Union Post September 2010

ETUC DAY OF ACTIONNION POST

SEPTEMBER 2010

PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONSTHE

►PROTESTS NORTH, SOUTH AND ACROSS EUROPEDUBLIN

BELFAST

L’DERRY

Meet 12.30pm outside Anglo Irish Bank, Stephen’s Green.

March to rally outside Dail @ 1pm

Assemble outside City Hall @ 12.30pm

Assemble outside Guildhall @ 12.30pm

GENERAL STRIKE IN SPAIN. DEMOS IN POLAND, PORTUGAL, ITALY, LATVIA, UK,LITHUANIA, BELGIUM, CZECH REPUBLIC, CYPRUS, SERBIA, ROMANIA & FRANCE►

WEDNESDAYSEPTEMBER

29

U►FIGHT CUTS ►SAVE JOBS ► PROTECT SERVICES

RALLY1pm - 2pm

RALLY1pm - 2pm

PEOPLEPOWER

2 THE UNION POST � September 2010

UNION POST was produced by Brazier Media for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions

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What happened whenJorge met Big Jim

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€100k court payoutfor striking dockers

Reports from GlobalSolidarity Forum

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TUC congress 2010:reports and pictures18

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UNION POST

CONGRESS has slammed theCBI’s self-styled “radical blue-print” on reforming public services in Northern Irelandas ill thought through andbased on sloppy research.

Assistant general secretaryPeter Bunting, above right,claimed the proposals evendid the CBI’s own local membership “no favours”.

He said: “One in three private sector businesses inNorthern Ireland dependupon contracts from the public sector.

“Every year, the state whichthe CBI feels obliged to slashand shrink buys services andgoods from the Northern Ireland private sector worth £3 billion.”

The CBI report – Time ForAction: Delivering Public Serv-ices in a Time of Austerity –calls for sweeping reforms toGovernment departments, inparticular health, housing, education and policing and

justice. It calls for an immedi-ate pay-freeze and a revisionof pension arrangements.

The authors also want theslashing of the amount spenton legal aid, increased domes-tic rates and the introductionof water charges.

CBI Northern Ireland chairman Terence Branniganclaimed local businesses had already “taken the hit” bystreamlining, downsizing, freezing and cutting wages aswell as dealing with pensions.

He said: “We now need tosee similar action from thepublic service if NorthernIreland PLC is to achieve alevel playing field that will address the chasm that exists between the public and private sectors.”

But Mr Bunting countered these CBI arguments in a live discussion with Mr Brannigan on the BBC’s Newsline programme following the publication of the report.

In an earlier statement hesaid: “Most of the assertionsmade in this shoddy reporthave been made for years, andseem as stale as they arewrong.

“For instance, the old canard about public sectorwages being ‘higher’ thanthose in the private sector isrepeated without thought orrealization that the real paygap for Northern Ireland’s private sector workers is with their equivalents in Great Britain.

“The private sector paystoo little here, that is theproblem, and one they wantreplicated in the public sectoras well.

“If they got their way, and public sector wages wereslashed, what would happen tothe local shops and hair-dressers and builders if millions of consumer spending is removed from the economy?”

CBI BLUEPRINTRUBBISHED

CAPT COWEN ISSTEERING US TODISASTER...

THE government’s economic policy is steeringIreland towards disaster, Congress general secretary David Begg has claimed.

He insisted the current cuts strategy of aggressively reducing the budget deficit to belowthree per cent of GDP by 2014 was already causing “a downward spiral of further contractionand deflation”.

Mr Begg, who made his comments during aspeech to FETAC graduates at the National College of Ireland on September 24, posed thequestion, “What is so critical about that figureand that timescale?”

He likened the government’s decision makingto two crucial errors made on the bridge of theTitanic.

Mr Begg said: “The first error was that there were two steering systems on the ship, the operation of which required diametrically opposed operations.

“At the moment of crisis the ship’s officers

selected the wrong system and steered the shipstraight into the icebergs. The second error was to keep steaming ahead even though the infrastructure of the ship was badly damaged.”

He explained: “For over a year now Congresshas argued that the consequence of following thiscourse [the current economic policy] will be toprevent growth from re-establishing itself.”

Warning that Ireland was facing a “lost decade... just like Japan in the 1990s”, he added: “Thedata published by the CSO yesterday reveal thatthe economy is still contracting.

“If, in these circumstances, we take another €3billion – or perhaps more – out of the economyin December’s budget, we will kill the possibilityof growth reigniting.

“Like the officers of the Titanic, by steaming on,we will compound our first error with a second.

“We must slow down and change course before we do irreparable damage to the economyand society.”

3September 2010 � THE UNION POST

CONGRESS VIEW

SINCE Government TDs broke forholidays on July 8, the numbers outof work in the Republic have soaredto more than 455,000 – the highestsince the Live Register began in1967. At the same time, the Government has

already spent (or committed) €25 billion tothe banking black hole.The economic strategy of this

Government just isn’t working. We have already seen three deflationary

budgets and a fourth is looming. Taking another €3 billion out of the

economy will lead to further job losses. Pay and welfare cuts were imposed in last

year’s budget and the numbers out of workhave climbed steadily since.But Government still has no plan for jobs, or

growth: no strategy to get people back to

work or keep them working. Almost everyother EU state has a ‘job protection’ schemein place and in some countries – such as Germany – unemployment has started to fall.The final bill for the banking bailout will rise

– the bill for Anglo-Irish alone could rise to€35 billion or more. Even conservative voices such as the

Financial Times and Barclays Bank say ourbanking plan is lunacy because it places theentire burden on the taxpayer.September 29 marks the European Trade

Union Confederation Day of Action againstAusterity Measures and in support of jobs andgrowth, as unions across Europe protest at theimposition of cuts in response to the crisis. Remember on the day to join with

your brothers and sisters from Belfastto Belgrade in opposing the cutsagenda.

JOBS CUTS!NOT

THE UNION POST � September 20104

CONSTRUCTION unionUCATT has claimed an increase in the retirement agewill put manual workers at a serious disadvantage.

The warning comes after new figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics revealed that manual workerswere more than twice as likely as professional workers to die before they reach 65.

Statistics show manual workersdied before the age of 65 at arate of 407 per 100,000.

For professional and manage-rial workers the rate is 178 per100,000. The UK governmentplans to increase the retirementage to 66 by 2016 with a laterrise to 70.

UCATT general secretary AlanRitchie said: “The ONS figures prove what manual work-ers already know, that the deci-sion to raise the retirement agediscriminates against them.

“If the government had a shredof decency they would rethinktheir proposals and allow manualworkers to retire earlier, in orderto be able to enjoy their hardearned retirement.”

THE voice of the poor and mar-ginalised has been largely silencedin the current recession, it hasbeen claimed.

European Anti Poverty Net-work Ireland chairperson PhilipO’Connor warned the infrastruc-ture of services and bodies thatsupport people in poverty was“fragile and overburdened”.

Speaking at a recent booklaunch, he said: “The over 14% ofIrish people living in poverty andthose who are increasingly drift-ing into long-term unemploymenthave few advocates and littlepower.”

Mr O’Connor also pointed outthat what help that did exist hadbeen “seriously diminished” by“disproportionate cuts to vitalcommunity supports”.

UNION BODIES AGREE JOINT APPROACHREPRESENTATIVES of the Scottish, Welsh andIrish trade union congresses met with TUC officials to discuss a united response to publicsector cuts.

It was agreed that the leaders of the devolvedadministrations be called upon to underline to central government the dire consequencescutbacks will have on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the English regions.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber warnedthe Tory Lib-Dem strategy would only serve to“derail our fragile economic recovery”, while

Scottish TUC chief Grahame Smith called for analternative economic policy based on growth, investment in jobs and fair taxation.

Welsh TUC general secretary also warned ofthe danger of a double dip recession caused by“callous” UK government cuts.

Claiming the government had no mandate forwhat it was intending to do, Congress assistantgeneral secretary Peter Bunting said: “For thepeople of Northern Ireland – as in Wales, Scot-land and the English regions – these cuts are unjustified, unnecessary and undemocratic.

"The trade union movement across the UK isspeaking with one voice in saying that these unnecessary cuts can and must be resisted.

“We urge all sectors of our society, from largebusinesses to small local community groups, tounite in opposition and to support realistic andfairer alternatives to this misguided strategy.

"It is crucial that the politicians who we havevoted for, especially in the devolved regions, speakout and join with civil society in support of a better and fairer way."

CUTS CAMPAIGN

► TUC congress: p18/19

ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow has claimed pledges madeby the G20 group of nations to reform the global economy in theface of a worldwide recession havenot been followed through.

Speaking on September 7 asmillions of workers in France andIndia took part in national days ofaction, Ms Burrow said: “Workingpeople are still paying a heavy

price for the world economic crisis, as the banking and financesector returns to business asusual.

“Governments pledged major reforms to the global economy atthe G20 in 2008 and 2009, buthave failed to follow through.

“The jobs crisis, especially foryoung people, is getting worse,economic stimulus has been with-

drawn too early in several majoreconomies, and vital public services as well as developmentaid are being cut back in the nameof fiscal consolidation.

“Today’s actions in France andIndia reflect the deep anger felt bypeople around the world, and willbe followed by strikes and demon-strations in many other countries.”

THE Communications Workers'Union is launching a new websiteon October 4 to mark the start ofits national campaign in defence ofthe postal service.

The union claims this vital publicservice is being put at risk as themarket is liberalised and opened tofull competition.

www.protectyourpost.iewill explain what liberalisation willmean for Ireland and will highlightthe damaging consequences thisapproach has already had on jobsand quality of service in othercountries.

Critically, the website will featurean advocacy tool that will allow visitors to quickly send a messageof protest to their local TDs, senators and MEPs by simply clicking on their constituency.

A CWU spokesperson said:“The site is designed to make it aseasy as possible for citizens to raisetheir voice and highlight their concerns on issues that would otherwise not get the attention itdeserves – despite its importance.”

The union is also preparing an‘Easy Guide To Liberalisation’ book-let that will set out what is meant

by liberalisation.The booklet will contain post-

cards that can be sent to electedrepresentatives.

The European Parliament hasalready passed the Third Postal Directive.

It now only remains for the IrishGovernment to ensure its implementation to allow for themarket to be fully liberalised byJanuary 1, 2011.

The CWU spokesperson said:“The passage of the Third Directiveinto Irish law represents the finalchance for anyone who has an interest in protecting the Irishpostal service to influence the legislation that will dictate the kindof market and service we will havein Ireland for generations to come.

“This is, in effect, the last throwof the dice on postal liberalisationin Ireland and we can leave nothingto chance.”

According to the CWU, the mainissues surrounding the legislationare:

� How will the Universal ServiceObligation (USO) be financed afterthe monopoly that An Post uses tofinance it has been taken away?

� How will Downstream Access(which allows competitors to usethe An Post network) be managed?

� How will the legislation dealwith cherry-picking (where com-petitors only compete for prof-itable postal routes and leave theloss making routes to An Post)?

� How can the market be pro-tected from social dumping (wherecompetitors drive down employ-ment standards in the market andforce the national operator to dolikewise) which has happened inother liberalised EU postal marketsalready?

The CWU spokesperson added:“It is vital that this campaign fo-cuses on bringing our message tothe political representatives in yourlocal area and impress upon themthe vital public service that is pro-vided by An Post as well as the factthat there are potentially a hugenumber of jobs at stake if thesechanges are not carefully consid-ered.

“It is essential that everyoneplays their part for this last impor-tant battle to ensure the long-termviability of the Irish postal servicefor this and future generations.”

WEBSITE LAUNCHKICKSTARTS CWUSAVE POST DRIVE

Poor ‘silencedin the slump’

UCATT callson UK govt torethink hikein retirement

Reform pledges sidelined

September 2010 � THE UNION POST 5

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Trade unions across Europe are taking to the streets – Unite with us to defend jobs and show your opposition to the cuts

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RedundantJ&G workersget payout

SIPTU general secretary Joe O’Flynn has paidtribute to the memory and lifetime commitmentto trade unionism and the Labour movement ofRoss Connolly, who died last month, aged 83.

Speaking at the funeral Mass in Greystones, CoWicklow, on August 31, Mr O’Flynn told mourn-ers: “Ross had the proud legacy of being JamesConnolly’s grandson but as long as I knew him, henever once traded on that famous connection.

“Instead, Ross worked and organised to achievethe aims that his grandfather lived and died for –a socialist republic that cherished all of its citizensequally and with fairness and justice.”

Describing Mr Connolly as a “man of great wis-dom” who people listened to, Mr O’Flynn added:“He was a champion of workers and their familiesusing his many talents as a trade unionist andlabour activist to improve conditions at work andin the greater society.

“Ross had a great intellect and he was a finescribe. But most of all he was a man with a bigheart and a deep and caring compassion.”

CONGRESS president Jack O’Connor has pre-dicted the media hype around the bond auctionwill be used to justify another savage round ofbudget cuts.

Describing such coverage as “totally unneces-sary” and “exactly as we expected”, he claimedmarket speculators knew “they were on to a surething” with Irish government bonds.

Mr O’Connor pointed out that – despite fearsstoked up from some quarters – the successfulauction was 2.9 times over-subscribed “exactly tothe same degree as the June auction of bonds”.

He said: “They successfully extracted the lastcent in terms of interest premium in the confi-dent knowledge that our economy is well capableof honouring the debt.”

Mr O’Connor now fears “the purveyors of thehair-shirt” will be “armed with justification” for“the most savage budget in modern times”.

But he insisted this was “exactly the last thingwe need. Indeed it is even bad for the speculatorson the money markets.

“What we need is government vision andcourage to develop a coherent plan for recoverythrough sustainable investment in the economy.”

Tribute to Ross – aworkers’ champion

Media ‘hype’ overbonds issue lashed

AROUND 60 workers maderedundant in January havebeen awarded 90 days backpay by an industrial tribunal.

East Belfast-based electricalcontractors J&G Engineeringhad debts of approximately£2.3m when it went into liqui-dation just after Christmas.

An industrial tribunal heldthe firm broke employmentlaw by failing to consult withits workforce.

The company was told topay employees the full 90-dayperiod of consultation, whichshould be carried out whenemployers dismiss 20 or moreworkers.

The case was brought byUNITE after employees weremade redundant withoutwarning.

The tribunal backed theunion's claim that J&G Engi-neering had breached its dutyto consult the workers andhad taken "no steps at all toprovide any consultation".

It found "no evidence of anyspecial circumstances in exis-tence to mitigate the failure".

The judgment covers all thesacked workers, includingnon-union members.

UNITE representativeJackie Pollock said: "This goesto show what unions can doon behalf of their memberswhen they pursue these typesof cases.

"The tribunal agreed thatJ&G Engineering had failed toconsult with its workers.

"The Department of Em-ployment & Learning will nowpay up to eight weeks pay tothe former workers at J&G."

WORKERS in Los Angeles tookto streets last month to demandUS government action over jobsafter the unemployment rate edgedup to 9.6%. AFL-CIO presidentRichard Trumka, left, said: “It's timefor our leaders to fight to create

jobs, reject unfair trade deals andput us on a path to make

things in America again.”Picture: AFL-CIO


Jobs andnot cutsmust bepriority

UNITE warnsof jobs crisis

IRISH teaching unions have welcomed a new OECDreport which flagged up the “economic and socialbenefits of education” but also pinpointed “damning”evidence about the level of investment by successiveIrish governments in the sector.

ASTI general secretary Pat King said the reportonce again confirmed the importance education playsin “keeping individuals in the labour force” as well as“upgrading their employability” and “meeting the demand for skilled labour”.

However, he noted that out of 31 countries sur-veyed, the Republic’s level of investment of just 4.7%of GDP exceeded only Italy and the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Mr King said: “The average level of OECD invest-ment is 5.7% of GDP.

“Given that these figures relate to 2007 – beforethe crisis – they are an even bigger indictment of thefailure of successive governments to build the educa-tional infrastructure necessary for the knowledgeeconomy.”

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland also claimed the report highlighted the continuing failure by Irish governments to invest meaningfully in education during the boom years.

General secretary Peter MacMenamin said: “TheOECD findings are extremely damning. Ireland languishes in the relegation zone of a table of countries based on the proportion of national wealth spent on education.”

Meanwhile, Mr King pointed out that Ireland’steachers provided good “value for money” with onlysix countries out of 31 having a lower teacher salary

cost per student as a percentage of GDP per capita –a point echoed by the TUI chief. Mr MacMenaminsaid: “The report also endorses the work of Irishteachers, who teach 735 hours per annum comparedwith European average of 661 hours.”

According to INTO general secretary SheilaNunan, the OECD survey also showed how Irish primary school teachers were “among the most productive in the EU”.

She said: “Irish primary teachers do 152 hoursmore teaching per year than the EU average.

“Irish primary teachers teach on average 20% morepupils than their EU counterparts and Irish pupils getmore lesson time in primary school than in any EUcountry – nearly twice as much as in Finland andGermany.”

Mr King insisted that it was vital the “undisputedrelationship” between “educational attainment” and“participation in the labour market” be recognised bythe government.

He added: “It is therefore more vital than ever toprotect education in the next budget. Schools mustnot be forced to drop programmes which preventearly school leaving, a sure route to unemploymentand long-term welfare dependency.”

Ms Nunan also claimed the report showed opposi-tion to education cuts was entirely justified.

She added: “Irish primary education is significantlyunderfunded and under-resourced.

“Teachers and parents are rightly outraged whenthey see less than adequate funding for the educationof young children being cut in order to rescue failedeconomic policies.”

Unions: OECD report givestop marks to our teachers ... but govt gets the cane!

Reaction: Sheila Nunan, INTO, Pat King, ASTI, and TUI’s Peter MacMenamin

THE IRISH government is failingnewcomer children, the INTOhas warned.

It claimed cutbacks in thenumber of English languageteachers took no account of theneeds of this group of pupils.

The union said it had manyexamples of schools where thenumber of pupils without English was increasing while thenumber of teachers was beingcut.

General secretary Sheila

Nunan said: “Two years teach-ing is only enough for childrento develop surface understand-ing of a language and conversa-tional competence.

“To get to a standard wherenewcomer children can learnsubjects like science and geog-raphy through English takes afurther five to seven years.”

She pointed out that becauseclass sizes in Irish primaryschools are the second highestin Europe, newcomer children

did not get enough opportunityto socially interact with nativespeakers. Slamming the lack ofteacher training in the area, sheadded: “Other countries aretraining their teachers for thesejobs. We are putting them onthe dole.

“Current government policyhas nothing to do with meetingchildren’s English languageneeds. It is a crude mechanismto cut jobs from primary schoolsand nothing else.”

INTO: Govt is failing newcomer children

Pictures: INTO/TUI/ASTI

CONGRESS economic advisor PaulSweeney has blasted the Irish government for getting its prioritieswrong by concentrating on budgetcuts rather than on saving and creating jobs.

He made his comments on September 21 after new figures revealed a doubling in the numberof long-term unemployed in the Republic.

Describing it as a “very seriousand disturbing trend”, Mr Sweeneysaid: “It shows quite clearly thatgovernment has got its prioritiescompletely wrong.

“Jobs – not cuts – must be thepriority if we are to have any hopeof recovery.”

The figures were contained in the Central Statistics Quarterly National Household Survey, whichshowed a virtual doubling in thenumbers out of work for more thana year.

The long-term unemploymentrate now stands at 5.9% – up from2.6% last year.

Mr Sweeney added: “That figurerepresents an awful lot of hardshipfor an awful lot of people and is justone more sign that governmentneeds to change course.

“Instead of banks and cutbacks,they need to be focusing on peopleand jobs.”

UNITE has urged the governmentto address the jobs crisis that isthreatening to engulf the state.

Speaking on September 1 as newfigures revealed another jump in thenumber of those without a job, regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said:“Today we have seen unemploymentrise to 13.8 per cent, retail sales fallmonth on month and year on yearagain, and we now have as many asone in 20 mortgages in arrears ofmore than 90 days.

“These are real problems, causedby unemployment and affectingevery family and every street in Ireland.

“And yet the Cabinet engrossesitself in further deliberation onswingeing cuts in public expenditureto fund further bank bailouts.

“Any hope that a summer of reflection on the part of ministersmight have awakened a sense of responsibility and prompted real action appears to have been forlorn.

“The government needs to actswiftly and decisively to bring thehaemorrhaging bank crisis undercontrol and then concentrate on the real world imperative of maintaining and creating employment through imaginative infrastructure projects that willstand to us for generations.”


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CONGRESS has described a recent EuropeanCourt of Justice ruling on pension service contracts as another setback for workers.

The judgment, concerning a case brought bythe EU Commission against Germany, means thatabove a certain threshold, public sector social partners cannot, on their own accord,award service contracts for their occupationalpensions.

The Commission had argued local authoritiesawarding such contracts on the basis of the selection criteria agreed under the collectiveagreements violated EU public procurement directives.

Despite substantial legislative underpinning forthe practice, the ECJ found that Germany had infringed the directive and ruled that a call fortender must be advertised at EU level.

Congress legal and social affairs officer EstherLynch said: “It is never certain how far-reachingthese judgments willbe, but it is difficult toescape the impressionthat staff in the Com-mission’s DG internalmarket are actively pursuing procurementcases before the European Court to undermine collectiveagreements.

“They see collectivebargaining as limitingcompetition but theyforget that competitionlaw was supposed tobenefit consumers, citizens, workers and their families – not maketheir situation worse.

“Restricting the unions’ and employers’ possi-bility to select the pension provider could createuncertainty for the employees.

“In the end it is their money, so it is difficult tosee why the ECJ ruled that public procurementlaw should apply.”

This case is the latest in a series of negativejudgments for workers and underlines the needfor a social progress clause in EU treaties as hasbeen demanded by the ETUC.

Congress has also argued that it is now timeto amend EU public procurement rules so thatthey recognise collective bargaining as well as fairand ethical business practices and move the em-phasis away from competition on price.

A spokesperson added: “Otherwise we willhave a rat race to the bottom.”

Pensionsruling at EU court is setback for workers

Esther Lynch

CONGRESS president Jack O’Connor, above,has called for the scrapping of the discred-ited value system that led to the economiccrash.

He made his comments in a debate onentrepreneuriship in the public sector at theRichard Cantillon School in Tralee, Co Kerry,on September 9.

Mr O’Connor, who is also general presi-dent of SIPTU, insisted that speculation andentrepreneurship should not be confusedand contrasted the “beggars on horseback”who had brought the country to its kneeswith true innovators.

Flagging up the need for change, he saidit was now essential to mobilise the “collec-tively owned resources of society” – thesemi-state enterprises – to rescue the economy after the collapse of private investment.

This could best be achieved by setting upa state holding company that could free upcapital for innovation and investment.

Mr O’Connor said: “When you boil it alldown, our self-styled entrepreneurial cultureincentivised speculation while starving innovation.”

He added that is was unclear if the neces-sary lessons had been learned from thecrash.

“I think we need, as a society, to come toterms with weaknesses more profoundthan inadequate regulation or greedybankers and short-sighted politicians.

“We have to address the value systemthat promoted and facilitated this malignstrategy that has crippled Irish society.

“It was a value system that resulted in theelection of governments that prized specu-lation and starved innovation over threesuccessive general elections and that gloried in private affluence while ignoringpublic squalor.

“It is a value system that venerated thosewho displayed the contempt for their fellowcitizens, particularly those who worked forthem – and our democratic institutions forthat matter – a value system that seemedto have a penchant for elevating the mostobnoxious elements in society, confusingavarice with acumen and excess withentrepreneurship.”

Warning that “the day of reckoning mustcome” for those who had created the crisisand had since been insulated from its effects, Mr O’Connor added: “Those withreal wealth, who didn’t lose it all on the equity markets, have to be asked to make a contribution.”

He continued: “They key to recovery is thedevelopment of a credible plan which hasthe potential to mobilise the entire re-sources of the nation, which offers not justa coherent vision of the future but theprospect of establishing a truly sustainableeconomy and a fairer and more just society.

“I am confident that there is a way out ofthe current debacle and that entrepreneur-ship in both the private and public sector iscritical to it.

“But to achieve that we must address the fundamental deficiencies in our value system that has repeatedly confused beggars on horseback with entrepreneurs.”

Picture: Congress

The value system that led to crashmust be changed


Communications Workers’ Union

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To have a voice in the workplace

Improving the working lives of people in the following industries:Telecoms, Postal, Courier, I.T., Engineering, Call Centre,

Managerial, General Communications Industry

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Mandatehits out at IBEC’sminimumwage callMANDATE has dubbed IBEC’s call to“tackle” the minimum wage “irresponsibleand counterproductive”.

In responding to the employers’ group callfor the minimum wage to be brought intoline with the EU average, general secretaryJohn Douglas said: “IBEC is fully aware thatcomparing the Irish national minimum wagewith that of other European countries is likecomparing apples with oranges.

“We have very different economic and social systems in Ireland. Our VAT rate ishigher, our cost of living is higher and our income tax is lower.”

Citing a recent National CompetitivenessCouncil report that flagged up the high costof utilities in Ireland, Mr Douglas added:“IBEC would be better served focusing theirattentions on bringing these charges into linewith other European countries rather thangoing after the easy targets – low paid workers.”

Mr Douglas also lashed IBEC’s cherry-picking of EU data.

He said: “We don’t hear them calling forthe corporate tax rate to be brought backinto line with other European countries.

“Or for income taxes to be increased tosupplement lower paid workers as they doin some European countries.

“Rather they are calling for the lowestpaid sector in the economy to take furtherhits following increased hospital charges andthe withdrawal of dental and optical benefitsamong other public sector cutbacks.

“At the same time, the implementation ofthe income levy has already reduced the realvalue of the minimum wage to €8.48 perhour from €8.65 and I would hasten to pointout that it hasn’t been increased since July2007 – over three years ago.”

NURSES working in mental health are coming under “extreme pressure” at workwith a resulting impact on patient services,SIPTU has claimed.

It follows an admission by the HSE at a conference in Dublin on September 16 thatno new funding had been provided for mentalhealth services in 2008 or 2010.

SIPTU national nursing official LouiseO’Reilly said the disclosure was made againstthe backdrop of a recent rise in suicide rates.

She added: “Nurses working in the mentalhealth services are coming under extremepressure and the HSE mantra of ‘do morewith less’ is going to impact on patients.

“It is no surprise that the dramatic fall inspending comes at a time when suicide ratesare escalating.”

HSE’s admissionon mental health


UNITE has slammed David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ initiative as a throwback to a 1950sBritain that never existed.

The union – which has 60,000 members in the not-for-profit sector in the UK – claimed itwas “smoke and mirrors” for “an avalanche ofprivatisation under the Tories”.

National officer Rachael Maskell added: “Volun-teering is not a replacement for jobs. Charitiesstill need professional skills and good managers.

“And if we want the sector to add quality thenwell-trained professionals need to do this.”

Cam’s Big Society‘smoke & mirrors’

GMB security siteto monitor attacksTHE GMB has launched a new website as part of its SafeGuard campaign in a bid to reduce thenumber of attacks on security staff at work.

Security guards can access the site at www.gmb-security.org.uk and log details of violent incidents in the workplace.

According to the union, in the past two years1,500 security staff working at just 35 companiesin the UK suffered injury as a result of being attacked while on duty.

That is just a snapshot of the overall problem –there are more than 600 firms in the sector.

GMB is also asking all UK security firms to signthe GMB SafeGuard Charter committing them toact to tackle the attacks on 350,000 licensed security staff in the course of their work.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber hasdubbed a CBI call for the tightening of UK labourlaws a “demolition job” on workers’ rights and “a charter for exploitation”.

His comments follow the recent publication ofa CBI report ‘Making Britain the Place to Work’.

The report’s authors urged the Con-Lib Demgovernment to tighten further the already strin-gent rules over balloting for industrial action aswell as slash the consultation period for collec-tive redundancies from 90 to just 30 days.

Justifying the call, CBI deputy director-generalJohn Cridland said: “Strikes cause misery... Strikesalso cost the economy dearly and undermine ourefforts to help rebuild the economy.

“That is why we believe the bar needs to beraised, so strike action is not possible unless 40per cent of the workforce has actively voted towithdraw its labour.”

TUC chief Brendan Barber pointed that the UK already had some of the toughest legal restrictions on the right to strike in the advanced world.

He said: “The courts regularly strike downdemocratic ballots that clearly show majoritysupport for action. The number of days lost to industrial action is historically low and less thanin many other countries.

“Any further restrictions would be extremelyunfair and almost certainly breach the UK's international human rights obligations.

“While we expect the CBI to lobby againstrights at work, please spare us the hypocrisy of pretending that a cut in the period for consultation over redundancy is for the benefit of employees.”

CBI tightenstrike lawcall lashed

When Jorge met Jim...COLOMBIAN trade union leader JorgeGamboa gives a clenched fist salute nextto a picture of legendary Irish trade unionchief Jim Larkin.

The picture was taken during his visit toIreland in May. At the time, Jorge – whohas survived an assassination attempt –said: “I know that I risk my life by being

an active trade unionist, but there is noalternative if we want to change life tothe better in Colombia.

“I want my two sons to live in a futureColombia which is built on peace and justice.” Jim Larkin would certainly haveapproved of those sentiments...

Picture: Congress

UNISON and PCS have vowed to forge apowerful nationwide alliance to fight the UKcoalition government’s cuts to jobs and services.

It mirrors an already close working relation-ship the PCS has with NIPSA in Northern Ireland where both unions work together tooppose cuts and attacks on civil service termsand conditions of service.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON,insisted this was no “paper policy” but an “alliance with teeth”.

He said: “Working together we can build aneffective fighting machine to combat the cutsand protect vital jobs and services.

“And, when the circumstances are right, wewill take action together.

"Across the country UNISON will workwith the PCS to promote an alternative eco-nomic vision to the Con Dems’ monosyllabiccuts agenda.

“We want to build a fairer future for all, not

just a haven for the super-rich." PCS generalsecretary Mark Serwotka added: "The million-aires in David Cameron's cabinet insist that weare 'all in this together'.

“But low-paid public sector workers andother vulnerable members of our society donot share this view when they can see the government's plans seek to punish them for the mistakes of bankers and financial speculators.

"Our alliance with UNISON is a crucial first step towards building the kind of united opposition that will be needed to oppose thegovernment's spending cuts.

The unions, representing 1.7 million workersacross the UK, are setting up a national liaisongroup to promote joint activity and co-ordi-nate a national campaign together.

The group will work with the TUC and co-ordinate public sector alliances across central and local government.

UNISON and PCS forgea united front on cuts


EMPLOYMENT standards set out in the EUWorking Time Directive are being undermined inmany Irish workplaces, it has been claimed.

Congress legal and social affairs officer EstherLynch made the comment at a recent meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs.

She told TDs the key goal of the directive wasto protect employees from risks posed by “longand irregular working hours”.

Ms Lynch said that now that the Charter ofFundamental Rights was legally binding, unionsshould be “given the tools” to negotiate betterworking times and schedules.

She also warned that some employers wereresponding to the recession by pressurisingemployees to work harder and longer for theirwages.

“This is particularly the case where salaries arebased on commission.

“Instead of the employer resetting sales targetsto more realistic and achievable levels, workersare being pressurised to work longer hours,many of which are not recorded as they are considered to be employees ‘who control theirown hours’.”

Ms Lynch underlined that this practice ofworking “excessive and unpaid” hours was notlimited to the private sector.

She said: “The economic crisis is giving a partic-ular edge to the debate on working time, withunemployment on the increase the logical thingto do is to promote solutions which keep asmany workers as possible in employment, ratherthan putting pressure on some workers to worklonger hours.”

The committee was also told of Congress’concern over the increasing casualisation of employment involving “excessively flexible, unpredictable and precarious working timearrangements, where employees do not knowfrom one week to the next what hours they willbe working”.

Ms Lynch said: “Employers not only demandexcessive flexibility from their workforce theyalso treat unsocial working hours as if it was nineto five.

“They want to pay the same flat rate no matterwhat day or what time the person is working at.

“All of which can lead to increased stress andillnesses, directly related to lack of control overone’s work and life because the worker is tryingto earn a living wage. These must be addressed inany review of the Working Time legislation.”

She told TDs Congress was seeking seekinglegislation placing a duty on employers to:

� Provide reasonable notice of changes inworking arrangements,

� Take seriously employee requests to alterworking time,

� Restrict circumstances in which employerscan refuse such requests to specified limited objective reasons, and

� Oblige employers to provide information onthe availability of part-time and full-time positionsin the workplace to help facilitate transfers fromfull-time to part-time work, or vice versa.

Citing in particular the Jaeger andStringer/Schultz-Hoff decisions, Ms Lynch high-lighted unions’ concern that EU rules and Euro-pean Court of Justice rulings were being ignoredwhere the outcome was favorable to workers.

She added: “It is worth pointing out here thatwith the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, theCharter of Fundamental Rights has becomelegally binding.

“Article 31 of the Charter provides that ‘everyworker has the right to working conditions thatrespect his or her health, safety and dignity’ and‘that every worker has the right to limitation ofmaximum working hours, to daily and weeklyrest and to an annual period of paid leave’.”

She pointed out that the ‘individual opt out’was clearly incompatible with Article 31 andwarned that the health and safety of workers“cannot be subordinated to purely economic orfinancial considerations”.

TDs warned over Work Time Directive

DOCKERS who were strikefor more than seven monthsat Marine Terminals earlierthis year have been awardedover €100,000 by the SocialWelfare Tribunal.

The decision was wel-comed by the Marine Portand General Workers sectionof SIPTU who dubbed it amajor victory for the strikers.

They were on the picketline from July 2, 2009, untilFebruary 19 this year.

During the dispute the

workers would have been entitled to €200 a weekstrike pay.

The average award per person is €6,000, and is madeunder Section 68 (1) and/orSection 147 (2) of the SocialWelfare (Consolidation Act)2005.

SIPTU organiser Oliver McDonagh described thepeople involved in the disputeas “young family men andwomen with mortgages andother regular payments to

meet”. He said: “They wereput through financial hell during their eight months onthe picket line.

“During the strike theywere informed that they werenot entitled to any social welfare payments.”

“So the union decided tomake an appeal to the SocialWelfare Tribunal on thegrounds the company did notproperly utilise the disputeresolution machinery of theState.”

Picture: Paula Geraghty

Strikers get €100k payout

MORE than three quarters of health and socialcare workers in Northern Ireland – 86% – feeltheir role makes a real difference to patients.

The snapshot survey of 17,500 staff carried outlast November and December also showed thattwo thirds of respondents – 68% – said they hadworked more than their contracted hours in thepreceeding 12 months.

In the research, conducted by the Departmentof Health, Social Services and Public Safety, mem-bers of staff were asked about their working lives.The survey found:

� 77% said that they had an interesting job,� 80% said that they were satisfied with the

quality of care they delivered to patients, and� 68% said that they had worked more than

their contracted hours, with 83% of those claim-ing the reason they did so was to provide thebest care they could for patients.

Welcoming the findings, Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: "This surveydemonstrates the high level of commitment anddedication of staff working in our health and social care organisations.”

Worryingly, the survey also showed that 15%had experienced physical violence at work in2009. A further 22% said they had experiencedharassment, bullying or abuse from patients andservice users during the same period.

Health workers feelthey make difference

INMO backing fornew safety driveTHE Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation haswelcomed the ‘Patient Safety First’ initiativelaunched by Irish Health Minister Mary Harneyon September 23.

The drive is aimed at improving the safety andquality of healthcare services.

General secretary Liam Doran formally signedup for the initiative on behalf of the union alongwith other stakeholders.

He said: “The organisation, having indicated itssupport today by signing up for the initiative,looks forward to working with all of the otherstakeholders in ensuring every aspect of this initiative has a constant presence in every action taken when delivering health care to patients/clients.”


True joblessrate ‘couldbe nearer20 per cent’ IRELAND’S “true unemploy-ment” rate could be close to20%, Congress economic advisor Paul Sweeney hasclaimed.

Responding to the releaseof new Central Statistics Of-fice figures on the number ofjobless last month, he saidthey “significantly underesti-mate the 'true' level of unemployment and thus thescale of the social and eco-nomic devastation in commu-nities across the country.”

Mr Sweeney continued:"When you add in the tens ofthousands who have beenforced to emigrate, the tensof thousands who have stayedin or returned to educationfor the same reason and themany thousands who wantfull-time work but can onlyget part-time or casual jobs,you get a more accurate picture of the scale of theproblem and its huge socialimpact.

"Taking those numbers into account, the true unemployment figure couldbe close to 20%.”

He pointed out that theCSO itself had calculated this rate – comprised of the unemployed and “discouragedworkers” – as having risen to 17%.

Mr Sweeney added: "Con-gress believes the figure is actually higher. We need amajor reordering of govern-ment priorities with peopleplaced firmly before banksand private profit.

“Their deflationary policiesare taking money out of theeconomy and destroyingjobs.”

Number-cruncher: Paul Sweeney

THE Public and Commercial Servicesunion has claimed Revenue bosseshave underestimated how much taxis being left uncollected in the UK.

HM Revenue and Customs an-nounced on September 17 that £42billion in tax was uncollected in2009/10 – but, according to PCS, thisfigure is wide of the mark – by astaggering £90 billion. General

secretary Mark Serwotka, right, said:“We have long argued the totalamount of uncollected tax is in factcloser to £130 billion – £28 billion ofwhich is made up of taxes which areknown to be owed.

“Starting to collect these massivesums lost to our economy everyyear would be a major contributionto the alternative to the govern-

ment’s devastating plans to cut publicspending.”

He added that it was clear “insufficent resources” were beingfunnelled towards collecting the tax.

In fact, Mr Serwotka, flagged uphow in the five years since HMRCwas formed, 30,000 jobs had gone –most of them directly responsiblefor tax collection.

PCS: £90bn unpaid tax bombshell

Pict

ure:

PCS


MORE THAN 20,000 people a yearin the UK are killed prematurely bytheir work, a new TUC report hasclaimed.

Analysis contained in The CaseFor Health And Safety, published inearly September, found that theequivalent of the entire populationof the Orkney Islands die early dueto conditions such as occupationalcancers, lung disorders, exposure tofumes and chemicals and fatal trafficaccidents.

Researchers also revealed that 1.2 million working people in theUK believe they are suffering from a work-related illness.

These illnesses include heart disease, stress, musculoskeletal disorders such as back, shoulder andneck pain, and mental health issuessuch as depression and anxiety.

www.tuc.org.uk/extras/the_case_for_health_and_safety.pdf

A NEW study has shown 85% of USworkers rank workplace safety astheir top concern on the shopfloor.

However, researchers working onbehalf of the University of Chicagoalso found that the general publicand media often overlook the terrible personal consequences forvictims and their families.

Tom W Smith, director of thepolling firm NORC that carried outthe study, said: “Workplace safety is too often ignored or accidentstaken for granted.

“It is striking media coverage and public opinion polls virtually ignored the 11 workers killed by the blowout and destruction of BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in April.”

CONGRESS has welcomed new figures that show a fall in the number of workplace deaths inNorthern Ireland.

Reacting to figures contained inthe Health & Safety Executive forNorthern Ireland’s annual report, assistant general secretary PeterBunting said: “The 60% reduction inworkplace deaths is a significant improvement, and shows the realhuman value of agencies, employersand trade unions co-operating forsafer work environments.

“However, we should pause andremember that six workers werekilled while doing their duty to theirfamilies – by putting bread on thetable.

“Each fatality is more than a statis-tic. They are missed by their friendsand families and they deserve to beremembered and vindicated.”

Mr Bunting also noted the willing-ness of the courts “to aggressivelypursue employers who, through negligence or meanness, contributeto the killing or wounding of aworker” and paid tribute to theHSENI for their role in creatingsafer workplaces.

60% drop inwork deathswelcomed

Work safety topconcern in US

20,000 die earlybecause of work

CONGRESS president Jack O'Connor gave delegates anemotional report of his recentvisit to Colombia.

He had travelled there duringthe summer as part of an inter-national delegation that includedseveral trade union leaders andMEPs.

Newly-elected Colombianpresident Juan Manuel Santosmet with the delegation and informed them the overall situation regarding human andtrade union rights was much improved in recent years.

However, this view was com-pletely contradicted at manysubsequent meetings the delega-tion had with local union leadersand human rights lawyers and activists.

Mr O'Connor insisted thetruth was that situation on theground was worse than beforeand pointed out that more tradeunionists had been killed so farthis year than last year.

At the same time, the Colom-bian government had been extremely active lobbying tospread a positive view abroad toensure the approval of the FreeTrade Agreements with both EUand US.

Mr O'Connor told delegateshe had asked to meet with Min-ister for Foreign Affairs MichealMartin to relate his own first-hand account of what was reallyhappening in Colombia.

He recalled how he had visitedas part of the delegation themass grave in La Macarena – amunicipality 280km south of Bogota.

The grave contained morethan 2,000 corpses allegedlytaken there by the army and"identified" as combat casualties.

The shocking truth is thatthese were the remains of com-pletely innocent victims killed bysoldiers and right-wing vigilantes.

According to reports, theywere then dressed in guerrilla

uniforms and photographed soas to look as if they had beenkilled in combat. Jack O'Connormet with several parents whofor many months had been look-ing for their missing sons anddaughters only to finally knowthe horrible truth after the discovery of the mass grave.

Liam Craig Best, of Justice ForColombia, spoke about hisgroup’s campaign against theFree Trade Agreement betweenEU and Colombia.

He emphasised Congress'lobby work on this issue and saidIreland is the first country whereall the MEPs had signed theirnames in support of the tradeunions' position against theagreement.

Mr Best also spoke in favour ofa campaign to free political pris-oners, who were active tradeunionists, in Colombia and askedCongress to "adopt" some politi-cal prisoners and start a cam-paign for their release.

THINKING

Mass grave is testimony torights abuses in Colombia

Horror: Congress president Jack O’Connor recalls his recent visit to the mass grave in La Macarena


Pictures: Congress

� INTERNATIONAL trade union solidarity and climate change topped the agenda at Congress’s Global Solidarity Forum held last month in

Dublin. Trade unionists from across Ireland gathered at the ASTI head office on August 27 and 28 to hear contributions from a number of overseas speakers. In her opening remarks, Congress assistant generalsecretary Sally Ann Kinahan underlined how hard the economic crisis hadimpacted on the global south, where millions of people have been forcedinto extreme poverty after losing their jobs. She underlined how importantinternational solidarity work was and told delegates she was heartened tosee so many trade unionists at the gathering.

FORUM participants listened to feedbackfrom the ITUC’s Second World Congressheld in Vancover in June.

Owen Tudor from the TUC deliveredthe report which was followed by a livelydiscussion that centred on how the inter-national trade union movement could bestcommunicate with its grassroots.

Georgios Altintzis, of the ITUC, spokeabout the absolute necessity for tradeunionists to involve themselves in climatechange activism.

He highlighted ITUC World Congress'resolution on this issue and the impor-tance of a just transition to green jobs andenergy.

Mr Altintzis also welcomed the fact thatthe letter of Congress Global SolidarityCommittee had been approved by the Executive Council on the setting up of anICTU working group on these issues.

Colin Roche, representing the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, spoke aboutcampaign and lobbying work undertakenby his group in Ireland.

He noted that the coalition had 30member organisations – but not a singletrade union member.

Mr Roche underlined how important itwas for union to get involved in the issue.

Moira Leydon concluded the Forumpointing out that Congress' Global Solidar-ity work had developed in recent years,with its focus on both development educa-tion and concrete international tradeunion solidarity work.

Climatechange isvital issuefor unions

THE first day of the Forum concluded with asession on Palestine and Congress' campaign for Boycott, Divestment andSanctions – or BDS – against Israel.

Mags O'Brien, of SIPTU, gave some back-ground on the subject detailing a reportfrom the ICTU delegation that visited Pales-tine/Israel in November 2007 and the mo-tions supporting BDS at Congress' BiennialDelegates Conferences in 2007 and 2009.

Assistant general secretary Sally Anne Kinahan presented the plans so far for Con-gress' BDS campaign. Owen Tudor, who

heads up the TUC’s International Depart-ment, spoke about the TUC’s work on boycotting products produced in the illegalsettlements. This position was adopted aspolicy by the TUC at congress last year.

Several participants underlined the impor-tance of Congress' BDS campaign and inparticular how it had to move on “from decision to concrete action”.

Freda Hughes, who chairs the IrelandPalestine Solidarity Campaign, and HilaryMinch of SADAKA, both gave their full back-ing to the BDS campaign.

THE Forum held a session on the Clean ClothesCampaign.

Participants were shown a film – ‘Race To TheBottom’ – about the extreme exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh.

Milan Begocevic, right, spoke on behalf of theClean Clothes Campaign in Sweden.

Mr Begocevic, a shop steward in the IF Metallunion, gave a comprehensive presentation of theCCC work carried out in Sweden.

In particular, he stressed the value of forging abroad alliance between unions, NGOs and youthorganisations.

He said that both the retail workers' unionHandels and the metal workers' union IF Metallhad gained much understanding of the issue andfurther strengthened their solidarity work due to their involvement in the Clean Clothes Campaign.

Mr Begocevic said: “The CCC in Sweden isdedicated to improving working conditions andsupporting the empowerment of workers in thegarment and sportswear industry in the globalsouth.

“Local groups of CCC are focused on educat-ing and mobilising consumers in Sweden.

“When consumers demand that their clothesand sportswear is produced under decent workconditions, things can start to change.”

He added that CCC-Sweden, and especially thetrade union member organisations, is lobbyingSwedish firms such as IKEA and H&M, asking

them to respect workers' rights. Mr Begocevicalso spoke about his own visit to garment work-ers in Cambodia. He said that he knew beforethat they were poor and exploited, but what hewitnessed was much worse than he had expected.

He claimed the experience gave him a greatdeal of motivation to continue his work in theClean Clothes Campaign.

Following Mr Begocevic's presentation, thepreparatory group of the Irish CCC networkmade a series of short statements – Kate Nolan,on behalf of the ethical fashion group Re-Dress;Alison Leahy, on behalf of the development NGOComhlamh; Brian Forbes, on behalf of MANDATE;and Stellan Hermansson on behalf of ICTUGlobal Solidarity.

A short message was read from Trocaire, thefifth member organisation in the Irish CCC net-work, whose representative could not be present.The preparatory group is planning to launch theIrish Clean Clothes Campaign on October 7 –the World Day for Decent Work.

Call for concrete action

Sweden’sCCC drive

GLOBALLYITUC’s Georgios Altintzis at the Forum


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�

Don’t hitlow paidin budgetMANDATE has called on theIrish government to ensurethose on low incomes are pro-tected in December’s Budget.

It came after the unionclaimed the latest economic datapublished on September 10backed up its view that low income earners are being putunder the most pressure by therecession.

General secretary John Dou-glas said: “Earnings figures fromthe Central Statistics Officeshow that the weekly earnings ofthe lowest paid workers in theeconomy – clerical, sales andservice staff – fell by 5.9% in theyear to the first quarter of 2010.

“Average weekly earnings forsuch staff are now less than€470 per week and work out ataround €24,000 per year.

“Ironically, while the incomesof the lowest paid workers arefalling lower than others withinthe economy, the pressure theyare experiencing from risingprices is the greatest.

“As a result, lower-paid work-ers are being caught the hardestin the pincer movement of declining incomes and increasingcosts.

“This is why Mandate is callingon the government to ensurethat those on low incomes sufferno further declines through welfare cuts or increased taxation in December’s Budget.”

Budget call: John Douglas

A RECENT study has predicteda decade of “gloom” ahead inthe North as a result of publicsector cuts.

The authors of the report –commissioned by NICVA –claimed Northern Ireland will beparticularly hard hit because 31%of the workforce are public servants as against a UK averageof 25%.

The sector is facing swingeingcuts of £1.2bn over the next fiveyears.

Stormont Finance MinisterSammy Wilson has already out-lined £367m cuts throughoutthis year, but unions and workersare braced for the axe to fall inthe autumn under the Compre-hensive Spending Review.

NI decadeof gloom

Long hoursmake us illWORKERS in the UK are suf-fering physical pain as well asstress from working long hours,not taking lunch breaks andgoing to work when they aresick, new research has revealed.

A survey commissioned byphysios’ union CSP found that aquarter of employees regularlywork all day without a break –and more than half said theyoften went to work whenstressed or physically unwell.

Almost half of the workforce(46%) had physical pains causedby working in the same positionfor long hours, while 41% ofemployees said they were toobusy with work to exercise regularly.

FEEDBACKYOUR VIEWS MATTER. EMAIL:[email protected]

Ramze Shihab Ahmed, a 68-year-old, London-based UK national,has been detained in Iraq without charge or trial since December2009.

Amnesty International is asking people to write to UK ForeignSecretary William Hague, urging him to pressure the Iraqi govern-ment to either release Ramze Shihab Ahmed, or charge him with arecognised criminal offence and give him a fair trial.

Ramze alleges that he has been repeatedly tortured – includingbeing suffocated with a plastic bag, suspended by his ankles andgiven electric shocks to sensitive parts of his body – while held atIraq’s Muthanna prison between December 2009 and April 2010.He was forced to sign a confession incriminating him in involve-ment in terrorist acts.

He had returned to Iraq on November 9. 2009, hoping to securethe release of his son 'Omar from detention. 'Omar had been ar-rested at the beginning of September 2009 in Mosul, in northernIraq, along with about 380 other people.

Ramze was arrested by Iraqi security officials on December 7,2009. None of his family knew where he was being held untilMarch 25, 2010, when he managed to call his wife from prison.

He told her he was being held in a secret prison in the old al-Muthanna airport in Baghdad and that she should alert theBritish authorities straight away.

His case is sadly not unique. A recent Amnesty International report describes how an estimated 30,000 detainees are currentlyheld without trial in Iraq, often in secret prisons and sometimes forseveral years without even being charged. Many have also sufferedsevere beatings to obtain forced confessions.

Take action for Ramze Shihab Ahmed atwww.amnesty.org.uk/ramze

Ramze Shihab Ahmed

REPORT


IBEC claimson unionrecognitionrubbishedCONGRESS has rejected as “extraordinary non-sense” IBEC’s claim that greater levels of unionrecognition could threaten jobs.

It follows a recent warning by IBEC directorBrendan McGinty that introducing mandatoryunion recognition would deter multinationalsfrom locating in Ireland.

He told an employment law conference inDublin earlier this year such a move would be “a barrier to job creation”.

Mr McGinty said: “Mandatory trade unionrecognition or a legal right to collective bargain-ing would not create a single job in this economyand would instead threaten many thousands ofjobs by damaging our capacity to attract and retain inward investment.”

But hitting back, Congress assistant generalsecretary Sally Anne Kinahan claimed IBEC wasengaged in “reprehensible scaremongering”.

She said: “If you are trying to build an economybased on low wages, low pay and low standardsthen of course you see the right to union recog-nition as a threat.

“If IBEC’s scaremongering had any substance,then the economies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden would be in crisis and theywould have record levels of unemployment, giventheir unionisation rates of between 70 and 80per cent.

“Instead, they sit consistently in the top 10 of the world’s most competitive, dynamiceconomies.

“There is a serious flaw in Irish labour legisla-tion, which allows people to join trade unionsbut not to be represented by them or have themnegotiate collectively on your behalf. That situa-tion does not exist anywhere else in Europe.”

Ms Kinahan also described IBEC’s view of theLisbon Treaty and the Charter of FundamentalRights as “somewhat muddled” on the questionof union recognition.

She said: “It is our advice – both legal and fromEU sources – that the Charter assumed the status of primary law, upon passage of the LisbonTreaty and EU primary law effectively trumpsIrish constitutional law.

“Therefore, there is no legal impediment tolegislating for collective bargaining, it is now amatter of political will.

“I think IBEC would be better served address-ing the high levels illegality and the consistentbreaches of labour law, in low pay areas of theeconomy such as catering, cleaning an retail.

“Repeat inspections by the National Employ-ment Rights Authority have found remarkablyhigh levels of illegality among employers, in termsof their failure to observe basic labour law.”

Brendan McGinty Sally Ann Kinahan

CONGRESS has warned of the dangers of “information poverty” after aStormont official revealed plans for swingeing cuts at Northern Ireland’sDepartment of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

Assistant general secretary Peter Bunting, left, claimed reported cutsin department spending of 17.2% over four years would be wrong“strategically, economically and politically”.

Speaking on September 6, he added: “Cuts in libraries will remove alifeline to knowledge from the most marginalised in our society.

“We already have fuel poverty, work poverty and cash poverty – arewe about to accept information poverty as well?”

DCAL cuts ‘info poverty’

having equal pay is such a drag!NOT

THE Australian Services Union have beenhitting the streets to futher their equal paycampaign supported by the AustralianCouncil of Trade Unions.

On average Australian women are paid18 per cent less than men and have towork 66 more days a year in order tobridge the income gap.

The ASU and other unions, staged an

Equal Pay Day on June 10 under the slogan ‘Pay Up! No More Lip Service ToEqual Pay’, using a ‘lipstick kiss’ motif asa logo. Thousands of women workers –and their families and supporters – tookpart in demos across Australia, withsome, like the above protestor, enteringfully into the spirit of the day.

Picture: ASU

18 THE UNION POST � September 2010

IRELAND’S community sector andtrade unions have forged a new partnership to fight anticipated cuts of €3 billion in the next budget.

Defending Ireland’s Communitiesaim is to highlight the growing threatposed by the cuts to the communityand voluntary sector.

There are currently more than 6,000community bodies in Ireland employingalmost 55,000 people.

The sector provides support tosome of the most vulnerable peoplewithin Irish society.

Services include social inclusion,childcare, eldercare, youth work, drugrehabilitation, disability, literacy, educa-tion and training.

Uniquely, community organisationsalso attract hundreds of volunteerswho give thousands of hours back totheir communities.

The campaign will be launched witha rally in Eyre Square, Galway, onWednesday, September 29 at 1pm.

SIPTU community sector lead organ-iser Darragh O’Connor claimed thesector is bracing itself for “dispropor-tionate cuts” in the 2011 and 2012budgets.

He said: “The victims of these cutswill be among the most vulnerable sec-tions of our society – the disabled, theelderly, and those suffering from socialdisadvantage.

“The job of supporting families in financial difficulty, of providing childcare and other health services, ofyouth education and training, of disability services is not somethingthat should be seen as dispensable intimes of economic recession.

“Simply put, this sector cannot absorb further cuts and will be severely undermined during an eco-nomic crisis when it is most needed.”

CAMPAIGN

ETUC chief John Monks has calledon unions to “burst into the board-room” to curb shareholder short-termism in order to growbusinesses and protect jobs.

He asked delegates if it was possible to change the way firmswere run.

“Can we have a more long-term,socially-responsible system, withcompanies responsible to all theirstakeholders – workers, the com-munity, the environment – as well as to shareholders or otherowners?”

Mr Monks pointed out that theUK had “much to learn” fromother EU countries on worker involvement in company decisionmaking.

He said: “We have to burst intothe boardroom to make sure thatmanagers concentrate on growingthe business, not growing the share

price and their own bonuses.“That's what the bankers did,

with disastrous consequences forus all.”

Turning to a return to neoliberalsolutions by EU governments “aftera decent Keynesian start”, MrMonks said: “They panicked whenthey saw Greece floundering onthe economic rocks.

“They felt they could be the nextin trouble on the world's bondmarkets. Even the strongest likeGermany and the Netherlandsstarted austerity programmes.

“And, as you all know, the UKcoalition government panicked andfollowed the stampeding herd.”

However, he insisted unionsacross Europe could not acceptthis approach.

“Cutting in a recession is crazyand we must fight it.”

Burst into the boardrooms

Europe view: John Monks

TUC general secretary BrendanBarber has held Ireland up as agrim warning of what will happento the UK if the coalition govern-ment pursues its cut-to-the-quickpolicies.

He urged delegates at the organisation’s 142nd congress inManchester to “look across theIrish Sea” to see “what can gowrong”.

“They have made huge cuts, andyet the economic slowdown hasbeen so great that their credit rating has been downgraded timeand time again.”

Deriding claims from ministersabout “progressive cuts” and“we’re all in this together”, hecalled for this “insulting claptrap”to be exposed “for what it is”.

Mr Barber told conference:“Let's be clear about this – cuts al-ways hit the poorest, most vulner-

able, most disadvantaged people.That's why the IFS described theBudget as 'clearly regressive'.

“And that's why an OECD studyof Sweden's and Canada's cuts inthe 90s found that inequality andpoverty rates accelerated fasterthere than anywhere else in thedeveloped world.”

He warned that David Cameronhad made it clear that the cutswere not temporary but “a perma-nent roll-back of public servicesand the welfare state”.

“I fear the best we can hope forin the years ahead is an economythat scrapes along the bottom.

“One that fails to generategrowth and jobs. One that betraysa generation of young people.

“One that hinders our transi-tion to a low-carbon future.”

Mr Barber predicted Tory-LibDem cuts would have devastatingconsequences that “could takegenerations to rebuild”, adding,“decent public services are theglue that holds a civilised societytogether, and we diminish them atour peril.”

Concluding, he told the 700 del-egates packed into Manchester’sCentral Convention Complex thatnow was the time to build a “diverse, dynamic and progressivealliance for change” which hedubbed “a coalition against cuts”.

He said it was essential to winthe battle for hearts and mindsand to “together shape a morehopeful future for all”.

Unions joincommunitysector tobattle cuts

JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED INIRELAND, TUC DELEGATES WARNED

Mary Turner, GMB

BANK of England governor Mervyn King heard the bluntest of responses fromthe conference floor about who was to blame for the crisis.

During a question and answer session following his 20-minute speech, GMBpresident Mary Turner told him: "Mervyn, if you want to know what went wrong Ican tell you – the bankers are greedy bullshitters."

Earlier he sympathised with delegates and said he understood the strong public feeling against massive bankers’ bonuses and admitted that “radical reform” of the financial system was needed.

Mr King told conference they were “entitled to be angry” and admitted thefinance sector and policymakers were to blame for landing the UK with thelargest peacetime budget deficit in history, adding, "In fact, I am surprised it[public anger] has not been expressed more deeply."

Bullish display from Mary

�THE Communication Workers’Union Band has issued an

appeal for new members with musical abilities – and beginnerscan join too.

Band members would particu-larly welcome brass, woodwind or percussion players.

Rehearsals are staged every Sunday morning at the CWU’spremises on the North CircularRoad in Dublin. For further detailsemail ccwwuubbaanndd@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

�THE right to request flexibleworking in Northern Ireland has

been extended to cover working parents of children aged 16 or under.

Up to the change, which came intoeffect in July, only parents of childrenunder six, disabled children under 18and carers of adult dependants couldhave made a formal request forflexible working if they had been anemployee with six months continuousservice.

TUC CONGRESS

2010

19September 2010 � THE UNION POST

JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED INIRELAND, TUC DELEGATES WARNED

GOVERNMENTS are once again “bowing tothe demands” of the bond markets andfinancial elites who caused the crisis, ITUCgeneral secretary Sharan Burrow, right, haswarned.

She told TUC delegates: “Instead of the decisive action to support the recovery thatinitially characterised the global response, Isee a growing complacency on the part ofworld leaders.That complacency seems particularly prevalent in Europe.”

Ms Burrow slammed the UK coalition government for “leading the charge” to slashpublic spending, describing the policy as“without concern” for vulnerable workers andtheir families.

She said: “It is heartless, and it is economic folly, to drive down demand andrisk double-dip recession.

“The cumulative impact of austerity athome and austerity abroad is going to bedevastating.”

Path of folly

Lions’ den: Mervyn King spoke to TUC

Warning: Brendan Barber urged delegates to look at the Irish experience

Shamelessif you don’timpose taxSHAMELESS star David Trelfallgave his backing to a RobinHood tax on bank transactionsat a fringe meeting at the TUCcongress in Manchester.

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BBRRAAZZIIEERR MMEEDDIIAATRADE UNION NEWS SPECIALISTS

[email protected] Bob Miller 07894305173 Joe Mitchell 07703055302

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Union Post September 2010