The World Federation of Trade Unions, the oldest and most historic international trade union organization, that represents more than 100 million workers in 130 countries of the five continents, expresses its internationalist solidarity with the coal workers in India. The class-oriented trade unions of India followed the way of militancy and dignity, organizing a three-day-long all-India coal mine strike on July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, opposing the privatization program of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The first day of the strike has certainly been successful since thousands of coal mine workers of Coal India Limited (CIL), and Singareni Collieries Company […]

Social Partnership by Jimmy Doran: “Social partnership” is anti-democratic, because a small group of insiders make the deal. This is then packaged and sold to workers as the best deal possible at this time, given the present circumstances. Social partnership comes onto the horizon as a result of political, employment and economic crisis, in order to reduce workers’ expectations, demands and aspirations and to lay the ground for the introduction of austerity. The trade union movement must reject this strategy. Social partnership agreements are not binding on the government: it is free to treat them as advisory, while unions depend […]

This is the joint podcast Tulf did with Dave Gibney of the trade union Mandate. It is well worth listening to as it discusses the recent decision by the Irish High court that struck down a law providing for certain minimum pay and entitlements for electricians    

To all LGBT workers celebrating Pride, the country will sorely miss the energy and the colour of the annual celebrations this weekend. Celebrations aside, Pride is Protest, and TULF stands with the LGBT community here in Ireland and everywhere against discrimination, inequality and prejudice. We want to express our solidarity with the increasingly ostracised LGBT community in Poland. Pride serves as a reminder to all within the trade union movement that these fights are far from won, and the hard-won gains of recent decades are under threat from far right and reactionary forces. Some of our LGBT community have rightly […]

Dear Member, Many of you will have been deeply concerned at this week’s High Court decision striking down the electrical Sectoral Employment Order and, by implication, other SEOs.  This has major implications for members in the construction sector, as well as members in other sectors intending to apply to an SEO. Unite has called on the Government to seek a stay of the decision followed by an immediate appeal to the Supreme Court, and we are also seeking robust emergency legislation protecting the terms and conditions enshrined in existing SEOs.  Even in the absence of Sectoral Employment Orders, however, Unite […]

Trade Union Left Forum condemns the ruling yesterday in the High Court that found Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) unconstitutional. These pieces of legislation are enacted to protect workers, from exploitation by employers. They guarantee minimum rates of pay & conditions, including sick pay schemes, pension contributions for all employers in the sector, including those who had not been part of the negotiations. The robustness of the legislation is clearly defective as a small body representing small and medium-sized electrical firms have successfully challenged the industrial relations amendment act 2015 and the 2019 sectoral employment order for Electrical Contracting sector made […]

Dublin-based pilots at CityJet will stage a protest today (Tuesday) at the airline’s offices in Swords as the company recommences flights with Irish registered aircraft but Dublin pilots remain grounded by temporary lay-offs. The protest is taking place in response to confirmation by CityJet that the planned closure of its Dublin base will mean the company will hire pilots from outside the state to fill resulting job vacancies, effectively offshoring the work of Dublin-based pilots. The pilots, who are represented by IALPA, a branch of Fórsa, have said that a number of wide ranging proposals by pilots designed to keep […]

Fórsa has declared its support for Debenhams workers across Ireland, who are protesting today (Friday) in a nationwide picket of stores. The demonstration takes place between 11am and 3pm as part of their campaign to win redundancy pay for more than 1,000 workers sacked by the company. In a message sent to the Debenhams workers and their union, Mandate, Fórsa president Ann McGee and general secretary Kevin Callinan said the workers had the full backing of Fórsa in their campaign. In a message sent to the Debenhams workers and their union, Mandate, Fórsa president Ann McGee and general secretary Kevin […]

SIPTU seeks urgent talks with Aer Lingus over planned job losses Date Released: 19 June 2020 SIPTU representatives are calling for an urgent meeting with Aer Lingus management following todays (Friday, 19th June) announcement of 500 planned redundancies at the airline. SIPTU Aviation Sector Organiser Neil McGowan said: “The announcement from management that it has informed the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty. that it plans to reduce the numbers at the airline by 500 workers has shocked and upset our members in Aer Lingus. “SIPTU representatives will seek to ensure that the as many jobs as […]

Malaysia: Stop union busting at Edgenta UEMS In partnership with the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services. NUWHSAS is a national union representing all cleaning workers employed by private concessionaire companies providing cleaning services at all Government Hospitals in Malaysia.   UEM Group Berhad, a Malaysian government linked company (GLC), through its subsidiary, Edgenta UEMS, is currently engaged in a vicious union busting campaign, aggressively victimizing frontline hospital cleaners and their worksite union officials. Since early 2020, the hospital janitors have been confronted by problems of widespread union busting activities in all its hospitals, like deliberate changing […]