiency Measures — AHCPS and CPSU Discussions remain ongoing at present with the AHCPS and the CPSU. These discussions should be finalised within a maximum period of four weeks from the date of this recommendation, with the assistance of the Monitoring Group, if required by the parties. In the event that is not possible to conclude agreement directly between the parties regarding the additional
The new Voluntary Severance Scheme terms are: 6 week’s reckonable pay per year of service, inclusive of statutory redundancy pay. This is subject to an overall maximum payment of 104 week’s reckonable pay in total. 31
Postal Update if they retire they will be paid an additional lump sum of up to a maximum of 18 months reckonable pay on a downward sliding scale from age 60. The Company shall continue to reserve the right to refuse any application under the above Scheme. The Court so recommends. Signed on behalf of the Labour Court Kevin Foley JD 5 September 2017 Chairman
This is also subject to a further overall maximum of the payment being no greater than the amount the employee would earn if he/she worked to their normal retirement age, provided that is less than 104 week’s pay. Employees who are entitled to retire without actuarial reduction under the 2015 amendment to the An Post Superannuation Schemes are not eligible to avail of the Voluntary Severance Scheme terms. However, an exgratia payment of up to 6 months reckonable pay shall be paid by the company, but reducing by one (1) month per year from age 60 to age 66 years. Employees who are entitled to retire but with an actuarial reduction applied in accordance with the 2015 amendment to the An Post Superannuation Schemes shall not be eligible to avail of the VS Scheme terms, but
NOTE Enquiries concerning this Recommendation should be in writing and addressed to John Deegan, Court Secretary.
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Postal Update
Postal Regulator Sets Out Strategy Statement 2018-2020 given its statutory designation as the sole universal postal service provider 2) Limited scope for further significant price increases 3) Urgent need to reduce costs in line with decline in mail volumes 4) Need to reduce losses (by negotiating better Terminal Dues agreements) on International Inbound mail 5) Responding to the changing demand dynamics of the postal sector On foot of these trends and challenges, ComReg has developed three statements of strategic intent:
The postal regulator, ComReg, has opened a consultation on its strategy statement for 2018 – 2020. This is something that ComReg is legally bound to do every two years but interestingly this year, they are arguing that a five-year time frame should also be given consideration in developing the strategy, given the challenges facing the postal market. It should be noted that ComReg is largely limited to the universal postal service area which, for the most part, impacts exclusively on An Post, as both the designated universal postal service provider (until 2023 though a review could take place in 2018) and the largest operator in the Irish postal market. In its statement, ComReg has identified a number of trends and challenges. The four main trends which it believes will shape the market over the next five years are: 1) 2) 3) 4)
1.
There is a universal postal service that meets the reasonable needs of postal service users 2. Postal service users can choose and use postal services with confidence 3. Regulation facilitates the development of competition and innovation in the provision of postal services by using appropriate regulatory intervention within our remit The full consultation document can be found on the ComReg website. The CWU will provide a robust response to the consultation to ensure that the singleminded focus on competition that usually characterises these consultations is balanced with the perspective of the staff who actually make the postal services operate on a daily basis.
A continued decline in mail volumes A significant threat to letter volumes arising from electronic substitution Changing mix of mail and speed of delivery Continued competition and growth in the packets and parcels sector
In light of these trends, the Regulator points to five principal challenges that the postal sector will have to deal with: 1) The financial and liquidity situation facing An Post,
New Rainwear Operative uniform in 2011. The Company has advised the Union that the older style of jacket will no longer be issued but that any serviceable jackets may be retained by employees for use in exceptional circumstances. The Company has also advised that, in the event that there is a requirement to use the older jacket, then employees must also wear the Hi-Vis jacket over it. Following the next scheduled general distribution of rainwear in 2020, the older will then be completely withdrawn from use. We would welcome individuals’ comments in relation to the new jacket, as we would, prior to the next issue, look to review its effectiveness. Any comments can be directed to Pat Kenny in Union Head Office.
The Union for some time has been seeking changes to the rainwear issued by An Post to provide for the incorporation of Hi-Vis into it. Following discussions at both the JCC Health and Safety and the Joint Uniform Committee, agreement has been reached and the new jacket to be issued with the 2017 Uniform issue will include a much higher level of Hi-Vis protection for the wearer. The 2017 issue of jacket replaces the style of jacket which was originally introduced with the new Postal 33
Telecoms Update
eir could face massive penalties as ComReg goes for ‘low-hanging fruit
© Dublin Business Post , 25 June 2017 It is not clear whether the watchdog intends to seek further declarations and penalties against eir down the line. However, in a written statement, a spokesperson for eir noted that the findings from last November were “opinions of non-compliance”: “We remain fully engaged with ComReg on the matter and will vigorously defend our position.” The regulator is set to apply for the case to be fast-tracked into the Commercial division of the High Court, which deals with business disputes involving sums of over €1 million. Court filings show affidavits have been sworn by British-based communications regulatory expert Leonardo Mautino, ComReg economics advisor John Evans and ComReg director Donal Leavy. The proceedings have been brought as a miscellaneous common law application which means other parties can ask to be joined to the case. A further motion has been set down for hearing at the end of July. In the past year, ComReg has fined eir €1.5 million and €3 million for regulatory breaches in relation to performance targets for fault repair times after heavy storms in 2015.
Telecom firm, eir, could be facing multimillion euro fines if alleged regulatory breaches are upheld in a Commercial Court action brought by industry watchdog ComReg. It is the first time the regulator has initiated legal proceedings seeking declarations and hefty penalties against the telecom giant. The five complaints centre on the former semistate’s wholesale network. Broadly, ComReg alleges that eir has shown a lack of transparency in relation to how its services work, and accuses it of discriminating against competitors when it comes to fault repair times. If the complaints of non-compliance are upheld in court, eir could be leaving the door open to a number of follow-up damages actions by rivals such as Vodafone, BT and Sky, which use eir’s broadband and fixed line network. Further compliance issues raised by ComReg last November are not included in the legal strike. According to an industry expert, Comreg would appear to be testing the regulatory procedures by going for “low-hanging fruit”.
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Telecoms Update
National Broadband Plan to be delayed by at least a year It is expected that the NBP will take five years to complete so some rural communities who have, quite rightfully, been demanding high speed broadband for some time now will not have their needs met until 2024. Whilst the Plan is ambitious and should deliver some of the best infrastructure in Europe, the delays are very frustrating and underline the growing digital divide that still persists in Ireland. There are 542,000 rural homes covered by the NBP.
In July the Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten TD, signalled that the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will be subject to a further delay. The original plan was that this scheme would be up and running last year. It appears that it will delayed by at least a year, despite first being promised in 2012. A scheme of this size was always likely to be delayed and when you factor in the complex nature of the market, and the competing companies and technologies involved, one could argue that a delay was inevitable. But the scheme has already been subject to delays as the Department of Communications carefully put together the intervention map which was subject to some controversy when eir contested a group of three hundred thousand premises which were included in the map. In the end these premises were excluded from the NBP and as a result Mr Naughten indicated that he did not expect the first homes to be connected to the Statesubsidised scheme until after eir had completed their fibre roll-out to these homes. This is a key project for eir right now and it should be completed in 2018, but this means that the NBP will likely not begin until 2019.
Siro Withdrawal? Some reports have suggested that Siro, a joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB, is considering withdrawing from the process. Management are considering the ‘commercial sense’ of their involvement in the scheme in light of the decision to release the 300,000 premises to eir. News reports have indicated that the company will decide by September whether it will remain in the bidding process. A withdrawal by Siro could signal a further delay if the government decided to replace it with another operator.
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imelda@cwu.ie OR POST TO: Imelda Wall, Communications Workers’ Union, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1.
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Telecoms Update
State subsidy for broadband plan could be 60% higher than predicted Cabinet memo suggests subsidy is likely to rise on foot of Government deal with eir by Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Irish Times online
Earlier this year, the Government agreed a deal with the telecoms firm, which saw 300,000 homes removed from the State scheme and placed back into eir’s commercial rollout plans
The State subsidy required for the National Broadband Plan (NBP) may be 60 per cent higher than originally anticipated because of the Government’s decision to farm out part of the scheme to eir, according to an internal Government memo seen by The Irish Times. Earlier this year, the Government controversially agreed a deal with the telecoms firm, which saw 300,000 homes removed from the State scheme and placed back into eir’s commercial rollout plans. According to the Government memo, the reduced NBP intervention area, which now covers 542,000 homes, is likely to increase the overall cost of the plan for the taxpayer. This is because the remaining homes are located in the most remote locations, which increases the average per-unit connection costs, and ultimately the subsidy required by the successful bidder. In addition, the successful bidder will now have to transit through eir’s new infrastructure to access the homes, incurring additional costs. If the current regulated price eir charges for pole and duct access is applied, the Government estimates the increase in the State subsidy required may be as high as 60 per cent. Alternatively, if access to eir’s network is granted at cost price, or what the Government calls “incremental cost”, the subsidy hike would be more in the region of 10-15 per cent. The price eir charges other companies for access is one of the issues that the Department of Communications, which is overseeing the procurement process, needs to iron out before the long-awaited plan can proceed. According to a spokesman for the department: “As this is an ongoing competitive process it would not be appropriate to comment any further on the potential subsidy levels that will be sought, as ultimately the final
subsidy will be down to the competitive process.” Telecoms regulator Comreg is examining eir’s pricing structure and is expected to make a recommendation in the coming weeks, which may have an impact the cost of the NBP. eir has previously stated that its wholesale prices accurately reflect the costs involved and were agreed with the regulator as recently as last year. While the overall cost of the Government’s broadband scheme is not known, figures of up to €1 billion, with the Government paying half, have been mentioned. The Government’s memo, which was circulated to Cabinet at the time of the department’s deal with eir, also outlines the potential legal threats faced by the State arising out of its decision to change the intervention area. “The change to the intervention area is not without legal risk,” it said, noting the potential for challenges from the two consortia that did not qualify to the current stage of procurement. “The Department is of the view, however, that while legal challenges are possible to the process from different entities for different reasons, some of which may be strategic, the actual risk, coupled with the likelihood of a challenge, is no more than moderate,” it said. Commenting on the contents of the document, Ronan Lupton of Alto, the umbrella group for non-eir firms, said: “Clearly there is a serious amount of work going on in the department on the NBP and officials appear to be tiptoeing around the threat of legal challenge in event of an error or omission within the process.” “It appears to be an uncomfortable working environment for the minister and his officials,” he added. While most premises targeted under the NBP are expected to receive high-speed broadband within the first two years of the contract, many may have to wait until 2022. 36
Telecoms Update
Bonus Voucher Scheme Agreed On foot of Motion 71 which was agreed at the last Biennial Conference, the Union can report that agreement has been reached with the Company to pay part of this year’s bonus in the form of a retail voucher – www.me2you.ie – which is a tax efficient way of paying the bonus. The first €500 of the bonus will be paid in the form of the voucher, which is line with the changes
to tax efficient voucher payments which were made in the last budget. This positive result represents a potential saving for members of around €250 depending on their personal tax situation. The vouchers themselves will be distributed in late September. It was also agreed with the Company that the vouchers will be available to SOMs, FLMs and Field Techs.
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Gaza Kids to Ireland 2017 Following on from the success of last year’s tour, Gaza Action Ireland (GAI) undertook to bring the Al-Helal under-15 football team to Ireland once again. This GAI initiative was launched a few years back by Brian Kerr (former Ireland manager) and Trevor Hogan (former Irish international rugby player), although it took 3 years of work to finally bring the team over for the first time in 2016.
apportioning any blame for this heinous crime. The team had a full itinerary for their short trip to Ireland: Al-Helal played matches against Iveagh Trust FC and Ballybrack FC in Dublin, as well as a Gaelic match against Ballinteer St. John’s. They also played Kinvara United in Galway; Manorhamilton Rangers in Leitrim; Janesboro FC and Parkville FC in Limerick; and finally, Castleview AFC in Cork. Another special event was organised by Gaza Kids to Tallaght; a group of Shamrock Rovers supporters arranged to bring the boys to the Rovers v Derry City match on the 4th August. The boys were not only special guests of Shamrock Rovers, but they also received a warm welcome at the stadium from President Michael D. Higgins. Despite the commitment these young players make and the level of skill they possess, football in Palestine, like every aspect of Palestinian’s lives, is impacted by the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation. Although officially recognising Palestine in 1998, FIFA has yet to tackle the issue of Israeli football clubs established in and around settlements in the Occupied Territories, which are considered illegal under international law. These Israeli clubs are in breach of FIFA’s own regulations, as they are playing in another territory without the permission of the Palestinian Football Association, which has been calling on FIFA to act. However, like all international bodies, it would appear there is no motivation to deal with this issue and for FIFA to actually enforce its own regulations.
Ballinteer St. John’s On the 29th July this year, 18 children arrived in Dublin Airport, although 20 were meant to travel. One player was denied a transit visa during the planning stages; however, a second player was denied exit from Gaza at an Israeli checkpoint, which was extremely devastating for the young boy. The team’s Head Coach was also denied a transit visa for the second year. Sadly, this arbitrary decision denying Gazan’s their right to movement happens all too often. To assist the team on their trip, Azeez Yussuf from Sports Against Racism in Ireland (SARI) stepped in to help coach the boys. Without missing a beat, the Al-Helal boys were whisked off to Irishtown Stadium, where they played Iveagh Trust FC. The boys then made their way to Sandymount Strand for a friendly kickabout with Brian Kerr. The beach holds major significance; during the 2014 Israeli assault on Gaza, four boys from the same family were targeted and killed by the Israeli navy while running for cover. They had been playing a game of football on the beach. The Israeli military concluded its own investigation of the attack without
Special guests of Shamrock Rovers
A warm welcome from President Michael D. Higgins
Sandymount Strand with Brian Kerr (Credit Niall Carson) 38
CWU People
Eamon Boyle Memorial Pitch & Putt Championship Mullingar Delivery Services Unit of An Post host the “Eamon Boyle Memorial Pitch & Putt Championship” in Collinstown Pitch & Putt Course in North Westmeath and for the members of An Post and their families & friends each year, in memory of a great friend and former work
colleague, who was the spirit of the office. His wife, Bernie Boyle (ex-POC), presents the Memorial Cup each year, along with members of the Boyle family. The Event is organised each year by Martin Little and Pat Rickard (retired), with photos by Ger O’Connor.
Bernie Boyle presents the “Eamon Boyle Memorial Cup” to the 2017 Champion, Joe Quinlan.
Bernie Boyle presents Joe O’Connor with his second place prize.
Bernie Boyle receives flowers from Pat Rickard and Martin Little, organisers of the event.
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CWU People
CWU/An Post Soccer Team Mullingar DSU
Team l to r back row: Joe O’Connor (Manager), Mark Ernie Murray, Trevor Thompson, Derek Gallagher l-r front row: Wayne Gilhooley, Paddy Kiernan, Keith Gorry. The lads played in the Ollie Holmes Memorial Cup and Shield. The team and team kit was sponsored by Mullingar CWU Postal Branch and An Post Mullingar Social Club.
This is an annual Over 35s tournament held in Mullingar Athletic grounds . The Mullingar DSU team lost narrowly 3 – 2 in the semi final. We intend to build on our team for next year and bring the cup home!
Monaghan Retirements
An excellent night of presentations, food, music and happy reminiscences was enjoyed by all. Colleagues at Milltown DSU wish the lads a long, happy, healthy and well deserved retirement.
CWU Monaghan Postal Branch recently hosted a social night in the Westenra Hotel to make the retirement of: Sean McCoy (51 years service), John McEniff (19 years service) and Patsy Donoghue (28 years service).
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CWU People
100th Birthday Celebration! Owen Murphy, CWU Limerick District Branch, celebrates the 100th birthday of his mother, Bridie, on 4th August 2017. Owen works as a Product Quality Officer for eir in the Munster area and is in the South Kerry Section. Bridie is pictured with her children at her party to celebrate. Pictured L to R: Eamonn, Brendan, Paud, Vincent and Brid. Sitting: Mary Theresa, Bridie and Owen.
Alexander (Sandy) Fitzgerald Retires North Kerry Postal Branch retirement of Alexander (Sandy) Fitzgerald, Cloghane/ Brandon Postal Operative being presented with his Union Scroll from Branch Secretary Michael Wall following his retirement. Sandy has been a CWU member for fifteen years and we wish him every happiness in his retirement.
Paul Mitchell calls time on a lengthy An Post career Enniscorthy Post Office recently bid farewell to Paul Mitchell after 42 years’ service. Paul joined the Union in 1975 and worked in Greystones, Wicklow and Enniscorthy. He is now a member of the CWU Retired Members Section. Paul is a popular member of staff with both customers and staff in Enniscorthy and will be sadly missed. We wish him every success as he embarks on his retirement.
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CWU People
GPO Granite for Mullingar’s 1916 Memorial by Jason McKevitt Local Historian & Member of 1916 Memorial Sub-Committee, Mullingar Tidy Towns
Pictured l to r: William Collentine Jnr, Tommy Nally, Damien Duncan (Postman), Cllr Bill Collentine (Deputy Mayor of Mullingar), Ger O’Connor (Postman) & Jason McKevitt.
The Mullingar Tidy Towns - 1916 Monument Sub Committee accepted the Stone & Letter from Damien Duncan & Ger O’Connor, both Postmen from Mullingar Delivery Services Unit, who represented An Post. Ger is a member of the 1916 Monument Sub Committee. Mullingar Tidy Towns and Deputy Mayor of Mullingar, Cllr Bill Collentine, along with fellow 1916 Memorial Sub-Committee members, Tomás Nally, Jason McKevitt (Historian) and Willie Collentine Jnr, with members Eamonn McGowan and Anita Kennedy unable to attend on the morning. At this juncture, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the management and staff of An Post for this wonderful and historic presentation to both the Mullingar Tidy Towns 1916 Memorial SubCommittee and the people of Mullingar. Although the presentation was a low-key affair, the historic significance was not lost on those present. A letter of authentication by the Head of Property with An Post, Mr Maurice Blake was presented in which he outlined the historic link between this piece of GPO granite and the Easter Rising of 1916. The Granite Stone presented is from the original front portico of the GPO, Dublin, which opened in 1814, and remained standing after the Easter Rising of 1916. It was eventually removed from the GPO as part of necessary repairs carried out
A piece of history was made, and indeed, bestowed upon Mullingar on Saturday morning last, at the 1916 Memorial in Mullingar when an original piece of Granite stone from the historic GPO in Dublin was presented to the Mullingar Tidy Towns 1916 Memorial Sub-Committee by two local representatives of An Post, Damien Duncan and Ger O’Connor. Both gentlemen carried out this presentation on behalf of Mr Maurice Blake, Head of Property with An Post. Significantly, Damien Duncan is the grandson of Commandant Ned Whelehan, who was a local commander with the Irish Volunteers/Óglaigh na hÉireann in the Mullingar area during the 1916 period and subsequent revolutionary years. Damien is also the grand-nephew of Captain Christopher Whelehan, who served under 1916 Proclamation signatory, Commandant Thomas MacDonagh during the 1916 Easter Rising at Jacobs Biscuit Factory Garrison. Ger O’Connor, who also represented An Post, is also a member of the 1916 Memorial Sub-Committee. The presentation of this historic artefact was accepted by the Chairman of 42
CWU People to the front portico of the GPO in the late 1990s. As a historian, this writer has pictured in his mind’s eye, the noble, brave and often tragic scenes this piece of granite witnessed during the Easter Rising and indeed, the historic figures that passed its perch as it faced towards a city in flames. It is planned that this piece of GPO granite stone will be placed within the Mullingar 1916 Memorial over the coming weeks. It must be added that this is the first time that an original piece of granite from the GPO has been presented or indeed placed within a 1916 Memorial
anywhere in Ireland, making Mullingar’s 1916 Memorial historically unique. For us within the 1916 SubCommittee, it is envisaged that all who live within or visit Mullingar, and who come to view our towns unique 1916 Memorial, will do so to reflect, honour and respect the history and memory of those great men and women of Ireland, especially those who came from within our own town of Mullingar and its hinterlands, who stood to the fore, when the Sean-Bhean Bhocht called on her children to do so.
A letter from the GPO confiriming the stone’ provenance.
Jason McKevitt (Historian) is a member of the 1916 Monument Sub-Committee and is an historian and a teacher. Any article in print will help with his appointment as a permanent teacher in the future.
Sarah J Foster, has just launched her production company, SJF Productions, and needs any publications for advertisements purposes.
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CWU People
Dublin Postal Delivery Branch Retirements
Arthur “Ginny” Browne, Whitehall
John “JB” Dowling, Crumlin
Patrick “Pancho” Comiskey, Finglas DSU (with Frank Donohoe and Davy Stapleton)
“Pancho” with Gerry Sexton
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CWU People
Joe Coady (51 years service) Dublin 2, receives his Union Scroll from Frank Donohoe and his colleagues in Dublin 2 give Joe a fond farewell
Pat O’Neill, Balbriggan DSU presented with his Union Scroll by Frank
Monica Hempenstall Celebrates her 60th Birthday in style
Monica, Aunty May and her sister Kathleen
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CWU People
Thomas Cribbin R I P. It was with a deep sense of shock and disbelief that we learned of the untimely death of Thomas Cribbin, Brookhill, Claremorris and Knockbrack, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. Thomas, who worked with An Post Ballyhaunis, was delivering post on foot in the town when he took ill in Webb’s Butcher’s shop and collapsed. Thomas was a kind and gentle man, with a great knowledge of Ballyhaunis and the nearby districts. Whenever you met him, you could be having a conversation about a very serious topic but he always had a clever word and in the end you would have
to laugh. He took great pride in his work and really enjoyed life. The staff and customers in our community extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Mary, son PJ, daughter Lorraine, brother Seán (Leixlip), and his sisters, Katherina Moran and Therese Dillon (Ballinasloe). Thomas’ colleagues at Ballyhaunis DSU would also like to extend their sincere thanks to the members of the Communications Workers’ Union and management who attended the funeral and formed a guard of honour as a mark of respect to our true and trusted friend.
Charlie O’Keeffe R I P. behalf of all members and gave a huge amount of his own time working to improve the pay and conditions of all members but, in particular, for both day and night telephonists. He will be sadly missed by all his colleagues and friends in the Dublin No 3 Branch. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his children, Andrew, Charlotte, Michael, Brigid, John Paul, and Bernice, and to all his grandchildren and his brother, Michael. Ar dheis De go raibh a Anam Dilis.
The Dublin No 3 Branch were deeply saddened by the news of the passing of its former Branch Chairperson, Charlie O’Keeffe, who passed away on July 18th. Charlie had retired from eir just six years ago. His wife Margaret had only passed away last year. He was a life-long activist of the Union and served as Committee Member and Branch Officer for many years. I am sure many of you will remember him attending Conference. Charlie was well-respected and liked by all members of the Branch. He worked tirelessly on
Note of Appreciation The family of the late May Delany would like to express their gratitude for the kind expressions of sympathy and thoughtfulness shown following their recent sad loss.
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