The Government is set to come under renewed pressure to negotiate public service-wide safeguards on remote working after Fórsa’s Civil Service Division today (Friday) added its voice to calls for a formal agreement on the issue. The union says a formal agreement is needed to ensure fair access to remote working arrangements across the civil and public service. It has called for the consistent application of agreed guidelines on identifying functions that can be performed remotely, and for selecting staff to be allocated to home working arrangements. Fórsa has called for the consistent application of agreed guidelines on identifying functions […]

SIPTU representatives have today (Monday, 24th May) welcomed confirmation from the Department of Health that radiographers, radiation therapists and other certain student health workers can apply to be vaccinators as part of the National Covid-19 vaccination programme. SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “For months, intensive efforts were made by SIPTU representatives to ensure our members who are qualified were afforded the opportunity to participate in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The original statutory instrument provided for nursing, medical practitioners and some other health professionals to apply to be vaccinators. Our members then campaigned for the inclusion of radiographers, radiation […]

Mandate Extends Solidarity to Palestinian Day of Action and General Strike Monday 17 May 2021 Gerry Light, Mandate General Secretary, today extended Mandate union’s heartfelt solidarity on behalf of Mandate members towards the “Palestine for a Day of Action” and General Strike taking place in Palestine tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18th! Light said, “Hundreds of thousands – millions of people in fact – in many cities across the globe have taken to the streets to demand an end to the deadly Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip. The global outpouring of anger at the murdering Israeli war machine as well […]

Day 1 on the picket line for our  members in Cheshire. Members are taking strike action in a dispute over working patterns and contracts of employment. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin strike action next month at the glass manufacturing and logistics company ENCIRC Ltd, based in Elton, Cheshire, in a dispute over working patterns and contracts of employment. Less favourable treatment The dispute involves workers in ENCIRC’s glass manufacturing section, who believe that they are being treated in a less favourable manner compared to the company’s other departments. Over 170 workers were balloted for industrial action, as the […]

Aviation’s late departure from Covid restrictions demands solid Government support – Fórsa With thousands of aviation workers facing a financial cliff edge, has called for Government support, in the form of a bespoke aviation income support scheme, to underpin jobs and maintain the relationship between employers and employees during what’s likely to be a long period of recovery. The call was made today by the union’s head of Services and Enterprises, Ashley Connolly, who warned that the aviation industry will be the last industry “out of the woods” in terms of Covid restrictions. Ms Connolly was responding to Department of Transport […]

Our Solidarity with all Nurses throughout the thirty two counties and globally. Please go on this link to read about their vision for the future and some facts and figures. 

Shannon-based Aer Lingus cabin crew remain laid off from work despite expectations of a return to work in early June. Fórsa trade union has confirmed that a roster published today shows cabin crew will remain laid off until at least the 20th June. The union said the extended layoff is another devastating blow for staff and for the region. The union represents around 5,000 workers in airlines, airports, air navigation bases, aviation regulatory bodies, and air traffic control. Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said the union is calling on Aer Lingus to provide a commitment to Shannon base and to those […]

Blowout in Bessemer: A Postmortem on the Amazon Campaign   Earlier today the National Labor Relations Board announced the results of the vote on whether workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., would join a union. The vote was 738 in favor to 1,798 against. It’s bad news, but it doesn’t mean workers in future Amazon campaigns won’t or can’t win. They can. The results were not surprising, however, for reasons that have more to do with the approach used in the campaign itself than any other factor. The stories of horrific working conditions at Amazon are well-known. Long […]

Trade Union Left Forum May Day Statement: Today May 1st marks international workers day we take this opportunity to salute workers in struggle all around the world. We particularly salute all frontline workers who have been the backbone of the world in overcoming the health pandemic. It is frontline workers be they in the Health Service, manufacturing, retail or transport etc. that have led the fight against the virus. For this we salute you all. Governments none more so than our own, have bungled their way through the pandemic with failed strategies,  slow rollout of vaccine, under funding public health, […]

Dublin, April 30th 2021. Greeting message for May Day, International Workers’ Day. Dear Irish Trade Unionists and Workers, The Irish trade union movement occupies a special place in the solidarity movement with Cuba. There are fraternal relations between the main Irish unions and the Central of Workers of Cuba, as well as formidable relations and collaboration between the Irish unions and the Cuban embassy in Dublin. Traditionally, Irish trade unionists and workers have traveled to Cuba on this date and have participated in that massive workers’ party that is celebrated every year in Havana with more than a million people […]