Solidarity greetings from Trade Union Left Forum to the working class of Ireland and around the world who continue to struggle against the “Cost of Capitalism Crisis” manifested in poverty, inequality, precariousness, homelessness, war and environmental catastrophe.   As inflation soared last year Irish workers took a 3.9% pay cut while workers share across the globe was cut by an average of 3.19%.    The difference between wage growth and surging prices meant workers in Ireland effectively worked for nothing for 8.3 days.   Wages lagged behind inflation by an average of €2,107 per worker amounting to a total cut […]

Solidarity with all workers on strike today in the Six Counties. There are not two communities in the North there are two classes one divided by the other to stay in power We have one common enemy CAPITALISM North and South.   Speaking today NIPSA General Secretary said::It is a myth to think there is no money for workers, according to General Secretary of NIPSA Carmel Gates. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Gates said payments to a number of key youth services, including the extended schools scheme and holiday hunger payments, are being cut. Economic sanctions are being imposed […]

As SIPTU members in the water services ballot around the country to protect earnings for workers not transferring to isce Eireann but remaining in their local authorities, early results from Limerick, Cork, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown and Fingal confirm huge support for strike action. Karan O Loughlin, Divisional Organiser for SIPTU’s Public Administration and Community Division said: “There is a high level of frustration among our members in water services at the lack of commitment from the various local authorities as to how the value of earnings will be retained once Uisce Eireann assume responsibility for the provision of water services nationally.  […]

The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of 105 million workers from 133 of the 5 continents, strongly condemns the dismissals of more than 400 workers by Servicio Panamericanos de Protección C.A. (SERPAPROCA), a company specializing in the protection and transfer of valuables and constitutes an affiliate of the USA-based multinational group Brinks. The dismissals dated from 2009 and culminated in 2020, affecting more than 400 workers mainly in Carabobo, Aragua, Barquisimeto, Bolivar, Surce, Zulia, Distrito Capital, Merida, Apure are patently violating the constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as well as the Labour, Workers, and Employees […]

he World Federation of Trade Unions fully condemns the anti-democratic and authoritarian practices of the regime in Peru with murders, detentions, and blatant violation of even the most fundamental human rights of the Peruvian people. The international class-oriented trade union movement once again stands beside the people of Peru and demands an immediate end to the bloodshed, the abuse of power, and the abnormal and unconstitutional developments that followed the removal of the president of Peru. We unequivocally condemn the violent repression against the people’s demonstrations and workers’ struggles and freedoms and the murderous violence of the repressing mechanisms resulting […]

The upward redistribution of wealth over the past 40 years has shifted $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1%. That’s $50 trillion that would have gone into the paychecks of ordinary working people had inequality held constant $50 trillion that would have built a far larger and more prosperous economy—$50 trillion that would have enabled the vast majority of people to be far more healthy, resilient, and financially secure. In real terms this means that If you are earning $35,000 a year You are being paid $26,000 a year less than you would have had income distributions […]

Legislative change needed to enable workers work more than their ‘banded-hours’ contracts where extra working hours are available Research to be published today in a Mandate Trade Union report, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ (15952_smoke&mirrors_report_interior), shows that nearly two-thirds of retail workers are earning less than €451 per week. The biggest challenge in terms of decent incomes shown in the report is the number of hours worked in the sector and the union is calling for legislative change to enable workers to work more than their ‘banded-hours’ contracts where extra working hours are available. Dr Conor McCabe, researcher with the Queen’s University Management […]

Ireland’s largest public service union, Fórsa, has today (Wednesday) criticised what it describes as multiple failures of leadership by the Department of Health. In an opening statement to the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee this morning, convened to discuss the welfare and safety of workers and patients in the public health service, Fórsa officials said the department’s current approach to leadership involves ignoring staff concerns about a broad range of issues. These include the withdrawal of protections for staff experiencing long Covid conditions, a failure to expand the assault scheme to include all health staff, in addition to what Fórsa described […]

Fórsa backs indefinite strike action in a number of community and voluntary sector health services Union leader slams ‘foot-dragging’ approach of Government to addressing pay and conditions inequality Fórsa’s national executive has backed a proposal for indefinite strike action in a number of community and voluntary sector agencies funded by the HSE. The action is likely to involve hundreds of health and care staff, in a number of agencies selected by the union. The union has also committed to footing the wage costs of striking staff. ‘Section 39’ agencies provide a range of residential and day services for people with […]

An excellent article from the Socialist Voice website in explaining the Industrial Relations Act. The Industrial Relations Act (1990) was introduced on 18 July 1990, replacing the Trade Disputes Act (1906), the main principle of which was that anything done in a trade dispute, provided it was not illegal in itself, would be free from criminal and civil liability. The 1990 act was introduced as a control mechanism on trade unions. It was a response to equivalent legislation being introduced in Britain because of increasing levels of industrial unrest and strikes, as dissatisfaction rose during the 1970s and 80s when […]