Unite members at Hovis in Belfast to be balloted on strike action in fair pay dispute   Once overtime and shift bonuses are removed, basic rates of pay in bread manufacturer are below the legal minimum Strike ballot is likely to be result in widespread disruption to bread supply in January 2020 Unite Regional Officer, Sean McKeever, confirmed that he was initiating a ballot of his members working at  and warned that the Bread Manufacturing sector would have to address the issue of poverty pay among their workforce to avoid disruption to supply in the early new year. “Unite’s members at […]

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At the recent the Forsa Annual conference motion 252 was put to the the floor and accepted as follows: Oisin Murphy (Children and Youth Affairs Executive Grade Branch), speaking on motion. 252, asked: “What happened to the principle of an injury to one is an injury to all?” He insisted it was vital for workers to have access to “our principal weapon… if we are to be effective as a union” and suggested repealing and replacing the 1990 Industrial Relations Act would be the “the biggest strike for workers in achieving the goals that make battles possible and winnable.” Motion […]

Statement from Mandate Trade Union.   Collective Rights of Workers Must be Protected Wednesday 27 November 2019 YOUR right as a worker to become a member of a trade union is enshrined in the Irish Constitution, so you might be forgiven for believing this bestows rights that allow you to have that union represent and collectively bargain on your behalf – but, alas, not so. Irish law does not give workers the collective right to have their union negotiate on their behalf. It’s akin to being allowed join a golf club, but not being allowed to play golf. If workers […]

UCU said that strong shows of support for strikes at 60 UK universities* sent a clear message that staff would not settle for pay cuts, increased pension costs or deteriorating conditions. The union said it welcomed a call from shadow education secretary Angela Rayner for universities to put students first and bring a reasonable offer back to the negotiating table. UCU has warned that if universities fail to make improved offers then further waves of strike action could follow in the new year, with even more staff taking part.  UCU is currently consulting with branches at other universities about being balloted again to […]

The following statement made by Professor Kathleen Lynch UCD Professor of Equality Studies UCD School of Education at a presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills May 29th 2018   I will make the following points based on my written submission: Barriers to education facing vulnerable groups March 2018 1. Note that the successes of Irish education are considerable.  2. The Intersectionality of Inequalities for Vulnerable Groups a. There is compelling national and international research evidence that economic inequalities translate directly and indirectly into barriers to education for all vulnerable groups, not just those on low incomes […]

We are encouraging all unions to send delegations to this important conference. We are recommending that these are led by Senior Officials and those with responsibility for international solidarity. We also recommend  the involvement of executive committee and lay members who have a particular interest in championing the human rights of Palestinian people and their children. To register for the conference, email the names of delegates including name and union to palestinianchildrensconference@gmail.com. Registration closes on 8 November. The conference will take place in the CWU Conference Centre on Friday 22 Nov. at 6-9pm and Saturday 23 Nov. from 9am-5:30pm.    

SIPTU members in Virgin Media Ireland to ballot for industrial action Date Released: 20 November 2019 SIPTU members employed by Virgin Media Ireland will ballot for industrial action, up to and including strike action, in a dispute concerning an attempt to impose compulsory redundancies and the failure to implement a Labour Court recommendation by the company. SIPTU Organiser, Rachel Keane, said: “At very well attended meetings of our members held recently in Limerick, Dublin and Cork it was unanimously decided to conduct a ballot for industrial action, up to and including strike action. “Our member’s decision followed the company’s failure […]

SIPTU members employed at SK biotech, the pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Swords, County Dublin, have accepted an invitation to attend a conciliation meeting at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). SIPTU Organiser, Jim Fuery, said: “Our members in SK biotech have agreed to attend a conciliation meeting at the WRC scheduled for Tuesday, 3rd December. The company has also agreed to attend this meeting.”

Late Imperialism.   From Monthly Review August/September Issue 2019 The single most influential work on imperialism remains V. I. Lenin’s classic study of a century ago, Imperialism: The Latest Stage of Capitalism (better known by the title given to it following its first publication, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism).1 Lenin employed the term modern imperialism or simply imperialism to refer to the age of concentrated capital, during which the entire world was being carved up by the leading states and their corporations, distinguishing the imperialist stage from the colonialism/imperialism of the mercantilist and freely competitive stages of capitalism that preceded it. “Colonial policy and imperialism,” Lenin insisted, “existed before […]