NIPSA NEWS
DVA workers still fighting to save jobs
THE NEWSPAPER OF THE LEADING PUBLIC SERVICE TRADE UNION
DESPITE the Coalition Government’s appalling decision to close all vehicle licensing offices in Northern Ireland, DVA workers have signalled their refusal to be beaten. This is evident in a range of recent activities organised by Branch 230 and their supporters which has seen pressure building on the Northern Ireland Executive to provide work for staff in all eight local offices. Following a meeting with the Head of the Civil Service Malcolm McKibbin, which was arranged by the DVA Campaign Steering Committee, it was decided to stage a protest at Stormont. Around 150 DVA workers and supporters attended the event. The
lively rally coincided with an announcement by DOE Minister Mark H Durkin that he had secured work for 50 staff based in Coleraine. At the rally, DVA worker Amanda O’Donnell joined NIPSA Official Ryan McKinney in calling on other Executive Ministers to “step up to the mark” and “deliver on their commitments” to support staff who were facing an uncertain future. More recently, DSD Minister Nelson McCausland announced that his Department would provide temporary work for up to 100 staff based in Coleraine. Responding to that announcement, Mr McKinney told NIPSA News: “This is a positive development and staff will take heart from it. What this does is prove that
June/July 2014 Tel: 028 90661831 www.nipsa.org.uk
‘WE’VE HAD ENOUGH!’ campaigning gets results and we will now redouble our efforts so that permanent work is secured for staff in all local offices. “The temporary work takes us up to the end of 2014 but we want work for 2015, 2016 and beyond and we intend to keep the pressure up on Northern Ireland Ministers to deliver that.”
It is understood that as a result of these announcements work has been secured for most Colerainebased staff in the short term. However, NIPSA representatives are also pressing DOE management to provide sufficient work for staff based in the other seven local offices. More pictures - page 13
NJC workers to strike on July 10
NIPSA members working in Local Government, Education, Libraries, NSL, Further Education and the Youth Justice Agency in rejecting the Employers’ Side paltry 1% offer on pay have voted overwhelmingly to take part in a national strike on July 10. And they will join colleagues from UNISON, Unite and GMB on the picket lines during the one-day stoppage. Deputy General Secretary Alison Millar told
NIPSA News: “Over 63% of NIPSA members voted to reject the Employers’ Side offer of 1% and will be joining with members in other NJC trade unions on strike on July 10. “It is clear that members have had enough and are not prepared to stand for a further cut in pay. In real terms since 2010, NJC members have seen a real-terms decrease in pay of more than 20%. Members can no longer sustain this further cut.”
She added: “NIPSA is calling for the NJC Employers’ Side to return to the negotiating table and get into real and meaningful negotiations to ensure members receive a proper and meaningful pay increase.” Ms Millar pointed out if the July 10 action did not resolve the issue, NIPSA would join with other NJC trade unions “in building for further days of strike action”.
Visit http://www.nipsa.org.uk AND give a like to our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @nipsa
Page 2 NIPSA NEWS
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
TTIP – a threat to workers and public services Editorial
IN this issue of NIPSA News (pages 8/9) you will find an article about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
The real goal of the TTIP is to remove regulatory “barriers” which restrict the potential profits to be made by transnational corporations on both sides of the Atlantic. These “barriers” include labour rights, food safety rules, digital privacy laws but the TTIP also has as its objective the further opening up of public services and government procurement contracts to competition from transnational corporations. It provides for the right of these corporations to challenge and litigate against gov-
ernments for loss of profits which they will claim arises from public policy decisions. The TTIP poses a significant threat to workers and to public services and the campaign against this treaty has kicked off with a wide range of organisations, including the European Public Services Union (to which NIPSA is affiliated) and War in Want taking the lead. Trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic have also expressed their concerns and information about the TTIP is gradually surfacing despite the absence of public knowledge about the negotiations. The lack of any public knowledge and consultation
FE industrial relations Taskforce review ‘stumbles at first hurdle’
A TASKFORCE, made up of unions, employers and representatives from the Department, was recently set up to consider recommendations contained in the Salisbury Report – a review of industrial relations in the FE sector. There had been initial agreement between unions, employers and Colleges NI that the Trade Union Side would be led by Congress. However, this was to change at the eleventh hour. As Assistant Secretary Paddy Mackel explained to NIPSA News: “For some inexplicable reason the employers at the last minute decided that ICTU should not be involved at all in discussions. “This was despite an agreement brokered a fortnight previously that Congress would lead our delegation – at least in the early meetings.
“Because of this last minute U-turn, unions boycotted the inaugural meeting of the Taskforce until the matter could be resolved.” The unions made it clear that although they are content to engage with employers on the recommendations, they insisted they will not be “bounced like that – on a whim from Management Side”. Mr Mackel added: “We are united in our determination to have a collective approach in these discussions, under the umbrella of Congress. We are willing to fully engage but will not tolerate any underhand tactics which may be used to undermine that collective approach. “We stand ready and willing to sit down with management to discuss the way forward and we await their call.”
Letters to the editor should be sent to: bob.miller@nipsa.org.uk - rules apply
NIPSA NEWS
NIPSA Harkin House, 54 Wellington Park, Belfast BT9 6DP, Tel: 028 90661831 Fax 028 90665847 or email: alison.millar@nipsa.org.uk Editorial contact details: Bob Miller email: bob.miller@nipsa.org.uk Correspondence should be sent to the above address. Unless otherwise stated, the views contained in NIPSA NEWS do not necessarily reflect the policy of trade union NIPSA.
about these negotiations between the US Government and the European Union highlights that major decisions which will affect ordinary citizens and workers are being taken, virtually in secret and below the radar, without any input from citizens of the US or the countries that constitute the European Union. This is not democracy. This method of decision making is similar to the confidence trick being played on the people of Northern Ireland whereby a general endorsement of the Transforming Your Care health (TYC) “strategy” by the Northern Ireland Assembly parties is being used by our Minister of Health to
undermine the National Health Service through galloping private sector involvement in the delivery of health and social care. At a global level, treaties such as the TTIP facilitate the commercialisation of public services and the dismantling of public service provision. At the local level our politicians contribute to the commercialisation of our health and social care system and to creating opportunities for the private profit sector at the expense of the community. NIPSA will play its part in exposing and opposing both the global TTIP and the local TYC. Brian Campfield, General Secretary
NI Hospice U-turn on pension proposal
EARLIER this year, NIPSA members working at the Northern Ireland Hospice were advised their employer was seeking a significant change to their pension provisions. A number of hospice staff are in the Northern Ireland Local Government Superannuation Pension Scheme (NILGOSC). The Northern Ireland Hospice does not currently recognise NIPSA nor any other trade union for collective bargaining purposes. Undeterred by this, NIPSA Deputy General Secretary Alison Millar sought a meeting with senior managers to raise serious reservations about the proposals. The proposals effectively meant that all but the most senior staff (i.e. those at pay Band 7 and above) would have been taken out of the NILGSOC pension scheme and instead offered a greatly reduced Defined Contributions scheme.
Minimum Wage fact
MAKE sure you are earning the minimum wage which now stands at £6.31 an hour.
Ms Millar met with members worried by the move a number of times, as well as seeking legal and financial advice on the proposals. She also sought a meeting with the Board of the Northern Ireland Hospice. On May 8, NIPSA made a presentation to the Board flagging up a number of inaccuracies and mis-representations. While there was little engagement with NIPSA at that meeting, a detailed written presentation containing further options was left for the
Board to consider. Subsequently in June, NIPSA became aware that the original proposal had been dropped and that another proposal was being explored. According to the union, the new pension proposal also presents a number of difficulties – not least as a salary sacrifice-type arrangement, would this be admissible to NILGOSC. A further meeting is being sought with senior management at the Hospice on the issue. Ms Millar told NIPSA News: “It is important that the pension proposals are fully understood and fleshed out before NIPSA is in a position to provide meaningful advice. “It is, however, a much preferred option than that which had been tabled initially as this which would have been catastrophic for staff who are members of the NILGOSC pension scheme.”
Tax rebate for uniforms YOU may be able to get tax relief if you - and not your employer - spend money on any tools or specialist clothing you need to be able to do your job. You can go back several years to get the relief - the time
you've got depends on whether you've previously sent in a Self Assessment tax return. Find out if you qualify by going to this link: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/relief-tools.htm
‘Yes, Minister!’ Foster announcement secure’s CCNI future
www.nipsa.org.uk
NIPSA’s Public Services Defence Campaign has received a welcome boost after DETI Minister Arlene Foster announced to the Assembly on June 9 that she had decided to retain the Consumer Council Northern Ireland as a non-departmental body. The future of the CCNI and of NIPSA members who work there has hung in the balance for more than a year. A public consultation exercise, allegedly on the “future of consumer representation in Northern Ireland”, closed in mid-January. NIPSA concerns remain over actions taken by senior officials of the sponsoring Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s (DETI), which led to the Minister’s announcement of the public consultation exercise. However, Minister Foster’s announcement, which was later confirmed in a press release published on the DETI website, was a very welcome development. It is understood DETI have yet to inform NIPSA directly of the decision. The statement confirmed that the Consumer Council would “continue its role as the body which represents Northern Ireland consumers but there is room for improvement… taking into
account the public consultation and issues raised during the earlier review”. It was announced in the statement that the CCNI Board would be cut in size but no further details have been made available. Clarification was also given that there would be “greater collaboration between the consumer and advice sectors”. This will be underpinned by an operating protocol, setting out each consumer representation body’s roles and responsibilities making it clearer to the public about where to go to seek advice. Welcoming the news, Branch 147 representative Graham Smith told NIPSA News: “Members in the CCNI are delighted with the long-awaited announcement, which is due, in no small part, to NIPSA’s campaign to ensure the body was not only retained but strengthened.” A resolution supporting members in the CCNI was carried unanimously at the union’s Annual Delegate Conference in May. In moving the motion, NIPSA HQ Official Kim Graham criticised DETI over its approach to the review and public consultation exercise and voiced the deep fears felt by members in the CCNI that the body would be abolished, and its services partially, if not wholly, privatised.
50,000 attend anti austerity demo
FIFTY thousand protesters hit the streets of London, on June 21, in a “no more austerity” march, which demanded an alternative to the “greed and selfishness” of the Con-Dem coalition. The rally, which also included a festival, was called by The People's Assembly Against Austerity, a broad coalition of anti-government groups that embraces trade unions and other campaigners. “Living standards continue to drop, forcing millions into poverty, yet the politicians remain addicted to austerity,” a People’s Assembly spokesperson said. Assembling on the doorstep of the BBC's offices in London, the
Page 3 NIPSA NEWS
News
demonstrators marched to the Houses of Parliament demanding that “the alternative to austerity” is no longer ignored. Len McCluskey, leader of Unite, Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party and Russell Brand, the anti-establishment comedian, came to address the rally. Owen Jones, a UK journalist, who was at the march said that despite modest economic growth, Britain is experiencing the biggest fall in living standards since Queen Victoria. Among the issues people were protesting about are a “fight for a living wage, fight for proper housing, fight for public ownership of the banks and for tax justice,” he said.
Following the Ministerial announcement, Ms Graham said: “This is a positive outcome, not just for our members in the CCNI but also for all Northern Ireland’s consumers. It is a resounding success for NIPSA’s Public Services Defence Campaign and highlights how influencing and working together with councils, MLAs and key stakeholders can really make a difference. “NIPSA looks forward to a full, timely and meaningful engagement with both DETI and the Consumer Council’s senior management team to ensure that CCNI continues as a robust and increasingly successful consumer champion body in Northern Ireland.” She added: “We are extremely grateful for each and every member and group that supported the CCNI by attending public consultation events and submitting written responses to DETI, without which members in CCNI may be facing a very bleak future. “Together, we were not gagged, and that input has influenced the right outcome for Northern Ireland.” Full DETI statement is available at: www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/mediacentre/news-departments/news-deti/newsdeti-090614-foster-announces-outcome.htm
Opposition to leisure services outsourcing gathers pace NIPSA members working in leisure centres across Belfast have voted in favour of strike action and action short of strike action in a bid to prevent the outsourcing of leisure services to a newly-created Leisure Trust. Members started taking industrial action on Wednesday, June 25 by deciding not to co-operate with any work associated with the setting up of the Trust. These measures will be reviewed on an ongoing basis with a view to escalating to strike action. Meanwhile, NIPSA has challenged the Council over assurances it has given that staff transferring to the new Trust will have their pay as well as their terms and conditions protected. In responses given to a number of questions posed by City Council trade unions, the Council eventually admitted that the new Trust will need to be flexible if it is to make the necessary savings. According to union sources, responses given by the employer are “riddled” with an acceptance that
TUPE protections are limited and that the Trust will have the power to make significant changes. In order to test how real the Council’s commitment to protect staff terms and conditions is, the union has demanded it stipulates in any contract with the Trust that existing terms and conditions are maintained for the duration of that contract. The Council has also admitted that new employees will most likely be employed on less beneficial pay, pensions and other terms and conditions of employment than those staff that transfer. A NIPSA source said: “It is our view that the new leisure operation will achieve its financial targets by attacking workers’ terms and conditions of employment – and this fact is finally dawning on all staff. NIPSA is working to enlist the support of the other trade unions in its campaign of industrial action to stop the attack on leisure services and on members’ terms and conditions of employment.”
NIHE incremental progression approved
Page 4 NIPSA NEWS
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
AFTER four years of grievances, the lodging of tribunal cases, writing letters to MLAs, meetings with senior civil servants and Ministers (including the Finance Minister), a breakthrough on the thorny issue of timely payment of increments has at last borne fruit. Welcoming the move, Deputy General Secretary Alison Millar told NIPSA News: “At last after many years of pressure civil servants, the Social Development Minister and Finance Minister have seen sense and agreed a process to fast-track the payment of increments in or close to when they become due.
“While NIPSA still believe that approval should not be necessary, our members in the Housing Executive welcome receiving their incremental increase in June rather than 10, 11 or 12 months after it became due.” She said: “This is a huge relief to many members who welcome their incremental increase as a small – but not insignificant – increase for many low- paid NJC staff in the Housing Executive.” A series of representations over the past four plus years, agreement has now been reached for future years meaning that the increment will be cleared under the basis of
‘temporary conditional cover’. What this means is that the remit will not require Ministerial approval initially. It will, however, be included for formal approval with the pay remit later in the year; and DFP have accepted that legal advice will not be required each year, providing there is no change to the contracts of employment. Ms Millar added: “NIPSA will continue to engage with both NIHE senior management, the DSD and, if necessary, to the DFP to clarify the situation and seek assurances that we will not get into the same issue when the cost of living increase is agreed.”
Industrial action starts at CCEA NIPSA members working in CCEA are taking industrial action over compensation arrangements for working additional hours, which may have the potential to interrupt exam results. The action began on midnight June 12 and means that staff in affected grades will not be working additional hours both during the week and at weekends. The central issue involves CCEA seeking to change unilaterally compensation for those staff who work additional hours through the Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) arrangements – arrangements which have been in place for many years. Deputy General Secretary Alison
Millar told NIPSA News: “This issue has been the source of disagreement now for up to three years and involves how staff are rewarded for working additional hours in the evenings and at weekends. “To ensure the exams process works smoothly for pupils taking their GCSEs, AS and A levels, certain staff are required to work in the evenings and on Saturdays to meet with teachers involved in exams. This is because many teachers can’t get release from school during the normal working day to attend meetings about the examinations process.” Ms Millar pointed out that other staff may also be asked to work
additional hours “from time to time and often at short notice”. She added: “It is regrettable that this issue and action may impact on thousands of students – but this issue is not of NIPSA’s making – and could easily be resolved.” Before the start of industrial action, NIPSA had met with the senior management team including the Chief Executive but the union claimed there was “no real attempt to resolve the matter”. Subsequently and given the seriousness of the issue, NIPSA called on the Labour Relations Agency to find a resolution through conciliation. However, CCEA only became involved in seeking to conciliate a settlement after the
first weekend of the dispute. Kevin Kelly, who is NIPSA Official for CCEA, insisted that while “limited progress” had been made at the first conciliation meeting, the union stood ready to engage in further discussions to find a satisfactory conclusion. NIPSA has underlined that none of its members will work TOIL until a resolution has been found. A union source added: “This means that unfortunately there is every likelihood this could impact on the timing of students’ results with the potential for issues arising around marking etc not being resolved in a timely fashion.”
Corporate anti-social behaviour ‘should be fought not indulged’
WHATEVER else they can be accused of, the supporters of cutting Northern Ireland’s corporation tax certainly don’t lack energy or imagination when they look for any excuse to re-raise the issue. The latest opportunity to do so has come in the context of the independence debate in Scotland and discussion of the scale of tax varying powers that a future Scottish government, irrespective of how this vote goes, may have. While the spin from the usual suspects is hardly surprising – KPMG tax chief Eamonn Donaghy foremost among them, of course – it is important to look for analysis from those who have the interests of society in general rather than the corporate balance sheet as their motivation. As Tax Justice campaigner Richard Murphy has just written, a cut in corporation tax is only certain to deliver two things… He writes: “The first is a significant cut in the
tax rate for existing Northern Ireland companies, which is no doubt why KPMG in Belfast is so keen on this. “Secondly, this change is guaranteed to make life worse for most people in Northern Ireland as they see increasing cuts in government spending in the area [at a time when Government] is already committed to reducing its level of spending in the region… there is just one thing that the reform is not guaranteed to deliver, and that is jobs.” Mr Murphy continues: “Accountants, like KPMG, are masters at the art of shifting profits but if low tax rates were really so good at creating mass employment of the sort that Northern Ireland needs, then Jersey and Cayman would be covered with new small, high-tech industries, and they are not… “Local media and political elites seem to think this is a simple ‘win-win’, assuming that the case for cutting corporation tax is water-tight
and unambiguous… and more critical voices have largely been ignored. “Such narrow debate is not the basis for good policy-making. Instead, it can foster precisely the kind of unhealthy ‘group-think’ that appears to have engulfed Northern Ireland’s political elites on this whole issue of corporation tax. (You can check out Richard Murphy’s full comment at: http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2014/06/03/ when-it-comes-to-corporation-tax-northern-ireland-is-walking-into-a-disaster-all-of-its-ownmaking/) John McVey, NIPSA Policy and Research unit, added: “One part of our Public Service Defence Campaign is to challenge the ‘group-think’ on economic matters that Mr Murphy refers to. “We have to stop pandering to the corporations’ apologists and fight rather than indulge the corporate anti-social behaviour of tax avoidance and tax evasion.”
Equal pay victory for ex-NIPSA members
www.nipsa.org.uk
A SUCCESSFUL equal pay settlement, which will benefit 1,100 former members of NIPSA, proves the continuing benefits of having been a member of the union, the union has claimed. Assistant General Secretary Kieran Bannon described the settlement brokered with NICS management as “good news”. One of the groups NIPSA continued to campaign for – arising out of the NICS equal pay settlement in 2009 – were those who had left service. At the time of the equal pay settlement, a person was required to lodge an equal pay claim with an industrial tribunal within six months of leaving service. As a result of this the only concession from NICS management in 2009 was that although the equal pay settlement had an effective date of February 1, 2009, they would apply the terms of the settlement to those staff who left six months prior to that date (i.e. August 1, 2008), irrespective of whether they had lodged a claim at tribunal. All staff in the affected grades that left service on or after August 1, 2008 therefore received the settlement terms negotiated by NIPSA. In 2012, there was a change in the law when a group of former workers of Birmingham City Council sought to pursue an equal pay claim outside the sixmonth time limit and in the civil court, not an industrial tribunal. This was challenged by Birmingham City Council but their appeals to the High Court and Supreme Court were not upheld. The result of this was that in addition to being able to pursue an equal pay claim through an industrial tribunal under the six-month time limit, a person could also pursue an equal pay claim in the nature of a breach of contract in a civil court under the normal sixyear statute bar limitation. Before the Supreme Court decision on Birmingham City Council’s appeal, NIPSA sought to identify former female members
Page 5 NIPSA NEWS
News
John McShane (MTB, left), worked with Assistant General Secretary Kieran Bannon on behalf of former members of NIPSA who potentially could benefit from the Abdulla vs Birmingham City Council ruling. (The equal pay claim was in respect of female civil servants who were paid less than their male comparators). Of those that it was possible to identify, NIPSA lodged writs on their behalf in July 2012. Throughout the process of considering the implications of the Abdulla ruling, NIPSA sought legal advice through McCartan, Turkington, Breen (MTB). John McShane of MTB worked closely with NIPSA Assistant General Secretary Kieran Bannon in advancing the claims on behalf of former members. Subsequent to lodging writs on behalf of former female members in July 2012 and following the Supreme Court ruling in October 2012, NIPSA sought further legal advice. This was related to whether the “piggy-back” arrangements that applied to male civil servants in the original equal pay settlement in 2009 could apply in the circumstances presented by the Abdulla ruling. The consultations with John McShane (MTB) and Counsel, Brian McKee B.L., concluded that writs should be served on behalf of for-
mer male NIPSA members. Having identified as many former members in the affected grades as possible, NIPSA lodged these further writs in December 2012. It was only after lodging the writs that NICS management was prepared to enter negotiations with NIPSA. The talks were protracted, concluding in an offer of settlement in January this year. In broad terms the settlement included an element of an enhanced rate of pay, arrears of pension and a recalculation of future pension entitlement where appropriate. In order to attract the settlement terms, NICS management required those for whom writs were served to sign a Compromise Agreement. The process of payment closely followed the arrangements put in place in 2010 at the time of the original settlement. NIPSA conducted a series of road shows to explain to the claimants (former NIPSA members) the detail of the offer and what steps had to be taken to secure the payment and, where appropriate, revisions to pension. Speaking of the settlement Assistant General Secretary Kieran Bannon told NIPSA News: “Al-
though the equal pay settlement in 2009 was very significant NIPSA believe injustices remained for a number of members. “We have continued to campaign on behalf of those members such as leavers and the PSNI/former PSNI and DOJ/former NIO members. “The campaign for the PSNI/former PSNI and DOJ/former NIO members continues and we await the NI Executive’s decision on the paper presented to it by the Finance Minister.” He added: “We are delighted that an opportunity presented itself through the Abdulla case to do something for NICS leavers. The civil court statute bar limitation has allowed us to go back six years from the date writs were lodged to secure settlement terms over the periods July 2006 to 31 July 2008 and December 2006 to 31 July 2008 for former female and former male NIPSA members respectively.” Following the settlement, NICS management briefed the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the matter. They indicated to the Assembly Committee that they intended to extend the settlement terms negotiated by NIPSA to those who still had the potential to submit a claim. This would cover those falling into the period January 2008 to 1 August 2008 (the original equal pay settlement cut-off date). This will cover about 700 people – some of whom may be NIPSA members that it was not possible to identify from the scan undertaken of the data held on NIPSA records. These people will be contacted directly by Corporate HR of the Department of Finance and Personnel. Kieran Bannon commented: “In total our negotiations securing settlement terms for former NIPSA members will have benefitted approximately a further 1,100 people – that’s good news – that’s the benefit of NIPSA membership.”
Organise to protect services, jobs, pay and pensions YOU HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY...SUPPORT YOUR UNION AND YOUR COLLEAGUES
Payroll staff in demo over IT system Page 6 NIPSA NEWS
NIPSA members employed by the Business Service Organisation (BSO) payroll Shared Services Centre protested (outside the BSO Headquarters in Franklin Street, Belfast, on Monday, June 9) over the unacceptable stress they have been forced to work under over the last few months since the introduction the new payroll system. Alison Millar, Deputy General Secretary, said: “NIPSA payroll members working in the BSO have had enough. “Since October last year when the new payroll system was introduced things have got progressively worse. “Staff concerns have largely not been ignored and they have borne the brunt of other staff frustration and anger when they have re-
PCS unity talks with Unite
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
ceived no pay, over and underpayment of wages. “It is not the fault of the BSO staff concerned – it is the IT system and the new methods of working which have been introduced over the last months that have made matters worse.” Ms Millar went on to say: “Our members are calling to be balloted for industrial action and today is the start of them demonstrating their anger. “Members have had enough and are fed up with management not listening clearly to the staff who have many years of payroll experience behind them.” Tommy Brownlee, NIPSA Official for BSO members, reported: “The work is piling up and the stress levels are intolerable – members are
THE PCS civil service union will continue having merger talks with the Unite general union, but on a more cautious basis than the leadership had hoped, following its recent annual conference. The two unions have been in informal talks for a year and a Unite special executive council meeting recently agreed to open formal talks to bring PCS into their ranks. The PCS executive proposed to its delegate conference last month to continue talks on transferring its engagements to Unite and to plan a special conference to discuss the merger terms reached. If that conference agreed the terms, they would
BSO payroll staff stage a demo in Belfast over their deep concern that the IT system is not fit for purpose
angry that they are being made the scapegoats and blamed for pay problems in the Belfast and Western Trust. “The permanent staff are long service Trust employees – so the problems are not of their making.
be put to a ballot of the membership. But delegates narrowly rejected the plan to move swiftly to setting out merger terms, and agreed to proceed only on the basis of ensuring minimum conditions. These include having more transparency in the talks and, in particular, the retention of a political fund which is independent of the Labour Party. Both unions currently have political funds, but while Unite’s is affiliated to Labour the PCS’s is not. While a slight brake has been applied to the merger process, delegates threw out a separate proposal to end the talks.
“NIPSA is calling for the structures and methods of working to be examined to ensure that over the coming months the expertise of the staff many of whom have delivered payroll successfully for years can be used effectively.”
It had earlier been considered that PCS’s financial situation might have jeopardised merger progress. The union has suffered significant membership decline in the last few years and its income has correspondingly fallen. However, Unite now says there are “no obvious financial issues that would obstruct a transfer”, although PCS would need to resolve its pensions issues with the Pensions Regulator. Unite had 1.32 million members at the last official count and PCS 263,000. A merger would bring together nearly half a million public sector workers.
Pensioners’ Parliament debates TYC
THE state of Northern Ireland’s health and social care system was debated at the regional conference of the Pensioners’ Parliament in Belfast on May 29 and 30. A special half-day session was devoted to the subject. NIPSA researcher John McVey (pictured right),was invited to speak on the union’s position on the Transforming Your Care initiative to delegates of the Pensioners’ Parliament, on which retired NIPSA members play an active role. He told NIPSA News: “I made it clear, as does our research, that while we are content to participate in a
genuine debate about what constitutes truly holistic healthcare in 2014, we are not prepared to indulge the illusion that TYC or any other ‘vision’ can work without being founded on the essentials of sufficient, appropriately paid/trained staff within a public service that has its funding guaranteed. “I also wished to highlight that we also must oppose the subversion of the NHS by the stealth privatisation that is taking place. This takes NHS delivery out of the public sector and hands it to private sector providers.” Mr McVey said he pointed
out to delegates that promises that TYC would be delivered by a £83m shift of funding and £70m transition funding had not been delivered. “This raises the fundamental question if this amount of money was needed to deliver an appropriate service – what is now being delivered with a fraction of it? It is clear that the only way to save the NHS is to fight its privatisation.” NIPSA research on TYC is available at http://www.nipsa.org.uk/NIP SA-in-Action/Policy-and-Research/Transforming-YourCare
DARD budget cuts will have implications for staff www.nipsa.org.uk
NIPSA has been advised by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) that there is to be a reduction in its budget over the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years. This is part of the Government’s wider public expenditure measures and is likely to extend beyond 2015/16 to 2020. The Department’s Top Management Group has agreed to seek to free up 4% in 2014/15 and 8% in 2015/16 equating to approximately £8m and £16m respectively. At a recent meeting with senior officials, NIPSA was advised that the Department is seeking to reduce its 2,925 full-time staff equivalent to
Page 7 NIPSA NEWS
News
2,700 (full-time equivalent) by March 2016. The Senior Civil Service cadre in each of the Department’s business areas will be responsible for managing this reduction. However, the Top Management Group will monitor the achievement of the target and also be responsible for communications with staff. Obviously this is a significant issue for members, particularly given the current demands on the Department over EU compliance, CAP Reform, the Rural Development Plan, the relocation project and a number of other projects. NIPSA has, therefore, raised a number of points including:
n The need for senior management to identify business critical work areas where posts will be a priority; n Other business priorities to be identified; n Close consultation with Trade Union Side (TUS) at all levels and for consultation to take place before any restructuring, re-organisation of work, suppression of posts, staff transfers etc. n Identification of blocks of work that will no longer be undertaken. TUS has insisted a cut in staffing levels must see an accompanying reduction in workloads; n Seeking to fill posts through internal mechanisms rather than by means of external recruitment ex-
ercises; and n A requirement on the Department to properly assess and address training needs for staff transferring to new functional areas. Department officials have indicated that in the longer term there may be a degree of re-organisation and/or restructuring required. This is an area where detailed and timely consultation with TUS will be need. While the Department refer to greater delivery through digital services, NIPSA cautioned management about an over-reliance on IT facilities which is not an adequate substitute for delivering services through experienced, professional, well-trained staff. In recent years NIPSA
and DARD management have developed a ‘Guide to Industrial Relations’ and an associated training programme is currently being rolled out. The challenges ahead about to be faced will test the Department’s commitment to industrial relations. NIPSA has been assured by the most senior level of management that they seek to keep faith with existing staff and will work closely with NIPSA to deliver on that commitment. DARD Branch representatives have been asked to make early contact with management in their local areas to seek information on any plans on staffing and to liaise with their NIPSA Seconded Officers and Headquarters Official.
What are your rights to legal representation when you are in police custody?
AS many members of the general public will be unfamiliar with their rights should they find themselves in police custody; we feel it only right that we dedicate an article to this very important issue. As one of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms, we are in position to help you through any criminal law matter and welcome all queries regardless of whether the matter relates to a minor traffic offence or a more serious potential offence. For now, here are some pointers that we hope will be of assistance should you find yourself in police custody.
Q1. Am I able to obtain a solicitor when in the police station? A1. Yes. If you have been arrested and are in police custody you are automatically entitled to representation by a qualified solicitor. This representation can be in person or by way of telephone consultation. This also extends to people who are in the police station as, what is known as, a voluntary attender. Q2. How much money will it cost me for assistance from a solicitor when in the police station? A2. Regardless of your financial circumstances and no matter how
Chancery House, 88 Victoria Street, Belfast BT1 3GN Tel: 028 9032 9801 www.mtb-law.co.uk
major or minor the allegations against you; you will be entitled to FREE Legal Aid if you have been arrested and are in police custody or attending as a voluntary attender. Therefore, we recommend you avail of a solicitor regardless of how trivial you may feel the matter is. Q3. How do I make contact with a solicitor when I am in the police station and which solicitor should I ask for? A3. Generally the police will offer you the opportunity to request a solicitor. If not, advise the police that you would like them to get you a solicitor. You are entirely free to instruct whichever solicitor you would like to use and you do not have to use any “duty solicitor” if one is of-
By James Fay
fered to you. Given that we have a vast experience with criminal law and police station assistance, and we would recommend that you ask for us: McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors. Our contact number is 028 90329801. Q4. Do I have to wait for a solicitor to attend the police station before I can speak to him or her? A4. As outlined above, you can get advice from a solicitor over the telephone and don’t have to wait to speak to them in person. Q5. You have chosen a solicitor and you are waiting for him or her to attend the police station, what should you do and not do when waiting? A5. Under no circumstances should
you agree to proceed with an interview when you are waiting on your solicitor. You should wait for your solicitor to attend and do not discuss any of the allegations that are being made against you with the police without the solicitor being present. If any issue arises, you can ask the police to contact your solicitor on the telephone. Q6. My solicitor has arrived in the police station, what happens now? A6. This differs from case to case. You will be provided facilities to have confidential consultation/s with your solicitor. Your solicitor’s goal will be to make sure you are being cared for and treated properly and ultimately to have you released from the police station as the earliest opportunity. This article just provides some general information should you find yourself in police custody. It would be impossible to recite all advices regarding your rights when in police custody in this short article. We do recommend that should you find yourself needing legal representation regarding any kind of criminal matter that you contact our office and ask to speak to one of our specialist criminal solicitors who will have the experience and expertise to assist you when required.
TOXIC RE
Page 8 NIPSA NEWS
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
TTIP ‘a threat to democr
WHEN talks between EU officials and the US Government began on a treaty called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), in July last year, it did not generate many headlines. This was no accident. The reason was a deliberate attempt to conceal both the scale and nature of the deal that is being brokered. Despite its title, TTIP has little to do with trade. Instead, in its reach, it shows a desire on a global scale to remove what its authors define as “barriers” to the activity of profit-seeking international corporations.
Dr Tom Healy, the Director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI), has provided an overview of the issue on the following link http://bit.ly/1lm0mNr Similarly, some quotations extracted from a new War on Want booklet on the subject underline how TTIP will de-regulate protection, privatise key services and undermine national governments. According to War on Want, TTIP will:
prized social standards and environmental regulations, such as labour rights, food safety rules (including restrictions on Genetically Modified Organisms), regulations on the use of toxic chemicals, digital privacy laws and even new banking safeguards introduced to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis;
PSNI civilian staff praised at research paper launch THE latest NIPSA research publication, Personnel Services Need Integrity: Civilian staff need support, was officially launched on June 19. The booklet analyses the position of PSNI civilian staff amid a history of recruitment controversies and under the threat of privatisation. It also reflects on how NIPSA’s longstanding position on these issues has been confirmed in a series of official reports from public bodies (Audit Office, Criminal Justice Inspectorate and, as recently as March of this year, the Public Accounts Committee) which call for a new approach from the PSNI. Acknowledging at the launch that a number of official reports had vindicated the NIPSA analysis, Departmental Chairperson Ryan McKinney said: “We cannot leave it there because temporary solutions remain part of the policing delivery model and there are still companies who see policing as a way to make a quick buck.” He continued: “The award of a £180 million contract to Resource NI is testament to that. Our focus must now turn to revealing the reality of such methods. “It is for us a matter not only of
De-regulate protection: The ‘barriers’ [the corporations face] are in reality some of our most
principle but of practical experience that public services are best delivered by public servants. “In this case these public servants should be recruited by and directed by the Chief Constable and accountable to the Police Ombudsman and Policing Board.” Mr McKinney praised the bravery of members and reps and pointed out that “they can take a lot of credit for what the PAC recommended”. He added: “While we welcome the increased accountability and scrutiny which the PAC has attributed to the Policing Board when it comes to contracts, we must now insist and ensure that this becomes the norm. “NIPSA want to build on the improved engagement which we have seen over this past 12 months in particular but… we must be afforded the right to critically engage both to defend the interests of our members and also in the interests of the public.” In his contribution at the launch, report author NIPSA Policy and Research Officer John McVey underlined that was a pattern – similar to that seen in PSNI outsourcing – in which privatisation processes were being “sold” as
Privatise key services: TTIP also seeks to create new markets by opening up public services and government procurement contracts to competition from transnational corporations, threatening to introduce a further wave of
public sector “reform”. He said: “The trouble with many of these so-called reforms is that they start from a position of opposition to the public sector. Although the drivers of market reform talk the language of ‘choice’, the choice they are determined to remove, where they can, is the one where the public sector continues to provide the service.” He insisted that no one should accept a standard any less than was being demanded by the House of Common’s own Public Accounts Committee. The PAC had called for “greater visibility to government, parliament and the public about suppliers’ performance, costs, revenues and profits [and] all government bodies that contract out functions and public services, and the contractors themselves, having transparency, not commercial sensitivity as their default position”. In concluding, Mr McVey pointed out that “real” reform started with the basics – “investing in staff, founded on a belief in public service itself”. “This means services run for a population who live in the society in which they are provided – not for shareholders who may not even
Union researcher John McVey reported privatisation processes were being “sold” as public sector “reform”.
live in the country in which these services operate and who do not pay the taxes that keep them running.” The report is available as a PDF download at www.nipsa.og.uk
LATIONS www.nipsa.org.uk
Page 9 NIPSA NEWS
News
atic society as a whole’ privatisations in key sectors, such as health and education. Undermine national governments: TTIP seeks to grant foreign investors a new right to sue sovereign governments in front of ad hoc arbitration tribunals for loss of profits resulting from public policy decisions. This ‘investorState dispute settlement’ (ISDS) mechanism effectively elevates transnational capital to a status equivalent to the nation-state itself, and threatens to undermine the most basic principles of democracy in the EU and USA alike.
TTIP is therefore correctly understood not as a negotiation between two competing trading partners, but as an attempt by transnational corporations to prise open and deregulate markets on both sides of the Atlantic. War on Want’s booklet is available at http://bit.ly/1wqMGnq A version in French, German, Greek, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese is available at: http://rosalux-europa.info/news/TTIP/ TTIP’s ambition highlights what has been a key theme of our anti-privatisation agenda – that privatisation will dismantle the hard-fought dem-
ocratic protections that were created to protect society from the corporations’ poisonous search for higher profits. As NIPSA Policy and Research Officer John McVey explained to NIPSA News: “Every trade unionist needs to make themselves aware of the threat that TTIP represents. “It is not only a direct attack on us as trade unionists but also, in its flagrant disregard for existing legal frameworks that provide any protection from corporate unaccountability, is also a clear threat to the operation of democratic society as a whole.”
Hospital canteen transformed into learning hub for the day
AN OPEN day to highlight learning opportunities was held in the canteen of the Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital in Omagh on June 17. The event, which was staged as part of Adult Learners’ Week (June 14 – 20), featured a number of stands providing information and advice on topics as varied as cancer awareness, career guidance, recycling and crime prevention. The open day was organised by Branch Union Learning Representative Janice Walsh and its objective was to assist staff to progress both personally and professionally in their roles. It also helped to promote NIPSA’s role in the workplace and a significant number of application forms were distributed. NIPSA joined a number of other organisations, including PSNI, Northern Ireland Fire and NIPSA reps (above) attending the open day on learning opportunities are: Rescue Service, Omagh District Janice Walsh, John Havord and Micky O’Kane Council, Omagh Library, DEL Careers Service, South West Regional College and the Open University in providing stands for the event. The branch hopes to hold further events in Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospital. A source told NIPSA News: “Feedback received from those who attended the event has been very positive and will assist Janice when planning the next event in September.”
Western Trust social workers continue fight
SOCIAL workers and social work assistants employed in the Primary and Older People’s Programme (community-based) have stepped up their fight to protect the service the provide. It follows on from a one-day strike staged by the workers on May 16. Alan Law told NIPSA News: “Despite the May 16 action, the Trust continues to refuse to introduce a caseload weighting system to deal with the allocation of cases for vulnerable older people in our community. “As a result members are engaging on a programme of action that will further highlight the unsafe practices they being asked to carry out. “NIPSA members are providing a professional service to our elderly clients in the community, but the reality is that some incident could occur which would put elderly clients at risk. This is not something our members want to be responsible for.” He added: “Therefore, NIPSA is calling on the Trust to enter into immediate talks with NIPSA on an appropriate caseload weighting system to ensure both the safety of our vulnerable elderly clients and the health and safety of our members who are under immense pressure to deliver a service with inadequate resources.”
Page 10 NIPSA NEWS
Conference 2014 round-up
Amnesty issue appeal to NIPSA members: ‘Help us free Mahdi’ By Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International
WORKERS’ rights have been Amnesty’s cause since our beginning. One of the cases that launched our movement was the plight of trade unionist Toni Abatielos, who had been jailed by the Greek Junta for standing up for his members’ rights. And our commitment carries on today – whether it is holding Scott Ritter, Governor of Wisconsin, to account for stripping public sector workers of their bargaining rights, or insisting that the government of South Korea recognises the union that municipal workers have chosen to join. In Amnesty International we are proud to have made common
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
cause with unions to promote and protect human rights, including by recently joining forces in Northern Ireland to oppose racism. Today I am asking NIPSA members to join with us and take action by signing our online petition to free Mahdi Abu Dheeb, a schoolteacher and President of the Bahrain Teachers’ Federation. In April 2011, he was arrested for encouraging his members to go on strike. Along with his colleague Jalila alSalman, Mahdi proposed a teachers' strike to support widespread protests at the time, calling for governmental reform.
Both Mahdi and Jalila were arrested soon after. Jalila was freed a couple of years ago, but Mahdi remains in prison. He is a prisoner of conscience. Mahdi was arrested at his uncle’s house on April 6, 2011. He was taken for interrogation by police to a secret location: his family didn’t know where he was for more than three weeks. Mahdi was then subjected to 64 days in solitary confinement. Mahdi claims the police beat him when he was being interrogated. Mahdi’s daughter, Maryam, recently joined us via Skype at the launch of Amnesty’s Northern Ireland Trade Union network and told us her father
had sustained two broke suffering from severe ne pain when she saw him detention. Mahdi and Jalila were military court in Septemb were found guilty, and M tenced to 10 years in pri was reduced to five year peal. Jalila was dealt a three tence, later reduced to s was released in Novemb Mahdi is not in jail for c He is imprisoned becaus his right to speak freely, his trade union rights.
has been progressively dismantled, with ever more services sliced off to encourage private providers. Governments since Margaret Thatcher have all – perhaps for different reasons – applied a hard-line neoliberal ideology to health. In doing so they exploited a political system that tended to deliver clear parliamentary majorities, to force through policies despite popular opposition. This has continued even under David Cameron’s opportunist coalition. The massive and complex Health Act lacked any democratic mandate. Never put to the electorate, it was passed only thanks to the willingness of the Liberal Democrats, eager to avoid a huge conflict and early election in which they would be largely wiped out. It doesn’t have to be this way - since devolution, more progressive systems have developed through integration of services in Wales and Scotland. But looking further afield, sadly England is not unique. Similar ‘reforms’ are being adapted in different ways to different systems across much of Europe. They are also being imposed upon the poorest developing countries where they are even less appropriate and more disas-
trous in their consequenc Global Health Versus P shows how since 1980 g like the World Bank, new ers like the Gates Found at times the World Health (WHO) have played a ro these changes. These ag been supported by a bur try of right wing ‘think tan coterie of academics dra chance of lavish funding appears to be to the give search grant rather than dence. Setting the analysis in the rise of neoliberalism secting economic, politic mental crises that worse my book distinguishes be cutting ‘market-driven’ re reduce the size, scope a services but leave system changed, and ‘market-sty which aim first and forem a growing share of health private providers and ulti insurers. Market-style reforms a in that they consistently s cut costs nor to improve fact the systems most de vate competing providers est overhead costs and w while excluding millions f cess to health care. Global Health Versus P subjects the ‘menu’ of m cies to a detailed critique most up to date material the World Bank (and its p wing, the International Fi
The neoliberal epidemic strik Healthcare systems across the world are facing a 'man-made disaster' – the imposition of market-style 'reforms' that are neither appropriate nor effective. Journalist and author John Lister was a special guest speaker at NIPSA conference and he unpicked the facts behind the flimsy ideology behind health policy reform that sees a growing privatisation of services. A NEW pernicious epidemic is stalking the health care systems of the world. It is striking rich countries and poor alike, with understandably the most devastating impact on the poorest. It saps vital resources, dislocates and fragments systems, obstructs the development of equitable healthcare systems, and prevents government planning and responding to health needs. The epidemic is not a medical problem, but a man-made disaster. It is the rampant spread of neoliberal, pro-market 'reforms', devised and promoted by a narrow policy-making academic and political elite in the wealthiest countries. It can only be eradicated by the spread of information, political campaigning and critical thinking, with regular injections of evidence and social solidarity. This epidemic is the focus of my new book Health Policy Reform: Global Health versus Private Profit, which offers a detailed analysis of the main ‘menu’ of market-style reforms offered to health care systems, and a discussion on the ways these are being effectively imposed by the governments in richer countries - and by global bodies in the
poorer ones. It argues that these so-called ‘reforms’ are driven not by evidence, but by ideology. And behind the ideology is a massive material factor: the insatiable pressure from the private sector to recapture a much larger share of the massive $5 trillion-plus global health care spend, much of which only exists because of public funding. Everywhere the role of the private sector and the size of its potential market is always constrained by an ‘inverse care law’. Most health care is required by those least in a position to pay the market price for it – whether this be the old, the very young, the poor or those with chronic sickness and disabilities. Nowhere in the world is there a health care system that delivers universal or comprehensive health care services purely through the development of a competitive health care market. Nor is there any private health sector that can operate without overt or covert subsidies. England has been an unfortunate laboratory rat for some wild and costly experiments with competition. What had been one of the most integrated and publicly provided services in the world
www.nipsa.org.uk
en ribs and was eck and back after his time in
tried before a ber 2011. They Mahdi senson – which rs after an ap-
e-year senix months. She ber 2012. criminal activity. se he exercised and demanded
News
Tens of thousands of Amnesty members and supporters have signed our online petition; please join us by adding your name too. Bahrain is very sensitive to UK public opinion, and we are working with the unions across the UK and internationally to have the highest impact. Together we can make a difference! Please sign our petition at www.amnesty.org.uk/Mahdi You can find out more about our campaigns for workers’ rights and all human rights, as well as ways to get involved by visiting www.amnesty.org.uk/NITradeUnions
“Looking at this appeal makes me want to thank Amnesty for all the hard work you have been doing for my dad. You have been campaigning for three years non stop, sometimes I gave up but you don’t. To all the people who sign this appeal, my family and I can’t be more thankful, and we really appreciate your support. To me personally I want to meet each and every one of you and thank you individually."
king UK healthcare
ces. Private Profit global agencies w powerful playdation, and even h Organisation le in promoting gencies have rgeoning indusnks’ and an elite awn to the . Their loyalty er of the reto the evi-
the context of and the intercal and environn global health, etween costeforms, which and scale of ms largely unyle’ reforms, most to open up h spending for imately private
are remarkable serve neither to efficiency. In ependent on pris have the highwaste billions from proper ac-
Private Profit arket-style polie, using the available from privatisation inance Corpora-
tion) and the IMF. I discuss in detail the political evolution of these and other organisations shaping the reforms, including the WHO. A particular concern is the international spread of ‘Public Private Partnerships’ following in the footsteps of the UK’s trail-blazing Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Despite the fact that PFI is proving itself a major liability, bankrupting trusts in a cash-strapped NHS, the model is being exported across the world in the face of many costly flaws, failures, and false starts. Many PPPs (P3s in Canada) are now under way in developed OECD countries - and also in Latin America, Asia, and South Africa. In tiny Lesotho a $120m PPP hospital is set to soak up a disproportionate share of the health budget, but generate a healthy profit stream for its South African ‘partner’ the health care multinational Netcare. Global Health Versus Private Profit also singles out what I have termed the “Missing Millennium Development Goals” – the massive public health issues which call for reform and for largescale action, but which are completely ignored by current health ‘reforms’. The real challenges remain unaddressed the development of adequate health care for the growing world-wide population of more dependent older people (summed up as “customers the private sector doesn’t want”), the millions suffering mental illness, and the ‘hidden giant’ of the millions facing physical disability. Global Health Versus Private Profit explores and dissects market-style reforms. Extensive evidence including 60 pages of references shows how these
Maryam Abu Dheeb – daughter of Mahdi Abu Dheeb, speaking to Amnesty International in May 2014
reforms don’t take as their starting point the real and evident problems facing health care systems - and nor do they solve any of them. A concluding chapter explains why “It doesn’t have to be this way”. The policies are not inevitable consequences of our current situation, but deliberate choices of politicians working to a neoliberal agenda. These choices can be rejected and defeated by mass political action. There are alternatives. The challenge is to develop a political leadership with the courage to embrace them and fight for them. I hope it will serve as a resource for campaigners working for political and popular action, to challenge the flimsy arguments and assertions that these neoliberal reforms are based on. Market-style reforms result in systems more unequal, more costly, more fragmented and less accountable – but which offer more profits to the private sector. That’s why the real question is whether we want to see global health – or private profit. Most people are clear which they would prefer. We are many, with the facts on our side: the neoliberals are few. But good ideas must be turned into political action to change the world. That’s why this is a book I hope will not sit gathering dust on library shelves, but be brandished even used as a weapon - by those fighting for change. A reinforced hardback edition may yet be needed to ensure we win! Health Policy Reform: Global Health versus Private Profit, by John Lister (£25) is available from www.libripublishing.co.uk or from good booksellers.
Page 11 NIPSA NEWS
Veteran Jimmy’s call to action over cuts
Keeping abreast of conference business is NIPSA veteran, Jimmy Cassells. Picture: Kevin Cooper
A VETERAN trade unionist and founder member of NIPSA has called on activists to “to become more active” and for “non-active members to become active” in fighting the cuts agenda. Jimmy Cassells, 85, made the comments in a communication with the union after attending the recent Annual Delegate Conference in Newcastle. Life member Jimmy, who has a 65-year long connection with NIPSA, wrote: “As a founder and life member of NIPSA – of which I feel very proud – I was delighted to be present at the Annual Conference but saddened to hear of the passing of many of my colleagues who had given outstanding service to this union.” Listening to the debates, he noted that most outlined the “anger and frustration” felt by members at the cuts in pay, pensions and working conditions forced on those working in civil and public services by “an extreme Tory-led government and a Pontius Pilate Labour Party”. He continued: “Equally in Northern Ireland, we have an Assembly of useless MLAs who at times resemble an Alice in Wonderland-style Mad Hatters’ Party than a competent government acting for the people.” Jimmy pointed out that the current situation reminded him struggles more than half a century ago “when we had our backs to the wall and we had to fight for basic trade union rights”. “We won and lost battles but eventually won the war that progressed our union to its present strength today. Today, however, we – and all trade unionists – are back where we were in the biggest fight for many years.” He warned that reactionary forces in the press, media, business and government are “in Maggie Thatcher-style determined to literally destroy us”. Jimmy concluded: “From my experience, I believe every single public job is at risk. So activists, become more active; non-active members become active; non-members join the battle before it’s too late. UNITED WE CAN GO FORWARD AND WIN!”
United Against Racism march
Page 12 NIPSA NEWS
THOUSANDS of people, including hundreds of NIPSA members, have taken part in an anti-racism march in Belfast. Organisers said it was designed to "reassure ethnic and religious minorities in Northern Ireland". Representatives of the trade unions and Muslim community were among those who spoke at a rally ahead of a march from Writers' Square to Belfast City Hall, on Saturday, June 7 It was organised in response to an upsurge in hate crime and controversial remarks about Islam by a pastor and First Minister Peter Robinson. Pastor James McConnell made a
Joining a trade union – your rights at work
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
public apology on Friday, June 6, after calling Islam "heathen" and "satanic". The June 7 march was led by Belfast's Lord Mayor, Nichola Mallon, Dr Donald Watts, president of the Irish Council of Churches and Dr Mazhar M Khan, a member of Northern Ireland's Muslim community. The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU), Amnesty International and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) organised the event. Patrick Yu of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities said: "The message today is quite sim-
Trade union membership: Your employment rights
You have the right to: n choose to join or not join a union n decide to leave or remain a member of a union n belong to the union you choose, even if it’s not the one your employer negotiates with on pay, terms and conditions n belong to more than one union Your employer isn’t allowed to: n offer you a benefit to leave a trade union n threaten to treat you unfairly if you don’t leave a union
ple - say no to racism." Amnesty International's Patrick Corrigan said the event was "an opportunity for people to stand with their neighbours of all ethnic origins and religious faith groups". "It's also a chance to send a message to politicians that the lack of political action on this issue is no longer acceptable," he added. Kasia Garbal, an ICTU migrant workers' project officer who is originally from Poland, said recent hate crimes had "made me wonder why I'm here". "I've been here for 10 years and this is my home, but the last few weeks have been really difficult," she said.
n Refusing to employ you for trade union membership reasons An employer or employment agency isn’t allowed to insist that you: n join or leave a trade union n leave one union for another Dismissal for trade union membership reasons n Your employer isn’t allowed to dismiss you or choose you for redundancy because you: n are or want to be a union member n aren’t or don’t want to be a union member n took part or wanted to take part in union activities
"It's moving for me that so many people of all nationalities, races and different beliefs came out here to protest." Earlier that week, Pastor McConnell apologised for his comments about Islam. On Friday, June 6, Pastor McConnell was questioned for almost two hours about his remarks by police. Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson was heavily criticised when he backed Mr McConnell, although he said his remarks had been misinterpreted. On Tuesday, June 3, Mr Robinson visited the Belfast Islamic Centre and made a public apology for his comments.
Pictures: Kevin Cooper, Photoline
Other unfavourable treatment Your employer mustn’t treat you unfavourably: (for example refusing you promotion or training opportunities) if you: n join a union n take part in its meetings n leave a union What to do if you have a problem You may be able to use a grievance procedure or go to an employment tribunal if you think your employer has treated you unfairly because of your trade union membership. n Contact NIPSA at 028 9066 1831 if you have any queries.
Tenants say no to transfer OVER the last few weeks, a series of meetings have taken place with tenants and tenants’ representatives in the North West. Most of those present at the meetings stated their wish to stay with the Housing Executive as their landlord and voiced their opposition to any transfer to a Housing Association. A number of attendees had personal experience of Housing Associations. Most of them claimed they had not received the same service from Housing Associations that they had received from the Housing Executive. A NIPSA source told NIPSA
NHS staff in protest over 0% pay rise
Health service members take to the streets on June 5 calling for a fair pay deal.
DVA demo at Stormont
Staff from the DVA who face losing their jobs protest outside the Assembly
Page 13 NIPSA NEWS
News
News: “That is not to say that tenants did not have issues with the Housing Executive – of course, they did. However, the majority of those attending the meetings have been positive about the engagement they have had with the Housing Executive as their landlord.” One tenant, speaking at a recent meeting in Currynierian, said: “Since the Minister first made his announcement over 18 months ago, no-one from his Department has come into our estate to discuss these proposals with us – or ask us what we want. “What we want is more homes
in the area for our families, at an affordable rent and in reasonable condition.” The tenant admitted to the meeting that a few homes in their area needed improvement but pointed out that didn’t mean the work could not be carried out by the Housing Executive. The NIPSA source added: “It was clear tenants did not want to be caught up in the politics of the issues – they just wanted to have decent homes at affordable rent and they did not believe this would be the case under any Housing Association model.” A number of further meetings
with tenants and tenants’ representatives are scheduled to take place over the next few months in L/Derry, Belfast and Craigavon/Lurgan/Portadown. It is also envisaged that other meetings will take place to engage with tenants with a view to building a wide network of representatives across Northern Ireland. Deputy General Secretary Alison Millar told NIPSA News: “The fight for Housing Executive to be retained as an overarching social landlord and strategic body goes on – and that campaign is building momentum.”
Voluntary grammar and integrated schools staff unfairly treated ‘
WHILE staff working in Our members ment those agreed terms, the vast majority of some have quite disgraceare not looking schools in the education fully decided not to do so. ‘elite’ wages or sector have now reThis has resulted in a situpension ceived – or are about to entitlements – ation where our members receive – their annual just the same as can’t be sure what terms contractual increment their colleagues in and conditions apply, what from April 1, 2014, mempay scales apply (agreed other schools bers in voluntary gramor otherwise) or whether mar and integrated they can contribute to the schools are still waiting. NILGOSC pension scheme.” Commenting on the ongoing delay, And Mr Mackel insisted this situaAssistant Secretary Paddy Mackel tion had “gone on far too long”. said: “While it is the case that the He added: “Once the current pay approval process imposed by DFP delays have been resolved NIPSA, has contributed to the delays in obalong with the other unions, fully intaining the go-ahead to pay staff in tend to tackle this unfair and unequal the different categories of workers in treatment of our members in the volthe education sector, this doesn’t ex- untary grammar and integrated secplain the full story here. tor. “Over the years some employers “Our members are not looking have seen fit to ignore NJC pay and ‘elite’ wages or pension entitlements terms and conditions, as well as NIL- – just the same as their colleagues GOSC pension arrangements. in other schools. They deserve “While many do indeed fully imple- nothing less.”
‘
www.nipsa.org.uk
What would life be like if
Page 14 NIPSA NEWS
News
www.nipsa.org.uk
Employees on pitiful wages and with poor conditions have little incentive to ‘do a good job’ – why is this so hard for bosses to understand? asks BERNADETTE HORTON
DOWNTRODDEN workers on zero-hours contracts, agency employed, with a lack of stability and totally uncertain futures, have been a staple of this coalition government from day one. When Thatcher first decided to privatise the railways and utilities back in the ’80s we’ve seen a race by many employers to pay bottom-rate wages, but demand ever more flexibility from staff. On the front line we have seen those results. Where I live on the north Wales coast, a local holiday company employs cleaners to clean chalets on minimum wage and on zerohours contracts. Each cleaner is given six minutes to clean a chalet. This has resulted in major complaints from holidaymakers from finding bathrooms in disgusting states of uncleanliness to people finding drugs under the beds. I asked one of the cleaners whether they liked their job. “No, it’s a means to an end. They pay us peanuts, change our working hours rota every week and give us six minutes to supposedly ‘clean’ a chalet. None of us can be bothered. It gets a quick flick over and a hoover but nothing more. “I’ve no loyalty to the company. They know we’re easy to replace. They employ cleaners
under 21 so they don’t have to pay the adult minimum wage either to cut costs. “Everything is about cutting corners, paying the lowest wages and so they get all they deserve as thousands of people complain every year.” What if you were paid a decent wage, I asked. A living wage that took you off tax credits and more time to do the job? “That would change everything. I’d take a lot more care in my job, knowing I was valued by the company. I could give the chalets
a thorough clean, so standards would go up. The company would get more bookings and the admin over complaints would go down.” So employers and employees would be in a win-win situation? “Definitely! More staff would stay too, so they wouldn’t have to keep training up more new staff to do the job.” It sounds easy. Value your employees, pay a living wage and your company reaps the benefits. But we are living in a Britain where workplace rights and legal aid to fight tri-
By Paul MacFlynn, NERI
son earned £10.19. So a person in Northern Ireland is officially defined as low-paid if they receive a wage of £6.79 or less. In 2013 some 115,000 workers or 17% were officially defined as low paid and this includes the nearly 60,000 workers who earned minimum wage or less. The median wage is just a statistical measure, it doesn’t mean that anyone earning above £6.79 is comfortable. For this reason researchers in the Greater London Authority and the University of Loughborough came up with idea of a Living Wage. This would be a wage rate calculated on the basis that those paid it could earn enough for a basic standard of living. Many people believe this is how the minimum wage is calculated, but it isn’t. The minimum wage is a wage floor, meant to be the lowest acceptable price of labour and never mean to be an adequate rate of pay for anyone. Unfortunately in Northern Ireland we have tolerated low pay for so long that 25% or just under 170,000 workers do not earn enough for
A Living Wage mak
THERE is a consensus emerging that the worst is over for the Northern Ireland economy and that things can only get better. We are now told that the UK economy is in recovery, unemployment is down and output is growing faster than any other G7 country. This view is put forward as a justification for the five years of austerity that have been and for the five more that are to come. Although the UK government would like to present this recovery as an open and shut case, the reality is very different. This current upturn in economic performance happened very quickly, so quickly that you could be forgiven for thinking it came out of nowhere. That is because the recovery did not arise after years of careful economic reconstruction, investment and productivity growth, it is the economic equivalent of a sugar rush. This recovery has been led by increased household consumption with a government sponsored housing bubble thrown in for good measure. A recovery led almost entirely by household consumption isn’t necessarily a bad
thing, but it is when real wages have been in decline for over three years. The reality is that this increase in consumer spending is being driven by house price inflation for the affluent and increased debt for the rest. In April last year the Nevin Economic Research Institute, in our Spring Quarterly Economic Observer, outlined the cost of youth unemployment in Northern Ireland both now and in the future and proposed a Youth Guarantee Scheme to tackle it. This year in the Spring Quarterly we focused on how people in employment have fared since the recession, and in particular how falling real wages have exacerbated the entrenched problem of low pay in Northern Ireland. Low pay is officially defined as people receiving a wage that is two-thirds or less of the median wage. The median wage is the wage of the received by the worker in the very middle of the labour market and in Northern Ireland, that per-
workers were valued? www.nipsa.org.uk
bunals have been stripped away by this government in less than four years. Commuters are paying thousands of pounds to stand up in dirty trains whose staff have been cut to the bone, standards are low and customer service a relic of history. Since privatisation our utility bills have soared and soared until we are in the state where people are suffering from fuel poverty and choosing between heating or eating during cold weather. It is no wonder that customers complain of poor customer service in shops, cafes and bars where workers are treated as numbers. Amazon’s work practices where a bracelet on workers’ wrists inform management of how quickly a worker is performing and how long they take for a toilet break is surely out of some futuristic parody of 1984. Sadly it is not. By reducing workers to stressful working conditions and low pay, the company certainly does not get the best it can from its workforce. Minimum pay is often coupled with minimum training and no ongoing staff development. “Get ’em in, show ’em the bare minimum of training to get by and get ’em productive in as short a time frame as possible” is the mantra in many workplaces today. In shops or restaurants you will have experienced the tired repetitive refrain of “Have a nice day,” barely audible and muttered as the weary employee “processes” the next customer order, had your coffee slopped down hurriedly as the manic barista rushes to serve the next person in the queue. Employees, undervalued, underpaid, with no hope of personal development result in lost profits and complaints for high street chains. Wouldn’t it be different if staff were valued and paid decently? A supermarket employee told me of Halloween and Christmas celebrations in store.
News
Staff were asked to voluntarily come into work in fancy dress costume for the two events, paid for out of their own pockets. Staff who did this were held up and singled out at a staff meeting as being the epitome of the store’s philosophy in good customer service and team relations. Staff who had not participated were made to feel that their non-participation wasn’t what the company wanted, and the employee I spoke to said supervisors made her feel very uncomfortable as she simply could not afford to hire a costume. Young workers are being made to feel these are normal working conditions and relations, when they are not. BBC3 recently broadcast a programme entitled Invasion of the Jobsnatchers, where young unemployed jobseekers were parachuted into Christchurch in Dorset for work experience. If they “matched up” to the job over the eight weeks they could be offered jobs there. It was more benefit porn-type TV and some of the “jobs” on offer included a full-time Saturday job only or seasonal employment. But one jobseeker, Carl Owen, was given work experience as a butcher. He then went on to be given an apprenticeship in the independent shop as a butcher. What came across was the owner’s genuine interest in Carl, not only showing him the job and training him but socialising outside work with him and caring for Carl’s wellbeing. Carl is now settled in Christchurch in a decent job on decent pay offering excellent customer service. Not so hard is it? Even teachers and the police and firefighters are having their salaries reduced and regraded while being asked to do increasing amounts of work under stressful conditions for longer. Entry-level teachers are on approximately £21k, police on £19k and firefighters on £21k.
Page 15 NIPSA NEWS
In the case of firefighters, who are having their retirement age changed, would anyone want a 66-year-old firefighter carting you out of a burning building? The job is arduous, dangerous and requires ongoing physical training for little reward. Isn’t it time we valued our firefighters and police? Our teachers are under intense pressure and public scrutiny and get no support from Michael Gove — just a war of words on “weeding out bad teachers.” But it is no coincidence that when teachers were valued, respected and better paid, educational standards were much higher. Ed Miliband has promised that those caring for the sick and elderly in our communities must no longer be held to the “15-minute care rule” for each visit. That is admirable and a step in the right direction. But let’s value the care given. Let’s go further and tackle the minimum wage, the poor working and stressful conditions these carers endure. The horrors of the elderly dying of thirst in hospitals, sick people being put to bed at 5pm as that is the 15-minute slot the carer has for them as he or she has another 20 other patients to get to, the social workers weighed down with too many caseloads and so they miss the abused child. The accelerated race to pay the bottom line for the most output has got us nowhere. Society is hugely worse off thanks to privatisation, lack of workplace rights, low wages and undervalued employees. This is something that needs reversing now. I aim to keep campaigning and shouting out to bring this change. There is another way and never in our history has it been so very much needed. Bernadette Horton blogs at mumvausterity.blogspot.co.uk Source: Morning Star
es economic sense a basic standard of living. Of course this is not spread evenly, low pay discriminates against women, young people and those working in particular industries. People in the 18-21 year old age group, do not qualify for the standard minimum wage, but even at that 10% of workers earn at or below that lower rate of £4.98. Nearly 67% of 18-21 year olds and 28% of 2229 year olds are defined as low paid. A staggering 82% of 18-21 years olds earn below the Living Wage along with 39% of the 22-29 age group. Similarly 29% of women earn below the Living Wage compared to only 22% of men, a lot of which is due to the gap between full-time and part-time workers. Some 32% of part-time workers are defined as low paid compared to only 11% of full-time workers. Similarly for the Living Wage, 16% of full-time workers earn below this rate compared to 43% of part-timers. The Living Wage is an hourly rate, so hours worked should not be a factor. Within industries in Northern Ireland there are
low-pay black spots. Within the health sector, 44% of social care workers and 51% of residential care workers earn below the Living Wage. A total of 59% of retail workers, 65% of hotel workers and an astonishing 79% of restaurant and food workers also earn below the Living Wage. These statistics are presented in full in the NERI report and they highlight the depth of the problem facing Northern Ireland and lead us to policy options that need to be considered. Firstly, the minimum wage needs to be enforced. It is an unfortunate reality that employers still attempt to pay workers below what is already a poverty wage. Quite often these workers are the most vulnerable in our society and real penalties and proper enforcement are crucial. While the minimum wage did succeed in its modest aim of outlawing extreme low pay, we can see from the nearly 17% of workers earning below two-thirds of the median, it has not eradicated all low pay. That is why attention needs to be given to the Living Wage.
At the moment it is a voluntary rate, but serious consideration needs to be given to making it the statutory minimum wage. Employers and others forecast mass unemployment if such a policy is implemented, but it should be noted that all these Dooms day scenarios were put up when the minimum wage was introduced and none came to pass. A Living Wage by itself won’t be enough, sectoral agreements between unions and employers should ensure that good employers who pay fair wages are not undercut by competitors. Overall there needs to be constant pressure on wages to ensure that the fruits of any economic recovery are rightly gifted to those that worked to build it.
Paul MacFlynn is an economist with the Nevin Economic Research Institute
Page 16 NIPSA NEWS
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
NORTHERN IRELAND PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE
TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (NI) ORDER 1995: STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
As required by the Trade Unions and Labour Relations (NI) Order 1995 the following is a summary of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance financial affairs for the year ended 31 December 2013. Full details of the 2013 accounts have already been provided to branches. Any member requiring a further copy of the 2013 accounts should contact the Finance Section in Harkin House. Total subscription income from members for 2013 was £4,401,529 other income totalled £578,072 thus total income for the year was £4,979,601. Total expenditure including transfers came to £4,258,974. Summary of Salary and Benefits Provided to the General Secretary, President and Members of the General Council The following salary and benefits were provided:nThis figure for Pension contribution is based on a funding rate de-
Name
Mr Brian Campfield
termined by a qualified actuary on the basis of triennial calculations using the projected unit method. The most recent calculation was at 31 December 2009. In accordance with an agreement with GMB, SIPTU and UNITE the trade unions for Headquarters staff, the pension scheme for NIPSA employees provides benefits comparable to those of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS). The funding rate is 40.8% (for all employees, including the General Secretary). As in the case of the NICS, employers and employees (including the General Secretary) are required to pay a contribution of 1.5% towards the cost of Widows or Widowers pensions thus the net funding rate payable by NIPSA is 39.3%. The President and all members of the General Council are reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of NIPSA business. No other payments are made by virtue
of their membership of the General Council. Independent auditors report to the members of NIPSA for the year ended 31st December 2013 We have audited the financial statements of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) for the year ended 31st December 2013 which comprises the Income and Expenditure Account, the Statement of Recognised Gains and Losses, the Balance Sheet and the relevant notes. This report is made solely to NIPSA members, as a body. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the NIPSA members those matters we are required to state to NIPSA in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than NIPSA and the NIPSA members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinion’s we have formed. The General Council are responsible for
Position
General Secretary
ply with the Audit Practices Board’s (APB’s) Ethical Standards for Auditors. We report to you our opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. In addition we report to you if, in our opinion, proper accounting records have not been kept and if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. We read the Report of the General Council and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatement. Basis of opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practice Board. An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and dis-
Details
Basic Salary
nPension Contributions
Employers National Insurance Contributions the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on NIPSA’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Respective responsibilities of General Council and auditor
The General Council is responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) issued by the Accounting Standards Board and published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. Our responsibility, as independent auditors, is to audit the financial statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to com-
closures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Union’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the Council; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the financial statements.
Opinion In our opinion the financial statements: n give a true and fair view of the state of the NIPSA’s affairs at 31st December 2013 and of its operating surplus of income and expenditure for the year then ended; n have been properly prepared in accordance with the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Mr Seamus Dawson (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of SLMD Limited Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors Date: 12th May 2014 SLMD Limited Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors T/a Bridge, Chartered Accountants Suite 7, Ormeau House 91-97 Ormeau Road Belfast, BT7 1SH
Amount PA
£62,536.96 £24,577.03 £6,405.28
Statutory Statement to Members A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or has occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct. The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer for Northern Ireland (who is an independent officer appointed by the Department for Employment and Learning) and the police. Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.
Spying scandal
www.nipsa.org.uk
The pathway to collective resitance BOOKS
AGAINST Austerity is a blistering, accessible and invigorating polemic against the current political consensus. Deploying his renowned power of razor-sharp polemic Richard Seymour charts the role of austerity in radically reducing living standards, fracturing established political structures, and creating simmering social alienation and explosions of discontent. But Against Austerity goes further – making a bold theoretical intervention on the question of challenging austerity and creating radical alternatives. Beginning with an analysis of current class formation and dominant ideology, Seymour issues a call to arms, mapping a new strategy to
News
IN MAY 2013, Glenn Greenwald set out for Hong Kong to meet an anonymous source who claimed to have astonishing evidence of pervasive government spying and insisted on communicating only through heavily encrypted channels. That source turned out to be the 29-yearold NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and his revelations about unite the left. the agency’s wideAlong the way, he tackles the spread, systemic overreach proved to be vexed question of achieving social change, in particular is- some of the most explosive and consesues of reform and social revquential news in olution. In an age recent history, triggercharacterised by the paucity ing a fierce debate and inadequacy of mainstream over national security and information prianalysis, Against Austerity points a way forward to revive vacy. As the arguments rage on and the the left and create a new spirit government considers of collective resistance. various proposals for Available at Guardian Book- reform, it is clear that we have yet to see the shop £10.39.
full impact of Snowden’s disclosures. Now for the first time, Greenwald fits all the pieces together, recounting his high-intensity ten-day trip to Hong Kong, examining the broader implications of the surveillance detailed in his reporting for The Guardian, and revealing fresh information on the NSA’s unprecedented abuse of power with neverbefore-seen documents entrusted to him by Snowden himself. Going beyond NSA specifics, Greenwald also takes on the establishment media, excoriating their habitual avoidance of adversarial reporting on the government and their failure to serve the interests of the people. Finally, he asks what it means both for indi-
Page 17 NIPSA NEWS
viduals and for a nation’s political health when a government pries so invasively into the private lives of its citizens—and considers what safeguards and forms of oversight are necessary to protect democracy in the digital age. Coming at a landmark moment in American history, No Place to Hide is a fearless, incisive, and essential contribution to our understanding of the U.S. surveillance state. Published by Metropolitan Books - £15
NIPSA veteran’s noir thriller published THE BLUE ROOM: A novel by Michael McKeown
June 2014 has been scheduled for the publication of an acclaimed new novel, ‘The Blue Room’, by Michael McKeown, who is well known to many NIPSA members as a long-standing trade union activist currently seconded full-time to the Trade Union Side of the Central Whitley Council (NI) Secretariat and based at NIPSA Headquarters. Michael, who has previously written award-winning short fiction, began writing the book a few years ago whilst completing an MA in English (Creative Writing) at Queen’s University, Belfast. ‘The Blue Room’ has already been described by various commentators as “excellent”, “a captivating, contemporary thriller from an exciting new Belfast author”, “brilliant story-telling… exciting and thought provoking” and “gripping stuff”. Set mainly in Belfast at an unspecified point in the not-too-distant future, the back cover ‘blurb’ for the book sets the scene with a scenario where the collapse of the devolved political institutions has triggered a return to some of the darkest horrors of the recent past, including a hunger strike and the emergence of a gang that roams the streets armed with butchers’ knives in search of random victims. Even the advent of an uneasy peace fails to dispel the dark shad-
ows of sectarianism and an everpresent threat of violence; the novel evokes a brutalised society, struggling to get to grips with a rapidly shifting political landscape in which individuals, groups, and ideologies jostle for position in the newly evolving power structure. Meanwhile, young people battling with the more personal pressures of love, sex and work try to embrace a vision of a more cosmopolitan Belfast. Loyalist and republican drinking dens now compete with gentrified pubs with names like A Rainbow In Curved Air, the Rumour Machine and the Velvet Revolution; real bars, such as the Crown and the Botanic Inn, feature along with the fictional while familiar landmarks such as the Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Queen’s Students’ Union, Malone House and Newcastle’s Slieve Donard Hotel are among the settings for the chapters. There are 24 chapters in total, structured around six themed parts with four chapters in each. This is no conventional novel, however: it is ambitious and panoramic in its scope. There are frequent unexpected and unpredictable twists and turns within the narrative. They include several chapters written in the first person by different characters, flashback episodes, a chapter so
hallucinatory in style that it resembles a drug trip, a couple presented in the style of vivid reportage, one consisting of a surreal poem that only makes sense in the context of the chapter following it and some extraordinary chapters focusing on the femme fatale who is at the heart of much of the story, with all of it culminating in a finale of unusual imagination and originality. The dark nature of much of the content is leavened somewhat by some visceral satire and black humour that is reminiscent at times of ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Sopranos’. Michael McKeown told NIPSA News: “I see ‘The Blue Room’ as a literary novel first and foremost but I have no problem with it being marketed as a noir thriller. “There’s definitely a vogue for that genre here at the moment, not
just in literature but in other areas like films and even TV drama, like that series ‘The Fall’ with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. “I’d like to think the themes go a lot wider than that, though. I’m particularly interested in how the past impacts on the present and in the myriad of choices and possibilities forever available to individuals – especially younger individuals – at even the bleakest of times.” He added that he liked the Argentinian writer Tomas Eloy Martinez’s description of novels as “acts of freedom” and would like ‘The Blue Room’ to be regarded as one. ‘The Blue Room’ by Michael McKeown, published by David James Publishing is expected to be available on Amazon worldwide (or order at any bookshop) during June 2014.
The men who tried to buy the USA Page 18 NIPSA NEWS
European and world affairs
News
Charles and David Koch are among America’s richest men - and have put their money to nefarious use, many believe. From funding the Tea Party to lobbying against measures to curb climate change, they are the scourge of progressive, liberal opinion. So how did they happen? Daniel Schulman reveals the roots of America’s right-wing pin-ups
MORRIS eased the pickup truck to the side of the road. The wide, busy thoroughfares of 1950s Wichita, Kansas, were just five miles southwest, but here on the largely undeveloped outskirts of the city, near the Koch family’s 160-acre property, the landscape consisted of little more than an expanse of flat, sun-bleached fields, etched here and there by dusty rural byways. The retired Marine, rangy and middle-aged, climbed out of the truck holding two sets of scuffed leather boxing gloves. “OK, boys,” he barked, “get outside and duke it out.” David and Bill, the teenaged Koch twins, were at each other’s throats once again. Impossible to tell who or what had started it. But it seldom took much. The roots of the strife typically traced to some kind of competition – a game of hoops, a round of water polo in the family pool, a foot race. They were pathologically competitive, and David, a gifted athlete, often won. Everything seemed to come easier for him. Bill was just 19 minutes younger than his fraternal twin, but this solidified his role as the baby of the family. With a hair-trigger temper, he threw the tantrums to match. David was more even-keeled than Bill, but he knew how to push his brother’s buttons. Once they got into it, neither backed down. Arguments between the twins, who shared a small room, their beds within pinching range of each other, transcended routine sibling rivalry. Morris always kept their boxing gloves close at hand to keep the brothers from seriously injuring each other when their tiffs escalated into full-scale brawls, as they often did. The brothers’ industrialist father had officially hired the former soldier to look after the grounds and livestock on the family’s compound. But his responsibilities also included chauffeuring the twins and
their friends to movies and school events, and refereeing the fights that broke out unpredictably on these outings. Holding their boxing gloves, Morris summoned the feuding twins from the truck. They knew the drill. He laced up one brother, then the other. The boys, both lean and tall, squared off, and when Morris stepped clear, they traded a barrage of punches. A few minutes later, once they’d worked it out of their systems, Morris reclaimed the gloves and the brothers piled breathlessly into the cab of the truck. He slipped back behind the wheel, started the engine, and pulled on to the road. Another day, another battle. Pugilism was an enduring theme in the lives of the Koch family. The patriarch, Fred Koch – a college boxer known for his fierce determination in the ring – spent the better part of his professional life warring against the dark forces of communism and the collective might of the nation’s major oil companies, which tried to run him out of the refining business. As adults, Fred’s four sons paired off in a brutal legal campaign against one another over the business empire he bequeathed to them, a battle with plotlines that would seem far-fetched in a daytime soap opera. “It would make Dallas and Dynasty look like a playpen,” Bill once said. The roles the brothers would play in the saga were established from boyhood. Fred and Mary Koch’s oldest son, Frederick, a lover of theatre and literature, left Wichita for boarding school in the Northeast and barely looked back. He was uninterested in the family business and a disappointment to his tough, bootstrapping father. An intensely private man who assiduously avoided the public eye, Frederick became a prolific arts patron and collector, with a passion for restoring historic properties stretching from France’s Côte
d’Azur to New York’s Upper East Side. Their father saw glimpses of himself in his rebellious second son, Charles, whom Fred Koch moulded from an early age into his successor. After eight years in Boston studying chemical and nuclear engineering at MIT and working for a consulting firm, Charles returned to Wichita to learn the intricacies of his family’s oil refining, engineering, and ranching businesses. David and Bill followed Charles (and their father before him) to MIT and eventually they, too, joined the family business. But that’s where their paths diverged. David became Charles’s loyal wingman, while Bill, still nursing childhood resentments, grew at first into a gadfly and then, in his brothers’ eyes, a hostile presence within the company. The public would know Bill best for his flamboyant escapades: as a collector of fine wines who embarked on a litigious crusade against counterfeit vino, as a playboy with a history of messy romantic entanglements, and as a yachtsman who won the America’s Cup in 1992 – an experience he likened, unforgettably, to the sensation of “10,000 orgasms”. Charles and David, meanwhile, built their father’s Midwestern empire – with about $250m in yearly sales and 650 employees in the late 1960s – into a corporate behemoth that Fred Koch would scarcely recognise, a company with $115bn in annual revenues, more than 100,000 employees, and a presence in 60 countries. Under Charles’s leadership, Koch Industries grew into the second largest private corporation in the United States (only Cargill, the Minneapolis-based agribusiness giant, is bigger). Koch made its money the old-fashioned way – oil, chemicals, cattle, timber – and in its dizzying rise, Charles and David amassed fortunes estimated at $41bn apiece, tying them for sixth place among the wealthiest men
www.nipsa.org.uk
on the planet. (Bill ranks 329th on Forbes’s list of the world’s billionaires.) They preferred to operate quietly – to run, as David once put it, “the biggest company you’ve never heard of”. But Koch Industries’ products touch the lives of all Americans – from the gas in their tanks to the steak on their forks and the fertiliser that helps their crops grow, and from the plasterboard, windowpanes, and carpets in their homes and offices to the paper towels and disposable cups they keep in the pantry. The company ranks among the world’s largest commodities traders, operates three ranches that sprawl over 425,000 acres, and processes some 750,000 barrels of crude oil daily. A day doesn’t pass when Americans don’t encounter a Koch product, though they often probably don’t know it. Koch Industries is omnipresent, but the Kochs managed to remain so under the radar that many Americans confuse the pronunciation of their surname with that of a former New York City mayor, Ed Koch, rather than pronouncing it like the soft drink Coke. David has lived the quintessential billionaire’s life. He traded provincial Wichita for New York City, where his name is etched into the façades of some of Manhattan’s most important cultural landmarks, including the Lincoln Center theatre that’s home to the New York City Ballet. When not in his ocean-front mansion in Southampton, his Palm Beach villa, or Aspen ski lodge, David and his family reside in a storied Park Avenue highrise, former home to John D Rockefeller Jr, among other heirs to vast industrial fortunes. Charles, by contrast, remained in his hometown, a city with an unassuming, head-down and entrepreneurial character that matched his own. He lives in a modern, boxy mansion of stone and glass on the same compound where he grew up – just the multibillionaire next door in his east Wichita neighbourhood, where strip malls and chain restaurants have overtaken the once wide-open terrain. Schooled by his conservative father in the evils of government, Charles gravitated to libertarianism, a philosophy that advocates
www.nipsa.org.uk
News
David and Charles Koch... a powerful US dynasty
the maximum of personal and corporate freedom and the most minimal government, if only to tend to the defence of these liberties. He grew to believe zealously in the power of markets to guide human behaviour, and to loathe the government regulations and subsidies that distorted markets – and behaviour itself – by trying to impose false order. Blending the ideas of the libertarian movement’s intellectual forefathers, Charles devised a unique management philosophy that placed a relentless emphasis on the bottom line, where even the lowliest pipefitter was meant to envision himself as an entrepreneur. This system, which Charles called Market-Based Management, helped him to build a conglomerate that generates massive profits, but which has often found itself in regulators’ crosshairs after blood was spilled or waterways were contaminated. Charles has done more than just construct one of the world’s largest industrial empires. With David, he has spent decades trying to remake the American political landscape and mainstream their libertarian views. Together, the brothers pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into this endeavour. Unlike other major political donors, they offered more than just money; a strategic vision. They funded academics, think-tanks, and political organisers to coalesce public support around their causes. The Tea Party movement that rose up after the election of President Barack Obama germinated, in part, from the intellectual seeds that the Kochs had planted over the years. Though the brothers downplayed any connection to this cadre of irate citizen activists, they helped to provide the key financing and organisational support that allowed the Tea Party to blossom into a formidable political force within the Republican Party – one that paralysed Congress and eventually ignited a GOP civil war. Politicians, as Charles sees it, are merely vessels for the ideas you fill them with – or as one of his
political advisers once put it, stage actors working off a script produced by the nation’s intellectual class. So while creating and financing the intellectual infrastructure to promote their ideology, he and David have backed a constellation of conservative candidates to do battle in the political arena – politicians such as Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, who upon assuming the governor’s office in 2011, staged a fractious showdown with the public employee unions of his state; or South Carolina’s Jim DeMint, one of the ringleaders of a Republican revolt against raising the debt ceiling that brought the nation to the brink of default. Charles and David brought their political resources to bear as never before during the 2012 election, which Charles called “the mother of all wars”. Yet they emerged from the crucible of the campaign having gained little more than a reputation as cartoonish robber barons, allpowerful political puppeteers who with one hand choreographed the moves of Republican politicians and with the other commanded the Tea Party army. As with all caricatures, this one bore only a faint resemblance to reality. For all the unwanted attention that the Kochs received during the 2012 campaign – including the “other Koch brothers”, as the media sometimes dubbed Frederick and Bill – America came through that political battle knowing little about who they really are. Like other great dynasties, the Kochs have a mythology of their own that polishes the rough edges of history into a more pristine version of the truth. And the family’s legacy (corporate, philanthropic, political, cultural) is far more expansive than most people realise – and will be felt long into the future. This is an edited extract from ‘Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty’, by Daniel Schulman (Grand Central Publishing, £17.95)
TYC UPDATE
Page 19 NIPSA NEWS
NIPSA recently attended the Transforming Your Care (TYC) Trade Union Side Engagement Forum. Assistant Secretary Kevin McCabe provides the following update…
THE HSCB reported that Trusts’ delivery plans had not been formally requested and that the Trusts were currently working on their commissioning plans. NIPSA expressed concern about how a planning of services can progress without the budget being finalised. The union also further enquired on the timetable for progression. The HSCB confirmed that they have prepared a draft commissioning plan based on available funding. This is subject to confirmation of the financial position from the DHSSPS and Minister. It was confirmed that the HSC had submitted a bid for £160m and it was confirmed that the TYC monies in terms of transitional funding would be £21m for the year 2013/14. The timetable for clarity on these matters was the end of June and the trade unions asked to view the commissioning plan as soon as it was readily available. NIPSA raised the implementation of TYC and the level of scrutiny. HSCB responded to confirm that mechanisms were in place to monitor delivery of the strategic reform, through the outcomes framework. In addition all investment for reform has associated metrics for implementation, these are also monitored. The Trade Union Side sought clarity on a number of management consultants’ reports and the HSCB confirmed that clinical engagement has been undertaken as part of the development of the reform plans. Specifically the HSCB expressed the view that they would be keen to receive an understanding from the BMA as to how the HSCB could be made aware of reform ideas from clinicians and any challenges encountered by them in progressing these in provider organisations. Other substantive issues covered were the implications on the workforce and workforce planning and the rolling out of TYC locally with Trusts and other HSC organisations.
Residential Homes
Following the Ministerial decision to keep residential homes open, the HSCB confirmed they were carrying out a review of permanent admissions against four criteria. A standard assessment framework would be carried out for each individual. They confirm that homes may have to diversify and that Trusts would seek to revise the admis-
sions policy in an exercise that had to be completed by the autumn and the local commissioning groups will liaise with a range of stakeholders. While proposals would emerge from Trusts in terms of their admissions policy and whether they had adopted a localised approach or a need to retain residential beds, it was ultimately for the local commissioning groups and HSCB to endorse or challenge Trust proposals. They hoped that the next stage of the consultation process would be successful as Stage 1 had received 1,200 responses.
Mental Health
It was confirmed that the addiction consultation process had been completed with no substantial change in terms of provision.
Older People
It was confirmed that re-ablement was continuing and that in relation to domiciliary care, a regional approach would be adopted to look at the independent and statutory provision. The HSCB shared a draft terms of reference which will be circulated formally but NIPSA specifically asked the HSCB to revisit the value for money exercise that was carried out by the National Audit Office on domiciliary care as this would need to be considered against any new review.
Children’s Services
The HSCB confirmed that the focus was on early intervention programmes and the implementation of statutory services. The HSCB confirmed that it was involved an early intervention transformation programme which formed part of the delivering social change initiative funded by OFMDFM. The Board confirmed that it continued to be involved in the programme assuming that funding was made available. This programme would look at statutory child care provision and again it was confirmed there were a number of workstreams on a cross-departmental basis.
Day Care Services
There was nothing substantive to report. Further meetings have been scheduled for September and December 2014 and NIPSA will continue to provide members with an update accordingly.
‘Share your A&E stories with NIHRC inquiry’ News
Page 20 NIPSA NEWS
NIPSA has called on members to share their experiences of both accessing or working in emergency healthcare. It follows the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s decision to launch a human rights inquiry into A&E services here. The NIHRC wants “to hear from anyone who has recently experienced emergency healthcare, and in particular from those who have sought care from an Accident and Emergency Unit.” The body also wants to hear from those who staff “this vital service”. NIPSA General Secretary Brian Campfield, in a circular to branch secretaries, wrote:
“We encourage patients, family members, healthcare staff and representatives in the sector to share their experiences with us. “Evidence can also be submitted via the NIHRC website (nihrc.org/inquiry). Key to the Inquiry will be public hearings to take place in the autumn at various locations across Northern Ireland. “The Commission will be calling Government representatives, public officials, staff, trade unions, patients and their family members to give evidence before the Inquiry.” It is understood the Panel of Inquiry will include Commissioner Marion Reynolds, who will be assisted by Prof Paul Hunt, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right
www.nipsa.org.uk
to Health. NIHRC Interim Chair John Corey said: “The inquiry will consider the total experience of emergency health care from a human rights perspective. This includes the individual’s rights to respect for dignity, access to information, and their involvement in decision-making.” The Commission will publish its final report and recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive in April 2015. The Commission has opened a dedicated confidential Freephone line on 0800 028 6066.
Keep your hands of our health service, businesses are told
NIPSA Deputy General Secretary Alison Millar sets out its critique of Transforming Your Care and calls on MLAs to end the relationship between the Health Service and private sector providers. Transforming your Care (TYC) arrived in 2011 proclaiming a healthcare vision that would “put the patient first” and promising money to make the shift to “transformed” care easier. Since then, with regularly reported crises and forecast “transitional” monies undelivered, this rhetoric is looking increasingly hollow. Indeed when the gap between the spin and reality of TYC is exposed, the public fall-out is dramatic. This was shown in May 2013 with the threatened closure of statutory (public sector) residential care homes for the elderly. What this debacle most clearly revealed was that, where feasible, TYC makes the withdrawal of public sector provision the default position with the policy stating “there would need to be clear and specific reasons for the statutory sector to remain in this field” This means that under TYC admissions to such homes are limited and, as soon as possible, the homes’ deliberately reduced population is defined as “unsustainable”. For PR reasons, the public sector homes may not close immediately but they will not “outlive” the last residents in them for long. Simultaneously both admissions to private sector homes and funding of this sector (£53 million in 2012-2013 alone) are on the rise. Where need
exists, therefore, TYC wants it to be met by privatisation. Such an approach is not limited to this sector. In domiciliary care, the private sector is also an increasingly dominant player, benefitting from the revenue streams created by TYC’s fragmentation of service. As a consequence, we see revised criteria diminishing the importance of social care needs and patient dignity undermined by the enforcement of punitively time-limited homecare visits. This leaves Northern Ireland as the UK region with the highest number of home care visits lasting less than 30 minutes. Worse still, the health trusts suggest this time could be reduced to eight minutes. In addition, while TYC idealises “care in the home”, the “personalisation” agenda is not about “empowerment”. It is a phased withdrawal from universal provision – the antithesis of holistic healthcare. It also introduces the ethical minefield of “cash for care” into already difficult family circumstances.
In the last three years, the Belfast trust has paid out £130 million to the private sector as it and all other trusts admit to using this sector to meet ministerial waiting time targets. The worse the situation in the NHS gets, the more companies that thrive on the NHS not meeting its targets profit. This creates a situation where consultants on NHS contracts who also work for such companies can cancel their NHS appointments (thus lengthening waiting lists) while making themselves available to do this work privately. So health policy surrenders supply to those who profit from the limitation of supply. Is it any wonder a surgeon is six times more likely to cancel an appointment if they are working for us directly, rather than doing this work ‘for the NHS’ in a private capacity? What part of conflict of interest does the Health Minister not get? We predicted what would happen elsewhere in the system if A&Es closed completely or restricted their opening hours, what the consequences of a 20 per cent cut in hospital beds over the last five years would be, and have consistently highlighted the destructive effect staff shortages are having. While any major policy change takes time to work, it is clear that far from TYC’s core changes advertising its merits, they are indictments of it. This is because, behind its visionary rhetoric, it is rooted in cuts and privatisation. The “major incident” at the RVH and the necessity of three “escalation” plans being put in place at A&E depart-
ments in the first nine weeks of 2014 point to the strategic failure of current health policy. This is also a political failure, raising huge questions about the lack of accountability and scrutiny at Stormont that has allowed matters to drift to this crisis point. We accept a need for “transformed” modernised care but it must be built on a progressive foundation. It requires truly representative and democratic participation in the planning and decision-making processes within health and social care. It must not depart from the NHS’ founding principles and must end tax-payers’ debilitating subsidy of the private sector, the demands of which are indulged – PFI debt, NHS patients sent to private clinics to be treated by ‘NHS’ staff etc. – before our healthcare needs are met. In 2013, a majority in the Assembly voted against privatisation of the Health Service so MLAs have two choices: let them now honour their motion or come clean and tell voters in all of their future manifestos that they wish to privatise the NHS. The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance represents around 14,000 administrative, care and support staff working in the health and social care. The union’s policy and research report on TYC is available at: http://www.nipsa.org.uk/NIPSA-inAction/Policy-and-Research/Transforming-Your-Care
Organise to protect services, jobs, pay and pensions Private sector
This article appeared in Agenda NI editon in April.
YOU HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY...SUPPORT YOUR UNION AND YOUR COLLEAGUES