THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
ISSUE 27 • AUTUMN-WINTER 2014
MID-WEST ARISE! Cathy Duggan’s one of the IMPACT members protesting in mid-west hospitals.
THE ‘SUPER JUNIOR’ FOR JOBS, PAY AND BARGAINING ROBOTS TAKING OVER? NEW RIGHTS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PAY GAP
ALSO INSIDE JUDGING YOUR APPEARANCE. MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD. DOWN ON THE FARM. CAREERS NOT JOBS PLEASE. HEALTH ADMINISTRATORS. OSTEOPOROSIS. HORROR MOVIES. ROCK’S OLD HANDS. SAINT PETERSBURG. AUTUMN GARDENS. ARAB UPRISINGS. JULIA KELLY’S NEW NOVEL. PRIZES. ALL THE NEWS. LOTS MORE…
www.impact.ie
In this issue
work& & life Autumn-Winter 2014 WORK
LIFE
6.
2.
8. 10. 13. 15. 18. 20. 37. 43.
ROBOTS TAKING OVER Is your job at risk?
4. 22.
CLIMATE CHANGE Global warming is a public service issue. SUPER JUNIOR We talk to new ‘super junior’ minister GED NASH. PAY GAP Understanding the publicprivate pay gap. BLOWING THE WHISTLE New legal rights for whistleblowers explained. SAFE FOOD Meet IMPACT’s agricultural officers. YOUR CAREER How to turn a job into a career. INTERNATIONAL Arab workers need solidarity.
24. 26. 28. 30. 32. 34.
38. FORTY WINKS Ignore the high-powered sleep deniers. IMPACT PEOPLE CATHY DUGGAN is protesting in the Mid-West. FASHION Being judged on your appearance. HEALTH Understanding, and preventing osteoporosis.
Front cover: IMPACT representative Cathy Duggan works in Ennis regional hospital. Photo by Kieran Clancy. Contact IMPACT at: Nerney's Court, Dublin 1. Phone: 01-817-1500. Email: info@impact.ie
SPORTS Women winners.
NEWS
40. 40. 40. 41. 41. 41.
PUBLIC SERVICE PAY TALKS MID-WEST HOSPITAL DISPUTE WORKPLACE RELATIONS BILL RENT CAP CALL IRISH WATER BUDGET WARNING
FOOD Warm up with Middle Eastern cuisine. GARDENS Autumn jobs await.
41. 42. 42.
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNCIL JOBS GROWTH SAFETY WARNING UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE
MOVIES Horror flicks unpicked.
42. 42.
MUSIC Knowing when it’s time to leave.
PRIZES
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TRAVEL Stuck around Saint Petersburg.
46. 47.
HSE ADMIN Staff levels myth busted.
Work & Life is produced by IMPACT trade union's Communications Unit and edited by Bernard Harbor.
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BOOKS We talk to JULIA KELLY.
ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Win a copy of Julia Kelly’s new novel. Win €50 in our prize quiz. Rate Work & Life and win €100.
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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 1
THE BIG PICTURE
SURPRISING PUBLIC SERVANTS
A roof is a right
YOU’D THINK that producing 47 novels – many of them long, long books – plus dozens of travelogues and short stories would be enough to fill a productive life. But Anthony Trollope also managed to fit in a successful public service career in the post office, where he was credited with introducing the pillar box. Not bad for a chap who was bullied at school and reputedly harboured suicidal thoughts as a kid. The 19-year-old future novelist became a London post clerk in 1834 and for seven years hated the job and utterly failed to impress. But that all changed when he transferred to Ireland to undertake postal surveys in the 1840s. Based in Banagher in county Offaly and, later, Clonmel and Belfast, he began writing novels during long train journeys around Ireland, where he built a reputation as a solid public servant. His first four novels – two set during the great famine bombed with the critics, partly because of anti-Irish sentiment.
100 years ago
A casualty of German mines, British battleship HMS Audacious is sunk off Tory Island on 27th October 1914 as world war one hostilities intensify. Britain and France declare war on the Ottoman Empire on 5th November as Britain annexes Cyprus, Egypt and Sudan. On 24th December, British and German troops observe an unofficial ceasefire at several points on the Western Front, some crossing into no man’s land to play football.
90 years ago
Snooze don’t lose
Sackville Street is finally renamed as O’Connell Street after a long, drawn out process. A report prepared by a whole house committee of Dublin Corporation on 31st October 1884 recommended the name change, but Sackville Street residents objected and the Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution stating the move would be “injurious to the interest of the trading and commercial classes.” The following year, local residents secured a court order stating that the Corporation lacked the powers to make the change. The necessary powers were granted in 1890, but time was given to allow the new name to become popular. Over the years the name O’Connell Street gradually gained popular acceptance. But the name change was not made official until 1924.
HE’S A rock of sense. From theoretical physics to nuclear disarmament, you can rely on Albert Einstein, who also knew how to take a break. The great man, who snoozed for ten hours a night, would no doubt be stumped by today’s race to the bottom in the sleep stakes.
60 years ago
STRANGE WORLD
A survey of high achievers – mostly corporate bosses – carried out by The Guardian earlier this year found borderline contempt for sleep, and a similar attitude to work-life balance. Most claimed to rise before six, none after seven, and some as early as 3.30. Am, that is. And it’s not because they’re tucked in good and early. Thomas Cook boss Harriet Green claims to get up at 3.30am to answer emails (poor thing) after three or four hours kip. She’s in good/bad company depending on your point of view. Margaret Thatcher arguably launched the power-sleep privation trend in the 1980s, when she boasted of running/ruining her country on just four hours shut-eye a day. Former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice did something similar after her 4.30am gym session. Donald Trump throws Zs for as little as three hours at a time. Bill Clinton – five to six hours – was big enough to admit he made most of his mistakes when tired. Experts agree. Neuroscientist Russell Foster recently warned against abandoning four billion years of evolution. “Long-term acting against the clock can lead to serious health problems,” he told the BBC. Psychophysiology professor Jim Horne puts it simply: “I just don’t believe anyone can get by on three to four hours without any naps.” Photos by dreamstime.com
Photo: Conor Healy.
HOMELESSNESS CAMPAIGNER Peter McVerry was among the speakers at IMPACT’s A Roof is a Right public meeting in September. Hosted by the union’s Boards and Voluntary Agencies branch, the event brought together over 100 housing and homelessness practitioners, policy-makers, campaigners and experts to discuss practical actions to tackle Dublin’s homelessness crisis. The meeting was addressed by Tánaiste Joan Burton and representatives of Threshold, Dublin Simon Community and Focus Ireland, along with local councillors and local authority officials. Full story on page 41 O
Of pillar and post
That was then…
But, sadly, sleep avoidance is one of the few things that’s trickling down to us mere mortals. Foster’s research found that, on average, we now sleep two hours less than 60 years ago. That might be okay if you get the benefits of running a country or company. The rest of us might consider a new campaign for the eight-hour night. Quotes taken from ‘It’s time to stop this competitive sleep deprivation,’ The Guardian 16th May 2014 O
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But the writer took to his new surroundings and found the Irish people “good humoured, clever – the working classes very much more intelligent than those of England – economical and hospitable.” After ten years he was back in Blighty where, in 1867 he left the post office after being passed over for promotion. By now he was making money from his many novels, including his masterpiece The Way We Live Now, a sweeping satirical indictment of financial speculation that resonates strongly in today’s post-crash era. He died in 1882 and is buried in London O
Tayto is founded in Dublin by Joe “Spud” Murphy in 1954. The potato chip had been around for some time but had remained largely unflavoured until Murphy’s technological innovation added seasoning during manufacture. After some trial and error, Murphy and his employee Seamus Burke produced the world’s first seasoned crisps with cheese & onion, barbecue, and salt & vinegar first off the production line. The new flavouring process caught the attention of the food industry and companies worldwide sought to buy the rights to Tayto’s technique.
20 years ago
Following the IRA’s declaration of a ceasefire on 31st August 1994, Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, John Hume of the SDLP and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams hold an historic meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin. A Loyalist ceasefire is declared on 13th October, six weeks after the IRA’s announcement. The inaugural session of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation takes place in Saint Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle on 28th October. WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
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IMPACT IM IMP PACT PA T people
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Future of work
“WE ARE the robots. Kling. Klang. Biddip,” announced German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk in 1978. Thirtysix year ago, feeding vocals and melody through a bank of synthesisers was a bold futurist statement. And, while some (like me) were seduced by the innovative soundscapes of these pop music automatons, others were equally appalled by their machine-like coldness. Like musical Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. For science fiction writers, robots present endless opportunities to explore human feelings – poised between wonder and horror – about technology. They’ll relieve us of life’s mundane tasks. Whoo-hoo! But they’ll do your job far better than you, and for the price of a can of oil. Doh! Androids scare us. But should they? From the workplace vantage point, the answer is quite possibly ‘yes.’ Because we may be facing a future where many of our jobs will be taken over by robots or similar technologies.
“Economists point to the effect machinery had on agriculture where, in a few decades, employment shrank to just 2% of pre-industrial levels once machines took over the big tasks.”
Aye, Robots point to the effect machinery had on agriculture where, in a few decades, employment shrank to just 2% of pre-industrial levels once machines took over the big tasks.
Risk Some believe robot technology could soon have a similar impact on medium-skilled jobs – but much more quickly. The effect could be self-perpetuating, denying young workers the opportunity to enter the workplace and develop skills of their own. Researchers in the US and Europe have separately estimated that around half our occupations are at risk from computerisation. If that seems farfetched, consider the commercial activities you can already bypass using your computer: Buying a book, arranging a holiday, paying the gas bill, making a phone call. The process has already begun as we witness the demise of what was once considered solid, middle income work. In the USA, clerical occupations are shrinking fast as easy-touse software enables workers to do their own administrative tasks. According to data provided by ratings agency Moody’s, nearly 300,000 office and administrative positions disappeared in just five years between 2004 and 2009. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says the pattern will continue for at least another half-decade.
Changing patterns Automation took over much of manufacturing long ago. But the technology hasn’t ventured far beyond the point where robots can do what they’re specifically programmed to do. They still need people to build, maintain and instruct them. As they used to say on Tomorrow’s World, that is until now. A combination of rapidly-increasing processing power, the expansion of cloud technology and the growing volume of digitised information has increased the potential of robot technology to take on more complex tasks. This could lead to what economists describe as a ‘hollowing out of labour markets’ or what we call massive job losses. Starting in developed countries, medium-skilled jobs in areas like media, law, administration, sales, translation and marketing can quite easily be displaced. The economists
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The changing nature of work raises big questions about how to plan for the future. Thankfully, Ireland’s unemployment rate is falling with a 15% drop in the Live Register since joblessness peaked in 2011. Yet too few young workers – and a large chunk of the rest of us – can be certain of stable, lifelong employment. Being able to plan and save for the future, buying a home, getting the kids through school and college – all of these could be harder for future generations as stable employment gets rarer.
Anything you can do But it’s not all bad news. Or at least it doesn’t have to be. Rodney Brooks, head of US firm Rethink Robotics, thinks X
new technology could spark a renaissance in American industry, helping to bring manufacturing work back to the USA. If he’s right, it could circumvent the flow of these jobs to cheap-labour economies. In Denmark, where interest in robotics is intense, they’re looking at complimenting human labour not competing with it. For them, it’s about increasing productivity in a country with the highest labour costs in the world.
“About half our occupations are at risk from computerisation. If that seems far-fetched, consider the commercial activities you can already bypass using your computer.” Robotics manufacturers view their products as ways of creating employment by improving efficiency and developing manufacturing processes that otherwise aren’t possible. In 150 US hospitals, TUG robots capable of shifting 350 kilo laundry carts have taken over the work of hospital porters. But, while they do the dull, dangerous and dirty work, they
are remotely operated on a 24-hour basis by a network of human operators. New jobs that otherwise wouldn’t exist. The future of work will depend on our capacity to innovate and develop new areas of work beyond the scope of the robots – just as new jobs evolved in the post agricultural and post-industrial age. But how quickly can we achieve that level of innovation? The 20th century saw massive technological development, but also societal change shaped by the collapse of empires, catastrophic wars and huge conflicts between competing ideologies. Is that the level of disruption required to create new work? And, in an age of ‘intelligent’ machines, can we trust them to stick to the tasks we’ve delegated to them? In a 1942 short story, the influential science fiction writer Isaac Asimov developed the ‘three laws of robotics’ to set behavioural boundaries for machines. It’s entirely possible that programming will soon be necessary to incorporate those laws into technological hardware. But it might be a long time before machines can emulate creative, emotional or social intelligence. Good news, perhaps, for those in education, care and therapy professions, as we can imagine a future where human capacity to deliver these kinds of services will grow as the machines obediently get on with whatever we task them to do O
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Photo by Dreamstime.com
Robots could be poised to take over your job. Yes, YOUR job. In the absence of the Doctor, NIALL SHANAHAN investigates.
Global warming
Time for climate change action MARTINA O’LEARY says unions – and union members – need to start acting to save the planet.
Many scientists question whether ambitious internationallyagreed targets to reduce carbon emissions and stem rising temperatures will be enough. And a lot will have to change if they are to be met – including in public service and other workplaces.
Connections I HOLIDAYED in Mayo this summer and saw local authority workers fixing and strengthening the storm barriers all along the coastline. As well as the shoreline, the devastating March and April storms damaged roads, houses, electricity and communications grids, here and across Ireland. Flood insurers have paid out almost €750 million in claims since 2000. Meanwhile, the global temperature keeps rising, with current trends expected to mean at least a 4c average increase this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says global warming is causing climate change across the world’s continents and oceans. The storms aren’t going away anytime soon.
IMPACT member Oisin Coughlan, who’s director of Friends of the Earth Ireland, says it’s time for a national conversation on how we’re going to do it. In a recent IMPACT blog, he made the connection between climate change and storms and floods in Ireland. Among other things, he called on the Government to address energy use in the buildings we live and work in. X
US president Barak Obama has a great way of putting things. He told world leaders, gathered to discuss this most significant and challenging problem in September, that: “We are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” Meanwhile, increased levels of greenhouse gases are continuing to push global temperatures in the wrong direction, causing rising sea levels, floods, droughts and forest and bush fires. Meanwhile, the IPCC reckons the cost of sea flooding in Ireland and Britain will treble to almost €3 billion in decades to come.
Successive Irish governments have been criticised for failing to set specific targets for reducing emissions. Environmental campaigners want clear carbon emissions targets with an independent advisory and monitoring body. And, although the recently-published heads of a bill on climate action envisages a significant lowering of emissions, the Government has controversially signalled that it will make an exception for the agriculture sector, which account for over 40% of Ireland’s carbon emissions.
Union action The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) recently called on trade unions like IMPACT to campaign for an ambitious global framework to address climate change. Its report, Climate change is a trade union issue, says this is needed to protect lives and livelihoods.
The public service is a big customer and could certainly use its buying power to encourage contractors to act sustainably, and suppliers to make their products and services more environmentally friendly. The British public service has developed a sustainable procurement training programme, as well as sustainable food and catering policy. For decades, practical concern over climate change has been limited to scientists, policy makers and a relatively small number of environmental activists. Now that the impact of climate change is literally breaching our defences – in Mayo and elsewhere – it’s time for IMPACT and other unions to become part of the debate and part of the solution. It could save the country and its citizens a lot of money. And it might just save the planet O
The ITUC wants unions to seek government commitments through national social dialogue, and make action on climate change a priority in sectoral and local union bargaining. But what does that mean in practice? There are plenty of other ways to reduce emissions in the public service and elsewhere. Retrofitting of schools, hospitals and government buildings could lead to huge energy savings while creating jobs. Friends of the Earth (FoE) says the public service could save €100 million in a couple of years simply by reducing energy waste in public buildings. It has also be suggested that renewable energy, green buildings and retrofits would be encouraged if carbon polluters were charged.
You can cool it too
4 Conserve water
4 Don’t print it, unless you really need a hard copy
4 Use fewer chemicals
4 Don’t use plastic bags
4 Turn off lights and appliances when not in use
4 Reduce the temperature of your dish washer
4 Don’t leave the computer on overnight
4 Carpool
4 Switch to energy efficient light bulbs
4 Walk short distances instead of using the car
4 Turn the heat down a few degrees
4 Buy locally produced goods. It cuts down on air miles
MARTINA O’LEARY says it’s easy to start doing your bit.
4 Pull out phone chargers when you’re done
4 Recycle in the office and at home
Photos by dreamstime.com
The Government’s 2012 climate change adaptation programme suggests targets for government departments and agencies to reach by 2015. These would include reducing waste, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. It would also see them engaging with suppliers and buying more sustainable and efficient products. For you and me it means simple things like using less paper and turning off lights and computers.
4 Print on both sides of the paper
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Interview
All eyes on the ‘super- junior’ GED NASH’S appointment as ‘super junior’ Minister for Business and Employment was one of the surprises of the summer Government reshuffle. The Labour TD for Louth and East Meath’s elevation was welcomed by trade unions, particularly as he was given the specific brief of putting new collective bargaining laws in place, a move IMPACT and others have actively sought since the 2007 ‘Ryanair’ Supreme Court ruling emaciated workers’ rights to bargain with employers over their pay and conditions. His brief also includes the establishment of a new ‘low pay commission’ which, among other things, will set the rate for the national minimum wage. He’s also responsible for reconstituting other wage-setting bodies in low paid sectors, which also fell foul of Supreme Court rulings in recent years. As ‘super junior,’ Nash attends cabinet meetings where he can speak but not vote. It’s doubtful that the new man’s contributions will be limited to his brief. Since his appointment, Nash has already been vocal – calling for a wage-led recovery – and he has the hallmarks of a minister in a hurry. “We need to have a wage-led recovery. When the economy improves, workers’ wages should improve so that they are spending more in the economy to sustain jobs. We are seeing a recovery in jobs and growth, but I don’t want to see a recovery that’s defined by low wages and precarious work,” he says.
recently-impressive growth to the limited pay recovery we’ve already seen. “It’s happening. Modest wage increases have been negotiated in manufacturing and services over the last 18 months. Nobody’s talking about trying to impose pay increases on firms that can’t possibly afford them. But there’s a requirement on successful employers to work with their staff and talk about pay increases for productivity gains. “We’re returning to a more normalised industrial relations environment. I’ve been criticised in some quarters for encouraging business to make modest pay awards. But in the real would we all know people are responsible. If an organisation is struggling, there’s no point in me telling its workers that now’s the time for pay increases.
“I won’t take any steps that will jeopardise the creation of a decent job. And ‘decent’ job is the active phrase. We are in the midst of an economic recovery and it’s important that it isn’t characterised by a race to the bottom.”
But even the governor of the Bank of England is saying now might be the time for wage increases in the UK. This is happening and it works because it increases consumer demand. People on low pay are spenders, not savers. If they’ve got more money in their back pocket – modest and all as it is – they will spend it in the local shop and support the local economy.”
Minimum The first pay recovery of the crisis was arguably the restoration
of the statutory minimum wage to €8.65 an hour, a reversal of the €1 cut introduced by the previous administration. Nevertheless, it’s now seven years since minimum pay increased and unions are calling for a raise. Nash now has direct responsibility in this area through the commitment to establish a new Low Pay Commission which will, in future, make annual recommendations on the rate. “At the moment, the minister can go to the Dáil and announce an increase. But the corollary of that is what we experienced in 2009-2010 when the previous Government reduced it on the basis that this would create jobs and improve competitiveness. It didn’t do either. All it ended up doing was reducing people’s living standards,” he says. Hence his support for an independent, statutory commission, which will review the evidence and recommend the minimum pay rate. The body, likely to include commissioners from unions, employers, academia and civil society, is expected to report annually and will be at least partly modelled on Britain where a statutory body has been in place since 1998. But will it be able to recommend an increase in the statutory minimum wage in a low or zero-inflation situation? “Certainly. I don’t think the Low Pay Commission should be obsessed with inflation or the lack of it. There are other factors that it will take into account. There’s a debate across civil society about the ‘living wage’ and the Commission can contribute to that discussion.” But he insists this would have to be done on a gradual basis to guard against any negative impact on jobs. “It will take account of living standards and competitiveness and there’s one thing that I won’t do in this job. I won’t take any steps that will jeopardise the creation of a decent job. And ‘decent’ job is the active phrase. We are in the midst of an economic recovery and it’s important that it isn’t characterised by a race to the bottom,” he says. He says the Commission will look at data from standard sources like the Central Statistics Office as well as other experts including the trade union-backed Nevin Institute. “They will also be encouraged to go out and speak directly to trade unions, employers and other organisations and individuals who X
Pay In recent media interviews, the minister has attributed at least some of Ireland’s
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Photo : Conor Healy
Unions will be watching new ‘super junior’ GED NASH, who’s now in charge of collective bargaining legislation and the minimum wage.
Pay debate
Interview
Bargaining rights Perhaps the trickiest part of the ministerial brief will be getting new collective bargaining legislation in place. The outline of a new law, published last May, was described by ICTU general secretary David Begg as the “most significant development” in his 35 years as a trade union activist. He said it would give unions an opportunity to improve pay and working conditions for thousands of exploited workers who are not now members of unions.
Nash points out that just 45% of workers in the Republic are covered by collective agreements, compared to a European average comfortably over 60%. “We are an outlier and this legislation will address that. While it’s not trade union recognition, it will mean working people who are not members of trade unions can have their terms and conditions collectively negotiated and assessed by the Labour Court.
Photo : Conor Healy
have a stake in this. It’s going to have a real-world perspective,” he says.
The legislation has been subject to a lot of consultation and delay, not least because of the difficult constitutional questions created by the Supreme Court when it ruled in favour of Ryanair, and against IMPACT in a landmark 2007 case.
Explaining the pay gap Pay rates differ depending on the job you do, the skills you have, the responsibilities you hold and more besides, says BERNARD HARBOR.
Nash wants to have new collective bargaining legislation in force by the end of this year. “The Ryanair judgement had a chilling effect on industrial relations in this country. It turned our understanding of how collective bargaining is done on its head.”
MAKING THE CASE
“The Ryanair judgement had a chilling effect on industrial relations in this country. It turned our understanding of how collective bargaining is done on its head.” ”
The original version of this article first appeared in The Journal on 30th August in response to media misrepresentation of public-private pay statistics. It has since been viewed almost 20,000 times. IMPACT spokespeople also outlined the union’s position on national TV and radio including RTÉ, Today FM, Newstalk, the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner and local radio. The union also had letters responding to misleading coverage of the public-private pay gap published in the Sunday Independent and the Sunday Business Post.
Ryanair is not the only employer to have successfully challenged industrial relations and pay-setting legislation on constitutional grounds in recent years. For instance, the Supreme Court also declared wage-setting mechanisms for low-paid sectors unconstitutional on foot of a complaint from hotel owners – an issue that Nash is also addressing through new legislation.
Legislation
He also points to the legislation’s proposed anti-victimisation provisions. “These will prevent people being targeted or victimised because of their wish to engage in collective bargaining, as has happened in the past. This critical piece of the legislation will reduce the fear factor that people might now have,” he says.
210% pay gap between finance sector staff and those who work in food and accommodation
ANYONE WHO reads the papers now knows that, on average, public servants earn 48% more than private sector workers. This pay gap was revealed in August in the CSO’s most recent earnings survey, which also showed a 93% pay gap between workers in the IT and retail sectors and a 210% pay gap between finance sector staff and those who work in food and accommodation. Photos: dreamstime.com
“We need constitutionally robust collective bargaining legislation. The principle is very clear and straightforward, but getting a piece of legislation that will withstand a challenge is a big task. But we’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do, it’s in the Programme for Government, and it will bring us in line with our European partners and most developed economies in the world,” he says.
The potential for collective bargaining to ensure wider coverage for trade unions is considerable. When people see the legislation in practice they’ll consider joining trade unions as the best option for them in terms of having their pay and conditions respected and protected,” he says.
93% pay gap between workers in the IT and retail sectors
Public servants earn 48% more than private sector workers
These two private sector pay gaps attracted no media comment at all. Rightly so, because everyone knows that pay rates differ depending on the job you do, the skills you have, the responsibility you hold,
Interview by Bernard Harbor O contined on page 14 ‰
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Pay debate
Whistleblower protections
your experience, your professional and other qualifications and a range of other things. And average pay rates in, say, the IT and food sectors tell us nothing about these things. But headlines and editorials seldom apply the same common sense to the difference between earnings in the public and private sectors. The amount taxpayers spend on public service pay is an important issue that must remain a matter of public scrutiny and discussion. But there needs to be a bit more objectivity, and genuine analysis, in the debate. The CSO figures are not weighted in any way to take account of the actual jobs that people do or their qualifications, educational attainment, age or any of the other factors that determine how much each of us gets paid. On average (that word again!) public servants are more likely to be professionally or technically qualified – and to be graduates – than private sector workers. This alone explains much of the pay gap.
Much wider public-private pay gap for women
That’s not to say that public servants are somehow superior to private sector workers – any more than an IT expert is superior to a shop worker. It’s just that they have different skills, responsibilities and qualifications that are rewarded differently in the jobs market.
Qualified Imagine a hospital located next to a department store. Both employ, say, 200 people. It’s likely that 80% or more of the hospital staff are graduate professionals with high levels of personal and professional responsibility at work – doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, pharmacists, speech therapists and so on. These are highly qualified staff in relatively well-paid professions.
The reality is that economists, statisticians and other researchers disagree about both the size and the significance of the public-private pay gap. The most balanced and comprehensive study of recent years – also conducted by the CSO, in 2012 – acknowledged this. It showed that, taking account of qualifications and other relevant issues, the gap could be as little as minus 1.4% or as much as plus 11.4% if the public service pension levy is factored in. AUTUMN-WINTER 2014
“Media headlines always exaggerate the size of the pay gap, while commentators seldom attempt to explain the reasons why it exists.” In August, IMPACT published Making sense of Ireland’s public-private pay gap, which argues that media headlines always exaggerate the size of the gap, and that commentators seldom attempt to explain the reasons why it exists. In the recent past, this has fuelled calls for public service pay cuts. These days, it’s being used to argue against pay restoration – not just in the public service, but across the economy. On that point, it’s perhaps no coincidence that another aspect of the recent CSO figures, which was highlighted by the agency itself, went virtually unreported. In the year to mid-2014 earnings fell in both the public and private sectors, despite rising growth and employment.
After six years of stagnant or falling earnings, this stark finding underlines the need for pay restoration in all sectors of the economy – private and public – both to improve dented living standards and to support our fragile recovery by getting people spending in the local economy again.
New protections for workplace whistleblowers The Protected Disclosures Act, 2014 introduces some of the best workplace whistleblower protections on the planet. BERNARD HARBOR outlines the basics. THE PROTECTED Disclosures Act, which came into force in July, gives strong new protections to workers who expose illegal practices and other specified wrongdoings that take place at work. IMPACT warmly welcomed the new law, which was the successful culmination of a long trade union campaign. But the union says workers have to meet the criteria set out in the Act to ensure they are protected.
l Gross mismanagement or maladministration by a public body l Damage to the environment l A miscarriage of justice. You can make a disclosure if you have a reasonable belief that one or more of these things is happening, has happened, is going to happen, or has been concealed. The wrongdoing doesn’t have to have taken place in the Republic of Ireland, nor does it have to have taken place after the legislation came into force.
Who’s covered?
How do I make a disclosure?
The Act gives protection to employees, contractors, agency workers and people on work experience schemes. It applies to both the private sector and public service, including the Gardaí. Importantly, protection kicks in from your first day of employment, unlike standard unfair dismissals protections which only apply after you’ve been in the job a year.
It’s important that whistleblowers follow the correct procedures to ensure that they enjoy the protections of the Act. The law requires public bodies to put disclosure procedures in place, which should provide clarity in the public service. Unions are also encouraging commercial, voluntary and private sector bodies to do the same. The Act sets out a stepped procedure: l Workers who have a reasonable belief of wrongdoing can communicate this to their employer. An organisation’s disclosure procedure should include details of who workers can report to.
Sadly, there hasn’t been much discussion of that. Bernard Harbor is IMPACT’s head of communications l
IMPACT members get news quicker IMPACT members can sign up for full access to our website – plus a monthly emailed news bulletin via
www.impact.ie
What wrongdoings are covered? To be protected under the Act, a worker must be disclosing one or more of the following: l
A criminal act
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Failure to comply with a legal requirement
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A threat to health and safety (including risks to the public)
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Misuse of public funds
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Oppressive or discriminatory acts or omissions by a public body
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Staff in state bodies can also disclose to their parent department if there’s a specific reason why disclosing to their employer is not appropriate.
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Staff in state bodies can also disclose to the relevant government minister if they are not satisfied with the response they get from their employer, or if there’s a specific reason why disclosing to their employer is not appropriate. contined on page 16 ‰ WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 15
Photos: dreamstime.com
The staff in the department store do important work too, and carry it out to a high standard. But only a small proportion of them are likely to be professionally qualified or even graduates. There will probably be a very wide gap between the average earnings in the hospital and the department store, but there are good explanations for it. The same would be true of a secondary school located near a hotel, or a forensic science lab across the road from a meat factory.
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Significantly, it also found a much wider public-private pay gap for women, which raises real concerns about the prevalence of low paid and often precarious work in large, female-dominated private sector enclaves like retail and hospitality. Indeed, the respected journal Industrial Relations News recently made the point that these sectors, which have no equivalent in the public service, drag down average private sector earnings.
Whistleblower protections
Whistleblower protections
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What protections does the legislation give?
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You can also disclose to an external ‘prescribed person’, usually the regulatory body that covers your employment. These are prescribed by the minister and many have been outlined over the summer. Disclosures to a prescribed person require you to meet a higher burden of proof to ensure you get the protections of the Act. You must reasonably believe “that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true.” In certain circumstances you can disclose to an external body like the media, a TD or a senator. But you have to meet significantly stronger criteria to ensure you have the protections of the Act. You can get guidance on the IMPACT website (www.impact.ie), which strongly advises you not to make external disclosures unless you have sought expert advice, and have been advised that the disclosure would be protected.
The burden of proof over whether a disclosure is protected rests with the employer, not you.
Must I be certain that wrongdoing has taken place? If you disclose to your employer – or a sponsoring department or minister if you work in a public body – you only need to have a ‘reasonable belief’ that wrongdoing is, has, or will be taking place.
If you disclose externally – including to a prescribed person – you have to meet stronger criteria: You must reasonably believe “that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true.” If you disclose to an external body other than a prescribed person, stronger criteria over other aspects of the disclosure also have to be met and you are strongly advised not to make such external disclosures unless you have sought expert advice, and have been advised that the disclosure would be protected. Untrue allegations made maliciously are likely to get you in serious trouble.
“You can divulge the information to a trade union official, solicitor or barrister to seek advice on whether your disclosure would be protected under the Act and, if so, how to proceed with a disclosure. Obviously, it will cost you if you choose to go to a solicitor or barrister.” How can I get advice before making a disclosure? You can divulge the information to a trade union official, solicitor or barrister to seek advice on whether your disclosure would be protected under the Act and, if so, how to proceed with a disclosure. Obviously, this will cost you if you choose to go to a solicitor or barrister. ‰
Provided you meet the criteria of a protected disclosure, the law gives you: l
Protection from, among other things, suspension, lay-off, dismissal, demotion, loss of opportunity for promotion, transfer of duties, changes of work location, reduction of wages, changes to working hours, unfair treatment, harassment and the threat of reprisals.
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Immunity from civil liability in respect of the disclosure. In other words, you can’t be sued for defamation.
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Protection from victimisation from a third party (eg, a prospective employer who refuses to hire you because you previously made a protected disclosure).
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Protection from criminal proceedings in certain circumstances.
The law also prohibits your employer from victimising others (eg, your sister who also works for the same employer) on foot of a protected disclosure.
Will my identity be revealed? The person you disclose to, and any manager they have to refer the disclosure to, mustn’t disclose information that would reveal that you’re the person who made the disclosure. You can sue if you suffer as a result of a failure to meet this requirement.
What about existing legal obligations to disclose wrongdoing? All existing laws that include professional or other obligations to report wrongdoing or suspicion of wrongdoing, like child protection laws or the 2011 Criminal Justice Act, remain in place.
Further information A more detailed version of this article is available on the IMPACT website l
What if my employer sacks me? For the first time ever in Irish employment law – and at the insistence of IMPACT and other unions during the consultations that preceded the legislation – you will be able to apply to the circuit court for an injunction, seeking reinstatement, after 21 days of the dismissal.
Featu res of the ne Comp rehen w s
law
This article is for information only. It is not a definitive interpretation of the law. Members who are considering making a disclosure are strongly advised to seek advice from their IMPACT representative first. 16
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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 17
Photos: dreamstime.com
ive pr otecti on ag Redre ainst ss for emplo penal yer re ised w prisal orkers s Stron g prot ection s agai nst un The maximum penalty for unfair dismissal in proImmu fair di nity a smiss tected disclosure cases has been set at five years pay gainst al civil a – substantially more than the usual two years – aln d crim Single inal li frame though this can be reduced by up to 25% if “the inability work of wh vestigation of the relevant wrongdoing i s t l e C b overs lower concerned was not the sole or wide r prote ction ange main motivation for making the of wro n disclosure.” g Appli doing es to a ll sect The unfair dismissals protecors Prote tions are in place from the day cts em you start work. Uniquely, pl worke rs and oyees, con under this legislation tra those on wo ctors, agen there is no qualifying rk exp c Stepp erienc y ed dis period for an unfair e c p l o roced dismissals claim. ure w sure differ ith ent evide nce th resho lds Burde n emplo of proof on “The Ac yer t prote employe es, contr cts a actors, g e ncy w Confi dentia on work orkers and peop le ex lity prote cted. It applie perience scheme s. s to both the pr sector an d public ivate service , includin g the Ga rdai .” If the injunction is granted, your employer would then either have to reinstate you or pay you while any legal case was underway. The employer would then have to prove that your disclosure was not protected under the Act. If they failed, your dismissal would be deemed unfair.
At your service
Down on the farm WHAT BOOSTS our economy by €24 billion a year, accounts for 10% of exports and employs 150,000 people? Yes, it’s Ireland’s agriculture sector, and the nation’s technical agricultural officers are tasked with maintaining the industry’s reputation so it can continue to thrive. More to the point, they’re the ones who make sure the food on your plate – meat, fruit, veg, dairy and bread – is high quality and safe to eat. From seed classification to meat inspection, from disease eradication to dairy inspection, be it crop variety testing, pesticides regulation or grain marketing, members of IMPACT’s Agriculture No.1 branch work to maintain food quality from farm to fork. Not to mention underpinning €1.8 billion worth of EU grants payments each year.
“If you get a bad name, it takes years to rectify. The reputation of our dairy industry is so important to the economy and it only takes a small scare to create a big one.” Agri-food is among Ireland’s most important indigenous industries with over 600 firms exporting 85% of our food produce and seafood to more than 160 countries. And it wouldn’t take much to destroy its valuable reputation. Remember the pork dioxin crisis, horsemeat contamination, ‘mad cow’ disease and salmonella anyone? Would you give your baby contaminated baby formula? Of course not, and Ireland is aiming for a third of that important global market. “If you get a bad name, it takes years to rectify. The reputation of our dairy industry is so important to the economy and it only takes a small scare to create a big one,” says Waterford-based dairy produce officer Peadar Kelly. Peadar makes sure everything on the dairy farm – from milking to processing – is up to standard. And we’re not talking a quick look around the milking parlour. It’s a complex
and technical job involving checking storage facilities and practices, ensuring milking areas and paddocks are safe and secure, and checking the cleanliness of the milking parlour. Vital as they are, the agricultural officer isn’t always a welcome visitor. “You need to be prepared. You are door-stepping people and sometimes there can be conflict, but there’s plenty of legislation to back you up. All you’re trying to do is protect the integrity of the food, and so many jobs depend on this. We are only a small part of the big wheel, but we are important all the same,” says Peadar.
Safe He’s concerned with the segregation of sick animals, potential contamination of feeds, and the quality of water supply and detergents and the testing of the final product itself. Only then can Peadar be sure the milk is safe for human consumption. “My job is to ensure that any problem is nipped in the bud and, most importantly, that any problem can be pinpointed at source. It’s about traceability,” he says. His colleague Michael Rabbitte agrees. That’s why every cow has a passport that tracks all its movements from birth to death. “If there’s been a problem with cows from a particular farm we increase the monitoring of livestock coming from there,” says Michael. Michael works in meat plants across the eastern region of Ireland and can generally be found in Kildare Chilling, which employs over 400 people who process 85,000 cattle and 500,000 sheep each year. “You must remember every day that everything produced here has to be eaten. If there’s a problem, you have to deal with it. That’s our job,” he says.
Law Complex EU legislation sets down specific check lists for every part of the factory from holding areas through to the abattoir, boning hall, offal room, cold store, chills and containers. Michael takes lots of various samples from the animals to test for brucellosis, X Dairy produce officer, Peadar Kelly must check the butter is up to standard.
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Michael Rabbitte: It’s about protecting consumers.
the presence of residues like antibiotics, and other things. These are tested by agriculture department laboratory staff in Kildare and Cork. “You can’t beat a man on the ground to make sure everything is above question and stands up to scrutiny. And if your decision is ever contested you have the evidence to back it up – sometimes all the ways to the courts. It’s about protecting consumers and farm livelihoods, which depend on the quality of food and compliance with EU standards,” says Michael. The lads can refer serious problems up the line to a supervisory agricultural officer or, if needs be, a veterinary inspector, all of whom can serve compliance notices and enforcements under legislation. There are severe penalties for non-compliance.
Like elsewhere, staff numbers have been cut dramatically in recent years. In 2003 there were over 1,200 technical staff in the service, today it’s just over 700. And they’ve taken on extra duties, saving huge sums for the taxpayer. And the lads are currently involved in a long Labour Relations Commission process to protect the unique and vital role of technical agriculture officers and indeed realise further savings to the exchequer. But, as branch secretary Liam Kelly puts it, they are a resilient bunch of staff. “The work carried out by IMPACT members in agriculture is so important to the industry, the Irish economy and the quality of the food on your plate. We’ve learned that self-monitoring by the industry doesn’t work without oversight by our members,” he says O Interview by Martina O’Leary. WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
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Photos:Michael Crean Photography.
MARTINA O’LEARY never used to think of public servants when she tucked in to her dinner. Now she’s glad they’re there.
Your career
It’s not uncommon to hear people say they want more than just a job. But what do they actually mean by this? ISOBEL BUTLER unpicks the difference between a job and a career. A JOB is something that you agree to do for payment. It allows you to pay bills and supports your lifestyle. If you’re lucky your job might give you a sense of satisfaction. Equally, it might be something unfulfilling that you just do for the money because there’s no alternative.
A career, on the other hand, is more. It’s a series of interconnected jobs that have meaning and provide satisfaction at a personal and professional level.
Other aspects of your life, like travelling or raising a family, may have kept you busy or diverted attention away from your career. But now there’s a growing sense that something’s missing. But how to go about rebooting your career? ONE: Start with your current job, because that’s the best place to launch in a different direction. Strive to perform to the best of your ability and take every opportunity to develop and gain experience. Talk to your line manager. Seek feedback on your performance and guidance on what you can do to improve. Gain extra responsibilities or even opportunities for promotion. Clarify the important aspects and priorities of the job and make sure that most of your energies are focused on these.
Having a career means focusing not simply on completing the task in hand but also on gaining experiences, skills and knowledge that will enhance your ability to fulfil your current role and allow you take the next step along your career path.
Photos: dreamstime.com
FIVE: Identify your next job. Start thinking about what your ideal job is. Where do you see yourself in five or six years? What meaningful and satisfying job would allow you to use the career capital you’ve identified? Develop a plan if you need to develop skills and experience. Do you need to undertake training or retraining? Do you need another qualification? Do you need to take on more responsibility in your current job? Perhaps you need to search for an intermediate job that will allow you to get the relevant experience before applying for your dream job.
SEVEN: Network. Talk to people who work in the field you’ve identified. Find out what’s happening in that area. What are the key developments and trends? What opportunities are coming down the line? Read information relevant to your field to keep up with trends. EIGHT: Try and get a mentor. Someone in the field or job you want can be a guide and help you to develop your plan and avoid pitfalls.
Getting stuck
NINE: Look for the opportunities and apply for the jobs.
People in careers feel they’re going somewhere, while those who just have a job can feel stuck. And it’s easy to get stuck. Maybe you took your current job simply to earn money, not as a step on a career ladder, but you now feel lost and dissatisfied and want more from work than simply money.
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Next job
Network
In a career, each job has an impact on future employment prospects. Experience, knowledge and skill developed in earlier jobs enable you to move into new ones with greater responsibility, higher pay or status, and greater challenges.
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FOUR: Know the field that you want to work in. What skills and expertise are valued and important? Think of someone who’s a role model or expert in that field. What do they do? What knowledge, skills and experience have they got?
SIX: Reboot your CV. Redraft your CV to succinctly highlight your suitability for the job you’ve identified. Review and update the CV as you gain new skills and expertise.
A career, on the other hand, is more. It’s a series of interconnected jobs that have meaning and provide satisfaction at a personal and professional level. Personal and professional growth is central to a career.
Maybe you’ve reached a glass ceiling and can’t see where to go next. Or you’re unsure how your skills, knowledge and experience can help you progress into a different job with a more meaningful role. ‰
THREE: Identify your career capital. Do a skills audit identifying your knowledge, skills and expertise that can be used to further your career and help get your next job.
Isobel Butler is an independent organisational psychologist who works with people on a wide range of workplace issues including conflict management, dealing with change and solving problems. If there are specific issues you’d like her to tackle in these articles send them in via the editor, Work & Life magazine, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or info@impact.ie.
TWO: Embrace life-long learning. You never stop learning in a career, so seek out those opportunities. Push yourself out of your comfort zone to learn and practice useful career skills that are not currently your strengths. If you have a high level of technical skill but not much experience supervising a team, seek out opportunities to practice.
TEN: Seek professional help. A career counsellor can help you to formulate or fine-tune your plan. These steps, and the plan you develop, will stop you from drifting and becoming defined by what you didn’t do. Instead you’ll be in control, navigating your own chosen career pathway l
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 21
Photo: dreamstime.com
So you want a career not just a job?
Looking good Once you’re in the public eye, your physical appearance is up for scrutiny. And it’s not confined to politics either. Whether we like it or not, our appearance can help or hinder our career prospects in many walks of life. And, while we’re not all on show to the same extent as party leaders and TV presenters, a lot of careers involve interaction with the public, or more-orless formal presentations to colleagues and clients. So, we have to put our best foot forward.
Your public awaits
Balancing act You want to be taken seriously but avoid the worry of negative attention. And never underestimate how your appearance can communicate messages of authority, power and confidence. Your clothes shouldn’t be a distraction or the main focus of colleagues’ or clients’ attention. The challenge is to find the balance between dressing so safely that you appear boring or – worse – invisible, and trying so hard it looks like you’re heading out on a date.
Skilful Christine Lagarde, the first woman chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), brilliantly masters the art of impeccable presentation but, skilfully, never lets her appearance distract from her message. Never garish or loud in her dress code, she’s always understated and elegant with well-groomed hairstyle and classy accessories. Bright coloured scarves teamed with suits in muted colours like black, grey or beige.
Politicians and TV personalities may work in the frontline, but all of us workers are judged on our appearance. TRISH O’MAHONY advises.
Some women feel the need to power dress to prove themselves and project a sense of importance. An alternative approach is to dress in a way that gives you confidence while allowing your personality and individuality to emerge.
WHAT’S THE worst aspect of a career in the public eye? To be judged by your performance, or to be judged by your physical appearance? Work-related criticism combined with appearance-related sniping must sometimes make our politicians and others in public life wonder if it’s worth it. Chances are it keeps some capable people – especially women – out of the public glare of certain careers. Exposure to public curiosity can be an occupational hazard. But a lot of the criticism, or even ridicule, is harsh and personalised. You’d need a very thick skin not to take it to heart. We need our politicians, TV presenters, entertainers, weather forecasters, sports pundits and the rest. Where would we be without Miriam O’Callaghan and Sharon Ni Bheolain? But, be honest, have you never noticed – or commented on – their appearance?
No pressure In a recent radio interview Joan Burton, new Tánaiste and first female Labour Party leader, described the difficulties associated with politicians and their appearance. Her friends’ advice was to always look her best. If her recent makeover and flattering hairstyle are anything to go by, she’s certainly listening. But which of us can always look our very best – and is this requirement putting women off politics? It’s alright that, as Joan Burton observed, other women are interested in your hair, make-up and what you’re wearing. But she rightly describes the personalised and withering criticism of appearance that some politicians endure as “the nasty side of politics.” ‰ 22
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Main pic: Topshop. Model: Topshop. Gold sequin top: Miss Selfridge. Leather skirt: Next. Gold bag: Marks & Spencer. Red shoe: Dorothy Perkins.
Model Cara Delevigne wearing Topshop.
The colours red evokes confidence. Work it into your ensemble, but avoid overkill. A bag, scarf or lipstick gives a dash of colour – a blouse or dress if you want more impact. Some colours work harder for you on television and in photographs. Others cause you to pale into insignificance. Get your colours analysed by the experts to see which shades are best for your skin type. Then bring swatches when shopping. The result should give you confidence in your own skin and not leave you looking forced, inappropriate or trying too hard.
Invest in a sharp, edgy hairstyle. Joan Burton’s is getting her noticed in a positive way. Don’t scrimp on coats, suits, shoes or bags as good quality will serve you better for longer. Buy during the sales. Economise on blouses, shirts, scarves and ties.
Confidence
Wear small amounts of strong colour close to your face and neck.
It doesn’t mean that everything needs to be designer or very expensive. Observers understand and appreciate the need to wear the same clothes again and again. Make staples work harder.
Buy subtle colours for main items like coats and jackets.
If you lack a bit of confidence in your own choices, or aren’t sure how to put a total look together, personal stylists or image consultants can help. Major department stores employ dedicated personal shoppers who are highly experienced in dressing customers for the corporate world. Remember they know their stock inside out and are trained to help. These services can cost a little, but they can save you lots of precious time and money in the long run. Packages start at around €180 for a colour or style consultation and rise to about €950 for a full image consultation, half day personal shopping and a makeup lesson l
Wear classic accessories rather than large, obtrusive ones. Have a trial run, especially if cameras are involved. Avoid stripes or checks if you’re going to be seen on screen. If your weight is bothering you, deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem. Glean ideas from books and articles – but make sure the look works for you. Never let your clothes distract from your message – or your personality. WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 23
Your health Osteoporosis, the silent disease, can hit you at any time of life. But you can take steps to prevent the most common bone disease around, and there’s help at hand, says MICHELE O’BRIEN.
The bare bones
ASK MOST people about osteoporosis and they’ll say it’s a bone problem that affects old people and menopausal women. Many people wrongly think it’s untreatable.
therapy, many medications, excessive physiological or psychological stress, intolerance to dairy products, smoking, excess alcohol, and being wheelchair or bed bound.
bearing exercise. And, of course, by avoiding lifestyle choices like smoking and access alcohol that can increase your risk of this and other diseases.
In fact, osteoporosis is the commonest bone disease in the world. It causes the insides of bones to become fragile and, therefore, to break easily. Another of the many misconceptions about the condition is that a healthy diet and exercise will stop you developing osteoporosis.
Women who’ve gone through the menopause are at risk, as are men with testosterone deficiency – symptoms of this include loss of sex drive, loss of erections, depression and fatigue.
If you develop osteopenia or osteoporosis, you will need advice on the many treatments that are available, ranging from increased vitamin D3 and calcium intake, drug therapies to treat bone loss, and exercise for increased bone health.
Here’s another fact. One-in-four men and half of women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. And it affects people of all ages including children. It can affect any of your bones, but the most at risk are wrists, hips and bones in the spine.
Most broken bones occur in the early stages – called osteopenia – which can develop into osteoporosis unless prevention measures are put in place. The Irish Osteoporosis Society (contact details below) can help if you think you
Getting help
Michele O’Brien is chief executive of the Irish Osteoporosis Society. If you think you might be at risk from osteoporosis, or want to know more, contact the Irish Osteoporosis Society at www.irishosteoporosis.ie or 114 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Lo-call 1890-252751, or email info@ irishosteoporosis.ie. O
Breaking bad
There are over 60 causes of osteoporosis and unless the causes are identified and addressed, your bones won’t improve. For most people, osteoporosis is preventable and treatable. But only 15% of sufferers are actually diagnosed. You might be one of the estimated 280,000 who haven’t been.
MICHELE O’BRIEN has some sobering facts about osteoporosis. •
Men over 50 are more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than to get prostate cancer.
Signs and symptoms
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Osteoporosis is known as the silent disease because you don’t feel your bones getting weaker. But there are some signs and symptoms of undiagnosed osteoporosis:
More women die from osteoporosis than from cancers of the ovaries, uterus and cervix combined.
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90% of broken hips are due to osteoporosis.
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Men are also more likely to require long-term nursing care after breaking a hip.
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20% of 60+ people who break their hip will die within 6-12 months.
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50% of 60+ people who break their hip will be unable to wash, dress or walk without help.
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One broken hip costs €55,000. A DXA scan, to diagnose osteoporosis, costs about €100.
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There were about 3,000 broken hips in the Republic of Ireland last year.
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A broken bone caused by a trip or fall from a standing position or lower Loss of height: It’s not normal to lose height as you get older A hump developing on your upper back or your head protruding forward from your body Upper, middle or low back pain.
Picture courtesy of the Osteoporosis Society.
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Many things can increase your risk of developing the condition. Some are diseases themselves or treatments for other conditions. Others are secondary effects of diseases or lifestyle choices. They include family history, eating disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, endocrine disorders, asthma, diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s disease, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, aromatase inhibitors for the treatment of breast or prostate cancer, corticosteroids (such as prednisolone, prednisone or cortisone), some anticonvulsants, post-organ transplant
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might have the condition. The society recommends a simple and painless 15-minute scan of the spine and hips to establish if you have the condition. It does not recommend heel or Tibia scans. You can help prevent osteoporosis by getting enough calcium, vitamin D3, protein, and through appropriate weight X
USUAL SUSPECTS? These people are not actors. They are real people who’ve proved that osteoporosis can be reversible in certain cases. The man on the far right is a multiple Olympic and World rifle shooting champion who has reversed his bones back to normal. The youngest person in the picture was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 19, when she had the bones of an 84-year-old. She’s reversed her bones back to normal. But the earlier osteoporosis is diagnosed, the better the results.
Men are more likely than women to die within a year of breaking a hip
YOU CAN HELP
After cutbacks, the Irish Osteoporosis Society receives just €4,000 a year from the HSE, despite being the only organisation to specifically deal with the condition. The society’s chief executive Michele O’Brien is doing a parachute jump in October to help raise awareness and much-needed funds. You can sponsor her, or make a donation, by contacting the Irish Osteoporosis Society, 114 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Or email info@irishosteoporosis.ie
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
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In the kitchen Photos: dreamstime.com
Carrot, lentil and orange soup
MARGARET HANNIGAN says Middle Eastern cuisine will bring fresher flavours to your winter table. THE WINDS of change are blowing through the kitchen this week, sweeping all before them. Darling daughter returned from a trip to London, where her lovely hosts had introduced her to Middle Eastern food. She, in turn, is bringing it home to her very own kitchen in sunny rural Ireland. At first I drew a bit of a blank. In fact, I wasn’t exactly sure where the Middle East is. Well, the short answer is that it’s further than Europe but not as far as China (because that would be the Far East, apparently).
What’s surprising is how some Middle Eastern foods have already penetrated our culture so much so that we don’t notice it all. Pitta breads are a lunchtime staple for kids and adults alike, couscous is as commonly used as rice, while hummus is commonplace. And who hasn’t given Turkish Delight to an aged and toothless relative at Christmas?
In reality it’s accessible and very straightforward. And it offers fresh, spicy flavours, sometimes with citrus and herbs, and new tastes like Za’atar and Sumac – Za'atar is a blend of thyme, mint and sesame seeds; Sumac is a spice made from crushed sour berries – both of which are available in Asian shops, health food shops and larger branches of Tesco. As is harissa, a kind of chilli paste that adds heat to dishes, without setting your mouth on fire. This kind of cooking uses pulses like chickpeas and lentils and less familiar ingredients like aubergines, chard and pomegranates. Lentils, yogurt, garlic, mint, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and coriander are common. The dishes, while hearty and filling, lack that stick-to-your-ribs quality we associate with winter
It’s at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, with all those different influences reflected in its cooking. Sharing a broadly common ‘Middle Eastern’ cuisine, are a clutch of countries united by appetite and divided by religion and politics. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates are all Middle Eastern states. Both the Jewish and Muslim faiths, which dominate the region, are very unfond of our friend the pig and ban the eating of pork. Lamb is the primary meat used, with the occasional foolhardy chicken crossing any number of remote and dusty roads to make an appearance as dinner.
Spices came from China and India and tomatoes came from the New World, via the Moors of Spain. Add in cloves, peppercorns and allspice from the Spice Islands, and okra from Africa, and it certainly puts Irish stew in the bland corner. (Though of course, when not writing articles, we love Irish stew too. All letters of complaint direct to the Editor please!). 26
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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2 tsp coriander seeds
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1 onion chopped
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225g carrots diced
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75g red lentils
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300ml orange juice
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2 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt
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Fresh chopped coriander to garnish
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Pinch paprika to garnish
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600ml vegetable stock
Buy ingredients
“Sharing a broadly common ‘Middle Eastern’ cuisine, are a clutch of countries united by appetite and divided by religion and politics.”
Buy the ingredients for this recipe now via: l
ocado
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MySupermarket
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Tesco
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Asda
Method
Staples Apart from that, it’s a cereal-based cuisine. Bread is eaten in one form or another at every meal – not surprising as this is where wheat was first cultivated – and wheat (burghul, couscous) and rice are the preferred staples. Back in 550-330 BC the Persians brought the rice, poultry and various fruits with them, while figs, dates and nuts were brought by marauding Arabian warriors.
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Popular Despite the fact that it’s been around since before the bible was a three-chapter outline, this kind of food is only now gaining mainstream popularity. Sabrina Ghouray, author of the best-selling cookbook Persiana, thinks it may be because Middle Eastern cookery “is often shrouded in mystery and perceived as exotic and unknown.” ‰
food. They will blow away the cobwebs and bring fresher flavours to your winter food. Try this soup as an introduction. Then check out Sabrina Ghayour’s book Persiana, which is currently getting rave reviews from critics and celebrities alike – just in case there’s an occasion for gift-giving in the offing! l
Crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar, then dry-fry for two minutes in a large pan until lightly browned. Add the onion, carrots, lentils, orange juice, stock and seasoning. Then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft. Transfer to a food processor in batches and process until smooth. Return to the pan then gently reheat, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle into individual serving bowls, swirl the yogurt over and sprinkle with the chopped coriander leaves and paprika. Serve immediately. WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 27
Green fingers
Winter work to warm you up VISITORS TO the National Botanic Gardens often say “I’d LOVE your job”or “you must really enjoy your work.” Thing is, me and my work colleagues have noticed that people only seem to express these opinions in pleasant weather.
Mulches are loose coverings – usually organic material like wellrotted manure, leaf mould or garden compost – placed on the soil surface. Besides achieving a neater appearance to beds, mulching helps soil moisture retention. It also suppresses weeds, improves soil texture and encourages beneficial soil organisms.
Winter pruning invigorates trees and shrubs as it leaves the plants with extra energy reserves to support new growth in the following spring. Wellpruned plants will produce more fruit and flowers and pruning also helps to ward off pests and disease.
Botanics
Remove dead or dying branches. Where two branches are crossing (and perhaps rubbing together) remove the weaker of the two. If growth has become very dense, thin out branches and stems to allow sunlight and air to circulate to the centre of the tree or shrub.
In the Botanic Gardens we mostly use well-rotted manure (from Dublin Zoo) and our own leaf mould in late winter and early spring. Mulches should be applied to wet soil because a dry soil will remain dry underneath it. They should not be used on snow or frost-covered soil. And, of course, the area needs to be weedfree before mulching. To be effective, your covering of mulch should be at least five centimetres thick and whole beds can be covered, taking care not to smother low growing plants. There is no need to remove mulches to apply a fertiliser as these will be washed down to the roots by the rain.
Pots of Heuchara.
I can’t recall anybody approaching me on a cold, frosty morning to express their envy of my career choice, while I rake large piles of fallen leaves or shovel enormous mounds of steaming manure! But, unappealing as they may appear, those winter jobs are very important in laying the ground work for the following gardening year. And, yes, it’s time to get mulching, pruning and dividing again.
“Winter pruning invigorates trees and shrubs as it leaves the plants with extra energy reserves to support new growth in the following spring. Well-pruned plants will produce more fruit and flowers and pruning also helps to ward off pests and disease.” Garden centres stock non-biodegradable materials, which are ideal to use when making a new bed. Slits can be neatly cut into the fabric to plant through. These fabric sheets will not boost soil fertility or structure, but they do suppress weeds and conserve moisture – a big advantage in the oncoming times of water charges. The newly planted beds can then be camouflaged with gravel or bark.
When removing a branch, cut close to the branch collar; the folds of bark where the branch and trunk meet. You need to be careful not to cut into the collar and also be sure to not leave a stub of a branch. Besides this being unsightly, it can also harbour pests and disease. Never, ever attempt to prune out-of-reach branches or those which can’t be done with aerial pruners from the ground. Don’t go climbing ladders as my brother in law recently did. He very luckily escaped with just bruised ribs and a broken toe when he fell to the ground!
Hostas
easily pulled apart. Tougher ones like day lilies can be split apart using two garden forks. Place them back to back and insert into the centre, levering and loosening the roots to break it into smaller plants. Then plant up the divisions as soon as possible and water them in well. Alternatively, pot up the individual small plants to build up size and vigour for planting the following spring. There will undoubtedly be some left over, so share them around. These winter jobs will definitely help reduce the necessity for extra work next year. And, as well as improving the garden’s appearance, they’ll help keep the gardener warm! O
Lifting and dividing Most herbaceous perennials will benefit from division every three or four years, especially when they have formed large clumps and the centre of the plant has become bare. Perennials that can be divided include geraniums, hostas, asters, euphorbias and most ornamental grasses. First, dig up the entire clump with a spade or fork and shake off any excess soil so that the roots are more visible. Some plants, such as heucheras and epimediums, are quite
Photos by dreamstime.com
ITA PATTEN takes on some of those essential winter jobs.
Photos by dreamstime.com
Pruning Winter is an opportune time to survey your deciduous trees and shrubs, as the bare stems quickly expose damage and disease and other things that need attention. As most woody plants are dormant in winter, this is the ideal time to prune them. X
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Ita Patton is a craft gardener in the National Botanic Gardens O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
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At the movies
From dazzling style to slash ‘n’ gore MORGAN O’BRIEN charts the rise and rise of the horror genre. HALLOWEEN IS the ideal Nosferatu time to dust off some classic horror films to infuse the season with that extra frisson of terror. The horror genre has a lengthy and varied back catalogue from 1920s German expressionism, through Universal’s golden age of 1930s classics, to the psychological horror of the 1960s and 1970s. Then George A Romero single-handedly crafted the zombie template, before the rise of slasher and exploitation flicks in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, Wes Craven, who had already made his mark with The Last House on the Left (1972), The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) essayed a postmodern view of horror movies in 1997’s Scream. The film both paid homage to – and picked apart – the genre’s formulaic structures and standard archetypes in ways similar to Joss Whedon’s more recent Cabin in the Woods (2012). The slew of remakes ushered onto our screens in the interim is indicative of the relative lack of invention in contemporary horror that Craven played on. Equally, others, after promising starts such as Saw, suffered from increasingly diminishing returns as they spooled out as long running series.
In the late 1950s, Britain’s Hammer studios followed the Universal template with a series of classic horrors including The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy. The studio briefly carved out a niche in producing commercially successful fare with director Terence Fisher and stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee at its core. Its success waned in the 1970s, but Hammer has been revived in the last decade and was responsible for the atmospheric chiller The Woman in Black (2012). Psycho
Equally, the Universal series of oft-replicated gothic horrors like Dracula, Frankenstein, and Bride of Frankenstein remain thrillingly darkly textured stories, while Tod Browning’s near career-ending Freaks (1932) still has the power to shock. 30
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Censors
In the latter instance, comic horror has also developed as a significant element within the form from Mel Brooks’ knowing comedy Young Frankenstein to the more blood-soaked slapstick of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series.
“Films that carry the air of menace and suspense linger longest, rather than those relying on pure violence. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while deceptively low on explicit gore, remains terrifyingly nightmarish, while Halloween, equally less bloody by contemporary standards, is creepily thrilling.” It’s often the films that carry the air of menace and suspense that linger longest, rather than those relying on pure violence. For example, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while deceptively low on explicit gore, remains terrifyingly nightmarish, while John Carpenter’s Halloween, equally less bloody by contemporary standards, is creepily thrilling. Such works, which established staple formulas in the genre, are often imitated but rarely bettered l
horrors like The Shining, Don’t Look Now and The Exorcist. Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby were infused with more tautly constructed terror and contemporary everyday backdrops.
Daring Looking back, films from the 1920s and 1930s are unlikely to terrify modern audiences. But the still daringly stylistic The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) and the haunting shadows of Nosferatu (1922) carry an atmosphere of lingering suspense.
From the 1960s, the horror genre successfully expanded, moving beyond its rich gothic tradition of monsters and ghouls with early slasher films like Peeping Tom and Psycho and psychological
George A Romero’s Living Dead series of zombie movies has made a significant mark in creating recognisable tropes of the subgenre and using the horror film to tackle a range of social issues. More recent offerings such as 24 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead riff on the zombie format.
The Shining
Coming up Gone Girl
(3rd October) The ever-reliable David Fincher directs an adaptation of the successful novel with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike starring. Given the popularity of the novel an altered structure has been mooted.
’71 (10th October) Well received at the Berlin Film Festival, Jack O’Connell stars in an historical drama about a British solider separated from his unit in Belfast during the Troubles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (17th October) Michael Bay will no doubt bring to bear his own brand of unsubtle direction in this update of the classic comic book and cartoon adventurers. Love, Rosie (24th October) Lilly Collins and Sam Claffin star in this adaptation of Cecilia Ahern’s novel Where Rainbows End, which follows the relationship between childhood friends. The Interview (31st October) Already the subject of ire in North Korea, Seth Rogen and James Franco star in this comedy about two journalists tasked with assassinating Kim Jong-Un. Interstellar (7th November) Director Christopher Nolan marshals an ensemble cast, featuring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, in this drama about a space expedition through a wormhole.
The Drop (14th November) Crime drama based on a novel by Denis Lehane. Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and the late James Gandolfini star in a film about a robbery that goes wrong. Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I (21st November) Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen in the hugely successful franchise. As ever with these things the final book in Suzanne Collins’ series has been split into two parts.
Halloween
The loosening of censorship codes led to the growth of increasingly bloody horror with Herschell Gordon Lewis paving the way in the United States with low budget gorefests. Meanwhile in Italy the films of Mario Bava and Dario Argento would have a significant impact on the development of the slasher genre and the increased visceral quality of horror from the 1970s onwards. ‰
Monsters: Dark Continent (28th November) The success of 2010’s modestly budgeted Monsters led director Gareth Edwards to helm this year’s Godzilla reboot. This sequel picks up with the US army battling to contain the monsters, with, so far, broader plot details being kept largely secret.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 31
Play it loud
Playing the long game RAYMOND CONNOLLY wonders why some gain classic status while others just fade away.
A RANDOM expert once told me over a pint of Guinness that “only the great die young,” a philosophy based on his unhealthy obsession with James Dean. I naturally challenged his theory with two words. Mandela and Nelson (though not necessarily in that order). Luckily for both of us the conversation ground to a sudden halt. This column is (repeatedly – editor) on record as pronouncing The Who as the greatest act of all time. This will continue regardless of the opposition. Longevity and The Who are curious bedfellows given that 50% of the band has passed away. However, in recognition of reaching a landmark 50 years on the road, the remaining Messrs Daltry and Townshend are embarking on one last tour. One of the many aspects of Who greatness is that, despite their 50 year existence, they recognised that they were clapped-out as a record-making force after the first 13. So, an occasional get together to roll back the years in live performance is all good stuff with me. Contrast with U2. I recall a 1982 interview with BP Fallon, where Bono (they deserve each other) boldly proclaimed that they would never become “boring old farts.” For young feted rock stars this is an irresistible hostage to fortune and, what comes around goes around.
Atrocious U2’s new free Apple download album has been said to recapture old glories. It is indeed of a similar atrocious standard as their ancient fare. If ever a supporting argument was required for the fact that longevity doesn’t translate to musical greatness, ‰
this is it. And it’s certainly sad to see Apple sell out to The Man with this corporate cuddle-up. But back to longevity itself. American artist Beatrice Wood said she owed hers to “chocolate and young men.” I don’t recall having seen Ms Wood at an IMPACT conference, where such a comment would certainly – and correctly – herald a ‘green form’ incident.
Bono boldly proclaimed that U2 would never become “boring old farts.” For young feted rock stars this is an irresistible hostage to fortune. In the rock world, it’s often the short-careered artists who, by popular or journalistic acclaim, gain the stature of greatness. When The Smiths burst onto the scene, I couldn’t help but think of a family a few doors down in my native Finglas. Like the band, my neighbours were indeed way ahead of their time. As a boy, Christmas was a time to enjoy the sight of new bicycles pounding up and down the street. Then, one particular year the Smiths unveiled a horse in the front garden, long before the humble nag became de rigueur as an alternative means of transport in Dublin 11.
As for their cousins Morrissey and Marr, only four (admittedly rather good) studio albums were enough to achieve sonic sainthood. Morrissey once said of a mooted Smiths reunion that “I would rather eat my own testicles.” Heartfelt no doubt, but an excruciating dilemma for such an ardent vegetarian. The glossaries of ‘great bands with short lifespan’ generally reach similar conclusions. Typically Joy Division gets a plug. I’m not convinced, but IMPACT’s communications cadre seems to like them so, in the interests of continuing my highly rewarded contribution to this column, I will take the integrityhit. But I refuse to take a single backward step on the subject of Nirvana or The Stone Roses, both of whom could supplement The Oxford English dictionary definition of over-rated. And what of poor old Frankie Goes to Hollywood? A ruthless assault of the pop charts from 1983 to 1985 saw Frankie flush out three of the highest selling pop songs of all time. Yet nobody talks about them today. Plenty of time to Relax! Middle age is the time when you finally get your head together only to see your body falling apart. That probably explains why Townsend and Daltry consume PG Tips and Earl Grey on stage these days. It’s great that we still get a chance to see these genuine legends. It’s even better that they have the discretion to spare us from any new albums. Now that’s what I call growing old gracefully l (From page 46.)
Photo: gettyimages.ie
Easy 2 1 3 5 7 4 8 6 9
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1.
Ideal World by The Christians (1987) “But fools never change,” so we’re off.
2.
Radio Africa by Latin Quarter (1985) “We’re hearing only bad news,” so we’re off ‘n’ all.
3.
Too Nice To Talk To by The Beat (1981) I didn’t realise they’d written a song about me.
4.
The First Picture Of You by The Lotus Eaters (1983) Absolute classic. Alas the camera ran out of film.
5
Neighbourhood by Space (1996) “In 666 there lives a Mr Miller he’s a local vicar and a serial killer.” Brilliant!
Sainthood
Autumn-Winter 2014 solutions
32
If only they’d stayed a bit longer
4 7 9 6 8 2 3 1 5
Difficult 6 5 8 9 1 3 2 4 7
8 2 1 4 3 7 9 5 6
9 4 5 2 6 1 7 3 8
3 6 7 8 5 9 1 2 4
5 3 2 7 9 6 4 8 1
7 8 4 1 2 5 6 9 3
1 9 6 3 4 8 5 7 2
1 5 4 8 2 3 7 9 6
3 7 6 9 1 5 8 2 4
2 9 8 6 4 7 3 5 1
4 1 2 5 3 9 6 7 8
5 3 7 1 6 8 9 4 2
6 8 9 2 7 4 1 3 5
7 6 1 3 5 2 4 8 9
8 2 3 4 9 1 5 6 7
9 4 5 7 8 6 2 1 3
The Christians
Should have hung up the boots 1
My Oh My by Slade (1983) Great band. Terrible song. Noddy was better off in The Grimleys.
2
Get On Your Boots by U2 (2009) Hang up your boots. In the national interest.
3
In The Army Now by Status Quo (1986) Take note. They retire at 50.
4.
Rough Justice by The Rolling Stones (2005) Gimme shelter!
5.
Chain Reaction by Diana Ross (1985) From Motown great to busted flush.
Summer-Autumn 2014 Crossword Solutions
Diana Ross
See page 46 for the competition winners from Issue 26.
ACROSS: 1. Magic 5/9. Claus Santa 8. Hosanna 10. Usual 11. Renders 14. Yield 17. Essay 20. Mystery 21. Swap 22. Rope 23. Implosive 24. Blogs 27. Alarm 30. Unaided 32. Cuffs 33. Atoll 34. Avowing 35. Siren 36. Elegy DOWN: 1. Mushy 2/4. Gonne Maud 3. Chard 5. Cause 6. Abuts 7. Sally 12. Nostalgia 13. Engrossed 15. Inkwell 16. Limping 18. Surreal 19. Adaptor 24. Backs 25. Offer 26. Susan 27. Adage 28. Above 29. Molly 31. Iowa WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 33
Travel and trips Kazan Cathedral
Dostoyevsky, Gogol, you name them – the city has statues and museums to beat the band.
While Russians aren’t an outwardly friendly bunch, Saint Petersburg was far more relaxed than the Moscow I visited 12 years ago. The Dostoyevsky House is really a place of pilgrimage rather than a museum. It disappointed, comparing badly with, say, Dublin’s James Joyce Centre. But I was amazed to find a young woman crying bitterly at the great man’s grave in Tikhvin cemetery next to the lovely Alexander Nevsky monastery just outside the city centre. She may just have split up with her boyfriend or seen her puppy put down, but Molly assured me that hundreds of people gather at the national poet Pushkin’s statue on his birthday with “about 20% of them in tears.”
Stuck around Saint Petersburg
and the impressionists. The must-see Matisse’s had been moved to the adjacent and architecturally-impressive General Staff Building, which meant paying extra. But well worth it for Dance alone.
BERNARD HARBOR kept the faith – sacred and secular – in Russia’s second city.
Slavic soul
IN SOVIET times Kazan cathedral was turned into a museum of atheism. These days there are more pilgrims than tourists within the Saint Petersburg landmark’s subdued but impressive interior.
Photos: dreamstime.com
As the sun shines from under the dome onto massive pink granite columns, the cathedral’s faithful queue patiently to kiss the supposedly miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan. The choir sings beautifully in response to the priest. It’s a museum to the futility of ‘banning’ faith. I was back for a second visit as a four-day trip to my Russianstudying daughter Molly drew to a close. The cathedral on Nevsky Prospect, downtown Saint Petersburg’s main drag, seemed to reveal something about what makes this taciturn city tick. Founded by Peter the Great in the early eighteenth century, and modelled on Amsterdam’s canal grid (which makes for easy navigation) today’s Petrograd is, on the face of it, a modern European city like many others. Indeed, the one self34
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consciously Russian landmark, the superbly-named Cathedral on the Spilled Blood, looks slightly out of place in this largely baroque and neo-classical town.
Eerie But there’s something in the blood that sets it apart, particularly during June and July’s slightly eerie ‘white nights,’ when the sun never really sets. On day one I headed straight for the world-famous Hermitage museum, which boasts one of the largest and most magnificent art collections on the planet. You enter the Winter Palace, the core of the complex, through Palace Square. It’s the same route the Bolsheviks took when they stormed the place during the August 1917 coup, which ousted the provisional government that had been running the country after the Czar ceded power earlier that year. The Romanovs certainly knew how to live and the revolutionaries must have been awed by the magnificence of the Jordan staircase, the Pavilion hall and a host of opulent splendours. These days people come for the pictures. But be warned. It’s said that you’d need 11 years to view them all. I concentrated on the 19th-20th century European collection, which includes top notch works by Cezanne, Gauguin, Picasso ‰
os Tomb of D
Look out for four works by Kees Van Dongen, including the magnificent Lucy and her Dancing Partner. You must see Leonardo’s Madonna Litta and Rembrandt’s Abraham’s Sacrifice. And try not to miss Rueben’s Bacchus or Michelangelo’s Crouching Boy. I did.
There are virtually no Russian paintings in the Hermitage and art lovers must also devote a large half-day (at least) to the Russian Museum, where you’ll find out far more about the country you’re visiting. Again, the modern works triumph. Kandinsky, Chagall and Malevich are the most famous, but I also loved Natalia Goncharova. Check out Winter and Cyclist.
Cathedra Spilled B l of the lood
A young woman cried bitterly at Dostoyevsky’s grave. She may have split up with her boyfriend or seen her puppy put down. But hundreds of people gather at the national poet Pushkin’ statue on his birthday, 20% of them in tears. The museum also has a couple of fantastic portraits of Saint Petersburg poet Anna Akhmoatova, most famous for Requiem, her powerful work on the Stalinist terror. It’s arguably the written word that we most associate with the famous Slavic soul. Pushkin,
toyevsky
Brilliant ballet The small and beautiful cemetery has many famous graves. Among others, we’d gone to pay homage to Tchaikovsky in advance of the centrepiece of the trip – Swan Lake at the historic Mariinsky theatre. This is one of the world’s premier venues for opera and ballet and, with its magnificent stage, royal box and ceiling, you almost expect to see Anna Karenina and Captain Vronsky in the box opposite. The performance – part of the White Nights Festival – really was exceptional. The downside is that, like everything here, it’s far more expensive for tourists than locals. The ticket price on the official website was prohibitive but, because Molly was living in town, we were able to get reasonably priced tickets locally. Apparently you can be refused entrance with these if you’re not a local, which made for a few nervous moments as we entered the theatre.
Swan La
ke
A general warning is in order; this isn’t a cheap destination. The lack of direct flights from Ireland makes travel expensive and the price and palaver of getting a visa (set aside plenty of time and patience, and read the directions carefully) is, frankly, off-putting. contined on page 36 ‰
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 35
International
Travel and trips
On the plus side, it’s a relatively easy-going place. You can just about get by in English (though, happily, I was being minded by a Russian speaker) and there are lots of good restaurants. I’d recommend the hip Jack & Chan (7 Inzhenernaya Ulitsa), the more-expensive Mamaliga at the back of Kazan cathedral for excellent Georgian food, or the relaxed Zoom (cafezoom.ru) for Russian-style specialities at reasonable prices. Some of the tourist advice is laced with dire warnings, but I found it no more or less touristhazardous than most cities. Sensible precautions will keep you and your belongings safe and, while Russians aren’t an outwardly friendly bunch, Saint Petersburg was far more relaxed than the Moscow I visited 12 years ago.
Soviet past
Cy cli s t by Natal ia
The city has a seemingly sensible relationGoncharo va ship with an often painful past. The 900day wartime siege and subsequent victory over Nazi forces are marked with period socialist-realist land-
marks, while some impressive metro stations testify to the notion of ‘art for the people.’ The train that brought Lenin from Finland to lead the Bolsheviks and the gunship Aurora, which fired the (blank) starting gun for the 1917 revolution, remain in place as genuine and unfussy historical artefacts.
ora The Aur
The museum of political history, in the fantastic Art Nouveau Kshesinskaya mansion – worth a visit in its own right – turned out be a surprising highlight of the trip. Lenin’s office and the balcony from which he famously fired up the comrades are the big draws. But the political exhibition, which takes you from prerevolutionary to post-Communist times, is steadily balanced and factual. For the English speaker, it’s also the best curated place we visited.
Needless to say, its people-centred stories from the Gulag and the ideologically-precipitated famines of the 1930s and 1940s are harrowing. But, like the Orthodox Church, the Bolshevik revolution and its aftermath are part of what makes Russia what it is. Let’s be grateful that the Kshesinskaya mansion wasn’t turned into a Museum of AntiBolshevism l
Arab workers need solidarity SIOBHÁN CURRAN says trade unions need to be more vocal on human rights in the Arab world. TWO YEARS ago I was among the 700 delegates at IMPACT’s biennial conference where we first heard motions calling for solidarity with the beleaguered people of Syria. What began in March 2011 as peaceful protests against the Syrian Government quickly escalated into what the UN today calls the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era. Syria has suffered. Some 200,000 dead, three million refugees scattered around many countries, and another three million displaced within its borders. The instability of the entire Arab world is becoming more and more serious. The summer was dominated by news from Ukraine and Gaza and Irish trade unions have rightly been very vocal on the Palestinian issue. It was great to see so many members taking to the streets to condemn the Israeli attacks on Gaza. But in the meantime, a serious, long-term threat is developing with the emergence of what is now called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. Fundamentalist and sectarian in nature, it has no tolerance for difference or rights, be it trade union rights, human rights, the rights of women or religious rights. Despite this, the group would not be able to function if it was not receiving support. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) recently condemned Gulf state monarchies for providing IS with logistical and financial support. They are also receiving support from some communities in Iraq as well as transient foreign jihadists.
Terrifying Following unwarranted military, economic and political intervention by international powers, the region has descended into chaos and fundamentalism is filling the spaces created. Workers are severely at risk in such a situation. 36
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Photo: gettyimages.ie
Once you’re there, food, drink and shopping are at the higher end of the city-break price range. Accommodation isn’t much better, though entrance to museums and sites is not so bad. Don’t travel any distance by cab without agreeing a price first – we got seriously stung coming in from the airport.
A Syrian woman holding a child weeps as Syrians fleeing from clashes between the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militants
ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow says that, while workers in Iraq have tried to build genuine trade unions since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, they have been hampered by repression and restrictive legislation. “They are now facing a terrifying situation of an upsurge in extremely violent conflict. The international trade union community is urging a peaceful political approach in order to protect Iraqi workers and their families from sectarianism, discrimination and terror,” she says. As well as the possibility of extreme violence and intimidation, the young people of the Arab world also face a future where labour standards are shamefully low, economic activity is depressed and unemployment is extremely high. The promise of the Arab spring has not been realised, and many Arab peoples lie between the reality of authoritarian dictatorship and fundamentalist religious oppression.
Missing In late August, two human rights investigators went missing in Qatar. As Work & Life has documented before, the Gulf state is shamefully using a system of modern slavery to build the stadiums it needs to host the 2022 soccer world cup. With migrant workers in Iraq being kidnapped (along with journalists and aid workers) by IS, the safety of workers and their families continues to be compromised. Trade unions need to be more vocal against IS and similar groups, as well as the foreign interventions that have helped create the conditions where these groups flourish. The embattled trade unions of the region are non-sectarian and best placed to uphold the rights of the communities that they represent. They need our practical support. Last year IMPACT’s developing world fund gave €100,000 to support Concern’s work with Syrian refugees l WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 37
From the author decaying and slightly menacing place, but Eve is determined to make this new life work. Teaming up with an interfering lodger and a group of local mums, she sets about making the playground the heart of the community. The novel takes a dark turn when a terrible accident is blamed on her. Eve must forge her independence, and realise that the playground is not a place to hide from adulthood. Julia says she’s uncomfortable talking about what the book is about. “I spoke to my brother [musician Nick Kelly] about this and his theory – though he would relate it to music – is that other people will tell you what the book is about. It will be years later that you realise what it is you were trying to say. I have a sense of what I was trying to say, but it’s hard, or maybe too early, to define it exactly,” she says.
Fictional
Photo: Conor Healy
Her starting point was when she submitted a manuscript about a teacher who goes to California. “But I was writing about a place I didn’t know terribly well and deep down I just knew it wasn’t working. While I was coming to terms with all that I began to think about the playground near where I live, and the people I met there, because I spent a lot of time there.”
Trust your instincts JULIA KELLY was the first writer profiled in Work & Life when her first novel was published in 2008. We recently caught up with her to talk about her latest book. 38
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“I’M SHY by nature, so the part where you have to go out and meet people and talk about the book is the bit I find terrifying,” says Julie Kelly. She had a breakthrough success with her first novel, With My Lazy Eye, which won a clutch of awards and glowing reviews on its publication in 2008. I caught up with her a couple of weeks before the launch of her second book, The Playground, and she confessed to being nervous and a little apprehensive about publicising the work. The novel’s about a woman called Eve who’s putting her life back together again. Her partner has walked out on her. She’s moved into a tiny flat with her baby daughter on the outskirts of Dublin. She has no job. A local playground is a tired, ‰
So while the setting and characters are inspired by her immediate environment, the events of the book are entirely fictional.
and I quite enjoy it. So my confidence has grown and I feel much more able to trust my own instincts. I’m still very selfcritical but this novel feels much more me, just trusting what works and what doesn’t.” She believes that you have to have a passion for what you’re writing about. “You have to be preoccupied by it, to be completely immersed. It becomes kind of obsessive.” And Kelly says the characters took up residency in her head while the book was being written. “I love the idea of writing about what goes on behind closed doors. This book is set around a square, all these people live facing one another. You have that outward stillness of a residential neighbourhood, but I’m intrigued by the hive of activity beyond that and those bursts of activity as they all interact. It’s also quite dark. Somebody told me they felt as though a lot of it takes place at night”.
Kelly’s gift is to evoke time and place and location with a level of intimate detail that brings the story alive. The book evokes the gloaming light of late autumn and the sense of decay that hangs around the edges of an old seaside town.
Does she worry that people could identify themselves in her writing? “Sometimes I wish I wrote science fiction or something like that because the last thing I want to do is upset anyone if they thought I wrote about them in a particular way. A couple of close friends live in Northern Ireland and delight in telling stories and I find I’m drawn in completely. Not by the actual stories but in the tiny little details of how they relate to each other, their body language, things like that. All the characters are fictional but I want to get all of the little details absolutely right and as accurate as possible, so I do draw upon those little details,” she explains. The only person in the novel who’s completely based on a real person is based on Kelly’s mother, who passed away in 2012. “I suppose I wanted to be able to say goodbye to her and pay tribute to her too because she was such a brilliant character,” she says.
Broadened Does she feel that the borders of her fictional world have broadened with two novels under her belt? “At the time of my first novel I was reluctant to think of it as autobiographical, but then I suppose most first novels are and I can see that now. “I remember being very nervous about writing dialogue but I feel much more at home with that now
The book does evoke the gloaming light of late autumn and the sense of decay that hangs around the edges of an old seaside town. Kelly’s gift as a novelist is to evoke time and place and location with a level of intimate detail that brings the story alive.
She was also influenced by the experience of becoming a mother. “People are constantly offering unsolicited advice about raising children. The advice is often conflicting and mothers of young children are so sensitive to criticism. At the same time you want to protect your child from everything, and part of the experience of being a parent is realising you can’t do that.
That’s what the book is partly about; a woman who comes through that after a trauma in her life, who grows and learns to trust her own instincts.” As if confirming the trust she has found in her instincts as a writer, on the night the book is launched, Julia receives the good news that The Playground is already due for its second print run. Interview by Niall Shanahan l
Win a copy Quercus Publishing has given us two copies of The Playground to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, send the answer to this question to: Book competition, Work & Life magazine, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. Make sure it reaches us before Friday 28th November 2014. What was Julia Kelly’s first novel called? Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will not be considered.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 39
Union business
PUBLIC PAY RECOVERY MOOTED
Rent controls
IN BRIEF
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE minister Brendan Howlin has said there will be negotiations next year on the start of public service pay and pension restoration. But he warned that the pay cuts of recent years would not be restored all at once.
THE GOVERNMENT should introduce rent controls as an emergency measure to deal with a growing housing and homelessness crisis, according to IMPACT.
Tax warning
Shay Cody
The ‘FEMPI’ (Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) legislation was introduced by the last Government, which imposed the socalled ‘pension levy’ in 2009 plus cuts to pay rates in 2010 and cuts to pensions in 2011. FEMPI was also used
“Next year we certainly will have to engage with the unions on the orderly winding down of FEMPI, who should benefit first, and how that should be done over time. It is not going to be a big bang, because that would undo all the good work we have done over three years. There has to be an orderly wind-down as opposed to a sudden ending,” Mr Howlin said. IMPACT had already indicated that it would seek talks on pay restoration once the Government met its 3% deficit target. This is expected to happen next year. There has been no formal approach to IMPACT or other unions at this stage. Unions are expected to consult with each other over negotiating priorities over the coming weeks. IMPACT said the minister’s comments were encouraging and said pay must move as the economy comes out of recession. The union’s general secretary Shay Cody said wage recovery was essential to improve reduced living standards and encourage domestic spending, which would create more jobs.
Overpaid consultants dispute rolls on
Staff are refusing to report to, or cooperate with, the manager in an action supported in a ballot by 90% of the IMPACT members in Ennis general hospital, Limerick regional hospital, Limerick maternity hospital, Croom orthopaedic hospital and Nenagh general hospital. IMPACT assistant general secretary Andy Pike said the action was designed to highlight the opposition of hospital staff to the excessive and unwarranted salary payments being made through a management consultancy. “The HSE director general has said the mid-west hospital group needs additional
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“There is an urgent need for the Government to intervene in the housing market. In the short-term that must include greater security for private tenants, with rent increases linked to the consumer price index. In the medium and long-term it requires a massive investment in sustainable social housing,” said Kevin.
THE IRISH Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has warned that any tax cuts in the forthcoming budget would be funded by reduced public spending or increased taxes elsewhere. Its pre-budget submission said tax reform should instead come in the form of refundable tax credits, which would create jobs and make the tax system fairer. ICTU also called for a wealth tax, increased employers’ PRSI on high incomes, reform of capital acquisitions tax, and higher duties on tobacco, sugar, salt, saturated fat and online betting.
Father Peter McVerry said increased rents were now the main cause of homelessness. “The rent supplement, at least in urban areas where most homeless people are to be found, is totally inadequate,” he said.
Action over
Speaking at a conference hosted by the union’s Boards and Voluntary Agencies branch in September, IMPACT deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan said rapid rent increases were making housing unaffordable. Rents in Dublin have soared by over 10% in the last year.
Liz Clarke from Dublin Simon Communities spoke.
He said the homelessness crisis will worsen because rising house prices will trigger repossessions of tens of thousands of homes in mortgage arrears. Already, the shortage of social housing in Dublin meant private rented housing is “virtually closed as an exit from homelessness,” he said.
Photo by Kieran Clancy.
Tánaiste Joan Burton told the meeting that the Government would publish a new housing strategy with the October budget. This is expected to make commitments to build more social housing and reactivate existing stock. “We are setting in train a construction programme to triple the number of houses built to 25,000 by 2020,” she said.
IMPACT MEMBERS working in the Limerick group hospitals are maintaining industrial action in protest at the chief operations manager’s €250,000 salary, which is being paid through a management consultancy firm. The union has been corresponding with the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which has questioned HSE bosses about the scandal. The matter was also the subject of a Labour Relations Commission hearing over the summer.
Photo by Conor Healy.
IMPACT welcomed Howlin’s statement, which came two months after the union outlined its priorities for pay restoration in the public, private and community sectors at its delegate conference last May. The minister said he wanted talks with unions on the “unravelling” of pay cuts introduced under emergency legislation since 2009.
last summer to underpin temporary pay reductions under the Haddington Road agreement.
administration staff to provide vital services to patients. The money spent employing just one management consultant would cover the costs of at least five clerical staff to help the hospitals cope with increasing demands.
IR bodies in shake-up The Workplace Relations Bill, which was finally published at the end of July, will give statutory force to Government plans to reform the state’s official industrial relations structures. The move, which has been largely welcomed by trade unions, will see just two bodies – a new Workplace Relations Commission and a strengthened Labour Court – replace five existing authorities. The bodies set to be merged into the new structure are the Labour Relations Commission, the National Employment Rights Authority, the Equality Tribunal, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court. The new arrangements are designed to reduce delays and simplify the system, while making it easier to use and understand. Complaints and appeals currently being dealt with by employment appeals tribunals will remain in the EAT process.
Water talks LOCAL TALKS over annual service plans for water provision are taking place between unions and management. Each local authority must produce an annual service plan under its Irish Water service level agreement, which guarantees that staff in local authorities will continue to provide water services. As part of a wider set of commitments over the establishment of Irish Water, IMPACT won agreement that unions would be involved in the service plan process, which will determine staffing levels. IMPACT national secretary Eamonn Donnelly said the unions and management had agreed at national level that 2014 staffing levels would be the starting point for discussions on annual service plans. “We do not intend to allow local management or the department to move off that position,” he said.
IMPACT MEMBERS at South Dublin County Council have ended their industrial action after the union accepted proposals to resolve the dispute over management’s unilateral withdrawal of acting payments. IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said the union’s objectives had been met. “We sought the restoration of the payments cut from staff in April, as well as an independent review of the council’s staffing structure,” he said.
Enable staff win STAFF IN Enable Ireland are to get the protections of the Haddington Road agreement (HRA) after IMPACT successfully took a case to the Labour Relations Commission. The outcome is significant because Enable Ireland is a ‘section 39’ agency that receives HSE funding, but whose staff are not directly employed as public servants. The union took the case after management tried to impose HRA pay cuts and increased hours, without the deal’s protections on compulsory redundancies, redeployment and other issues.
Sickness soars OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS has soared since 2008 according to new Health and Safety Authority (HSA) figures. Over 50,200 people were absent from work for one or more days due to work-related illness in 2012, a 20% increase over 2008. The number of absences for four or more days increased by a massive 60% in the same period. The agency also reported 47 workrelated fatalities and 6,598 accidents last year, both slightly below the rolling fiveyear average of 48 and 6,988 respectively.
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HSE admin staff levels
Union business
Ag group formed A WORKING group has been established by the Labour Relations Commission to determine the duties that can be allocated to agriculture department technical staff. IMPACT sees the establishment of the group, whose findings will be binding on both sides, as a significant step in formalising agricultural technician roles. The union nominated its former general secretary Peter McLoone to the group, which is to report by October.
Employer snubs court THE ALZHEIMER Society of Ireland has refused to implement a Labour Court recommendation that four of its regional managers should get decent redundancy packages. IMPACT official Ashley Connolly said a claim on behalf of the workers, and attempts to engage in a Labour Relations Commission conciliation process, had also been snubbed. She said the staff had been let go after being forced to reapply for positions within the organisation, despite being told that redeployment options would be made available. “The terms recommended by the Court are not onerous and the society’s accounts show they are able to pay,” she said.
Rights law in 2014 NEW BUSINESS and employment minister Ged Nash says he wants new legislation on collective bargaining rights “enacted by the end of this year.” He said a bill was currently being prepared to “significantly strengthen the rights of workers in companies that refuse to engage in collective bargaining, while strengthening statutory protection to guard against the victimisation of workers in such companies.” See interview on page 10.
Tulsa admin review A REVIEW of clerical and administrative structures in Tusla, the child and family agency, is now underway. IMPACT has pushed hard for the exercise, which is expected to examine staffing levels, including shortfalls and disparities between different areas. It will also look at the roles and responsibilities of clerical and admin staff. A small number of pilot exercises are being carried out and IMPACT has organised information meetings in pilot areas.
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Jobs growth safety risk IMPACT HAS criticised the continuing fall in the number of health and safety inspections after the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said less than 12,250 took place last year. This compares to over 13,000 in 2012 and over 16,000 five years ago. The union says the decline in safety inspections, which is due to falling staff numbers in the agency, could put lives at risk as the number of people at work – particularly in harzardous sectors like construction – continues to grow. IMPACT official Geraldine O’Brien said three front-line inspectors have been redeployed from the HSA over the last 12 months, which could result in over 900 fewer inspections. “What’s more, a further five front-line inspection posts have been earmarked for future redeployment to meet official staffing reduction targets. Meanwhile, the number of people working in often hazardous workplaces continues to grow,” she said.
Health bureaucrat myth busted
In their introduction to the HSA’s annual report, its chair Michael Horgan and chief executive Martin O’Halloran echoed the union’s concerns saying welcome employment growth “may be accompanied by an unwelcome rise in the rate of people being killed and injured in workplace accidents.” The HSA’s budget fell 27% between 2009 and 2014. Last year saw both the president of the National Irish Safety Organisation Pauric Corrigan and HSA chairman Michael Horgan warn that continuing staff losses could lead to a reduction in standards and an increase in workplace injuries and costs.
UHI plans in doubt
Photo: dreamstime.com
IN BRIEF
A new IMPACT report finds that as few as 2% of health workers are in non-front line clerical, admin and management roles. BERNARD HARBOR reports.
The future of Government plans to introduce universal health insurance (UHI) have been thrown into doubt after two senior ministers expressed concerns over the proposals championed by former health minister James Reilly.
AS FEW as 2% of all health service staff work in non-front line clerical, administrative and management roles, according to a briefing paper published by IMPACT over the summer.
Incoming health minister Leo Varadkar has said the planned date for the introduction of UHI was “too ambitious,” while incoming Tánaiste Joan Burton has also urged caution over the proposal. She said the Dutch system, on which Doctor Reilly’s plans were modelled, took years to put in place and was more expensive than expected.
The report, Health service clerical, administrative and management staffing levels, shows that clerical, administrative and management staff make up just 15.5% of total health service personnel – down from 16% in July 2009.
Mr Varadkar said the proposed timetable for rolling out UHI would not now be met and refused to give a firm deadline for its introduction. IMPACT has been spearheading a campaign against the current UHI proposals, which the union says will create more inequality in access to health services while costing hard-pressed families far too much. Earlier in the summer, IMPACT warned UHI could cost a family of four as much as €3,600 a year. Speaking at the MacGill summer school in Donegal, the union’s national secretary Louise O’Donnell said the biggest UHI burden would fall on families that currently have no health insurance and no medical card. “It’s safe to assume that most people in this category, which could be said to typify the so-called ‘squeezed middle,’ simply cannot afford private health insurance,” she said. The union has dismissed a health department consultation on the proposal as a “sham” because it did not allow consideration of any approach except the ‘competing insurers’ model favoured by former minister Reilly. The union wants the Government to look at models from France, Germany and the Nordic countries where there is equality of access to high quality, well-funded and efficient health services. IMPACT and other health unions have commissioned research into UHI and the alternatives, which will inform the next stage of its campaign.
But only 13% of staff in the category work in corporate and shared services, while well over 85% of them provide direct support to those performing ‘front-line’ roles. The IMPACT paper, which draws on official HSE personnel census figures, shows that by far the largest number of health service clerical, administrative and management staff work in acute hospital services (over 47% of the total) and non-acute hospital services (over 33% of the total).
Numbers down
grade IIIs fell by over 22% and the next biggest fall was among the top grade of directors, down over 19%. IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell has presented the paper to the union’s Health and Welfare council, which includes reps from all the union’s health service branches.
“Most admin staff are working at the so-called front line, and those who don’t are providing vital back-up in IT, finance, HR and other important support functions. Clerical and admin staffing has been “The report blasts cut to the bone in most areas, yet we still keep hearing politicians and commentators say there the myths that the are too many administrators. IMPACT is going admin stream swelled to use these figures to continue to debunk that myth,” she said.
during the economic boom, and that admin staffing is ‘top heavy’ Top heavy? report also blasts the myths that the admin or largely made up of The stream swelled during the economic boom, and that admin staffing is ‘top heavy’ or largely well-paid senior made up of well-paid senior managers. Almost managers.” 70% of the category are grade III or grade IV workers – 40% are grade IIIs.
The figures also show that, between March 2009 and July 2013, clerical, administrative and management staff numbers fell by more than any other category of health staff except ‘general support.’ While overall health staffing is down almost 10%, clerical and admin numbers have fallen by over 13%.
Conversely, the number of senior managers has never exceeded 1.2% of total health service staffing and is currently slightly lower at 1.1%. Taken together, the number of senior and middle managers has never exceeded 4.6% of total health service staffing.
The biggest reductions were at the lowest-paid level of clerical officer and the highest levels of management. The number of
The figures include staff in the HSE, major hospitals and some voluntary agencies l
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 43
Sport
Wonder women
Whether it’s rugby, soccer, GAA or camogie, women’s sport is going from strength to strength. KEVIN NOLAN looks at the women blazing up the pitch, the track, the boxing ring and the sponsors’ chequebooks. HISTORY WAS made as the final whistle sounded in the Ireland women’s rugby world cup game against New Zealand. With one complete performance these players did what their male counterparts have never done - they beat the mighty Black Ferns. Although they were six nations grand slam champions in 2013, their victory over New Zealand – the Kiwis’ first defeat in a world cup game in 23 years – catapulted the Irish team onto the front and back pages, and focused the country on their world cup campaign.
They dedicated their lives to sport, capturing medals – with not a whole lot more than friends and family really clued in – before retiring without much fanfare or farewell. Every now and then people at home would sit up and take notice when someone like Sonia O’Sullivan or Catherina McKiernan would make waves internationally. But for most, watching women’s sport was only a flight of fancy. But times have changed and women’s sport in Ireland has come a long way, especially in recent years. The term ‘Irish sporting hero’ is no longer reserved for the men. Ireland’s women sports stars take centre stage and are celebrated as they should be. The likes of Fiona Coughlan, Katie Taylor and Derval O’Rourke are heroes to many. And they are not the only ones.
Lynne Cantwell, Ireland, is tackled by Rachael Burford, left, and Emily Scarratt, England. 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final.
women’s national soccer team and title sponsor of the women’s national league competition. Attracting this high profile sponsor demonstrates the growing popularity of the game as well as its potential to grow an audience.
They went on to beat Kazakhstan in their final pool game, topped the group and secured a semi-final spot against England. Although they lost to the eventual champions, they were still lauded for what was universally viewed as a very successful tournament. In the days leading up to the semi-final, women’s rugby led sports news bulletins and graced the news and sport pages of the national press. The level of coverage was unprecedented. Of course, there have been plenty of female Irish sports stars over the years. Footballers who’ve won ten all-Ireland medals (An Corcaigh abú!), soccer players with European medals (think of that dynamic Arsenal duo, Emma Byrne and Yvonne Tracy) and athletes whose national records still stand.
Outstanding Almost all of them achieved outstanding feats and did remarkable things without garnering too much attention.
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Emma Byrne, Ireland
Katie Taylor
Every sport, big and small, has a female role model and star. Someone for the next generation to look up to. Sailing has Annalise Murphy, triathlon has Aileen Reid, swimming has Grainne Murphy, and there are many more too. Each one is an elite athlete in their field. They feature in the media, are sponsored athletes and are top performers. They lead by example.
Trailblazers As does the Ladies Gaelic Football Association. They are trailblazers who have introduced rule changes that have had a positive effect on their game including the sin bin, the hooter and the clock.
Yvonne Tracy, Ireland
Unlike in the past, playing in Croke Park or Páirc Uí Chaoimh isn’t an honour the women have to fight for anymore, with many of the games now shown live on TG4. The same goes for the women’s rugby and soccer teams. During Ireland’s last six nations campaign they played England at Twickenham and Italy at Lansdowne Road after the men’s games. Their world cup games were shown on TG4 and Sky Sports. All very significant steps on the ladder.
The LGFA has even been brave enough to put a camera on the referee. They have over 150,000 registered members and the numbers are rising year-on-year.
A recent FAI deal with Setanta to show all Ireland’s friendlies included the women’s games. Undoubtedly the recent success of the Irish women’s under-19 soccer team at the UEFA European championships made this an attractive proposition for the sports channel. The side beat Spain, England and Sweden to top their group before losing out to the Netherlands at the semi-final stage.
Under the stewardship of Eamonn Ryan, the Cork ladies team has dominated the championship for the past decade. X
As well as being boosted by having their live games broadcast, Continental Tyres has become the main sponsor of the Irish
These new developments will help raise the profile of the game in Ireland. As did Raheny United’s exploits in the champions league, and the presence of Irish players at English clubs like Arsenal’s Emma Byrne and, until recently, Ciara Grant and Yvonne Tracy. In England women’s sports are going from strength to strength. The English RFU’s announcement of a new strategy to increase the number of women playing – by 10,000 to 25,000 within three years – is testament to this. Their world cup win, along with the coverage their games received, has dramatically raised the profile of the women’s game. Twenty players have been placed on central contracts, allowing them to train full-time. A move that will be watched with much interest – and envy – in Ireland. While women’s sport is lagging behind on the professional front here at home, the participation numbers are very impressive. As it stands 40% of women in Ireland currently participate in sport, while a staggering 170,000 volunteer every year. It’s worth noting that half of Athletics Ireland’s members are women too O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
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Photos: Sportsfile
Cork women’s GAA squad
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1. What did you think of the articles in the autumnwinter 2014 issue of Work & Life?
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Let Abe eat here periodically (5) See 27 Across At best I’m a ten I reckon (8) Lads that is, or maybe not! (6) You see a bee in this country (4) Room on the calendar (5) TI could be 35, 40 or 45 (4,4) It’s clear these are items (8) Round and round, by this device you will be found (5) National condition (5) Shapely cricket ground (4) Using only one would be a bit of a risk (3)
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The winners from competitions in the summer-autumn issue were:
Crossword: Antoinette Carney, Sligo. Survey: Billy Roberts, Wicklow. Quiz: Niall Cotter, South Tipperary. Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!
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Crossword composed by Seamus Halpenny
What was Julia Kelly’s first novel called? A With My Lazy Eye B With My Wilful Ways. C With My Dodgy Back.
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Who or what is Sumac? A Manchester United’s new centre half. B A spice made from crushed sour berries. C A marketing abbreviation of Supermacs.
Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the digits 1–9. There is no maths involved. You solve it with reasoning and logic.
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WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 47