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 says an agreement is needed to prevent individual civil service departments, organisations or managers from withholding the option of remote working without an objective reason.

The union submitted a formal claim to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) in late March, but no engagement has started yet.

Speaking at the Fórsa’s civil service conference today, its Head of Civil Service, Derek Mullen, said 70% his members had worked productively at home at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have witnessed outstanding and productive responses from the public service throughout the last year and we believe that we can continue in that vein into the future. The world of work has been forced to examine itself as a result of Covid-19, and it’s clear that working arrangements can and will change to take account of the new paradigm.

“We know what’s possible once the correct supports are in place. Now we are demanding clear criteria for the selection of staff who will work remotely, along with full compliance with health and safety measures, including mental health, support for those working remotely, and the right to disconnect.

“Importantly, there should be no divergence from existing terms and conditions of employment, including for new hires, for whom remote working should never be a condition of employment,” he said.

Mr Mullen said his union favoured a blended approach, with remote workers spending some time in the office, as this was the strong preference of most Fórsa members surveyed on the issue last summer. He added that remote working should be voluntary, and that remote workers should have access to any flexible working arrangements in place in physical work locations.

Fórsa says a formal agreement needs to be negotiated under the auspices of the new public service agreement, Building Momentum, which commits public service management and unions to accommodate “the potential of remote working where appropriate in line with the Programme for Government” and to establish the public service “as a driver of best practice in this area.”

Making Remote Work, the Government’s remote working strategy, which was published in January, developed Programme for Government commitments on remote working and pledged to make remote working the norm for 20% of public sector staff.

Mr Mullen also praised civil servants who had continued to work from offices and other work locations throughout the pandemic. “In social protection, it is estimated that two years’ worth of claims were processed in a matter of weeks, with over 60% of our members continuing to attend at Intreo centres and other offices. Those pandemic unemployment payments, made the difference for all those who lost their jobs.

“We delivered in social welfare, in Revenue with its temporary wage subsidy schemes, in agriculture, in justice, in the customs service and at border controls. Our law services continued, civilian staff continued to attend at Garda stations and many other departments and offices played their important part.

“It was an enormous effort and it continues to this day and I have never been more proud, after almost 40 years with the trade union movement, to represent our members in the civil service,” he said.

Read the Fórsa claim.

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Fórsa’s civil service biennial divisional conference takes place online today (Friday 28^th May). The union represents over 30,000 civil servants in clerical, executive, professional and technical grades.

The conference can be viewed HERE.

A full conference agenda is available HERE, and a the division’s report is available HERE.

1578477695950_KNOW YOUR RIGHTS BOOKLET

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 therapists and certain student grades to be included in any revised statutory instrument.”

He added: “Our members argued that widening the eligibility of vaccinators, especially as more vaccines become available, is crucial for getting the country back up and running. We believe that the more vaccinators that can be trained up and put to work, the quicker our health service and our society can regroup and recover.”

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 as deep concern for the lives of innocent Palestinian men, women and children must now be channelled into a global resistance against the indiscriminate actions of the Israeli. We stand in defiant solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza and Palestine.

Mr Light continued, “The indiscriminate and abhorrent nature of the Israeli air raids has simply pummelled the Gaza Strip over the past few days. Nearly 200 Palestinians, including 58 children, have been killed over the past few days and it is beholden on trade unions to amplify our anger and to stand together in the face of Israel’s brutal assaults on the human rights of the Palestinian people.”

Mandate Trade Union stands in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoner’s movement, labour unions, youth organisations and the numerous broad range of popular movements and mobilisations from the river to the sea inside occupied Palestine.

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 introduction of flexible working practices has resulted in an insufficient pay uplift, the loss of flexibility when annual leave can be taken and a reduction in staffing levels giving rise to health and safety concerns.

Huge yes vote

The workers involved recorded a 95 per cent yes vote in favour of strike action.

A total of 12 days of strike action have been announced for next month with the first 48 hour strike beginning on Thursday 6 May. This will be followed by a further 48 strike beginning on Thursday 13 May. Later in the month there will be two four day stoppage beginning on Wednesday 19 May and Wednesday 26 May.

The strike action is set to lead to a major disruption to ENCIRC’s business and likely to cause a shortage of glass bottles for the company’s two major clients Diageo and AB InBev.

Brands affected

Popular brands that will be affected by the strike include Budweiser, Yellow Tail wine, Baileys, Coors Light, Jameson and Pataks curry brand.

Unite has sought to follow the existing dispute resolution process to resolve the industrial dispute, via the conciliation service Acas but the company has declined to discuss the core matters at the centre of the dispute.

Equality and fairness

Unite regional officer Andrew Johnson said: “This dispute is about equality and fairness, workers in the glass manufacturing division are not being treated in the same way as workers in other sections of the company.

 “If the strike goes ahead it will cause major disruption to the supply and distribution of major brands.

 “Given the overwhelming vote in favour of industrial action it is very disappointing and somewhat surprising that ENCIRC has not shown more determination to resolve this dispute and avert strike action.

 “Unite’s members are taking strike action as a last resort because their concerns have been ignored.”

 “Unite believes that if ENCRIC is prepared to address the concern of members this dispute could be resolved and strike action avoided, even at this late stage.”

 ENDS

Notes to editors:

During the coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

Email: barckley.sumner@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey. 

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 official Fintan Towey’s address to union’s Services and Enterprises conference, which is taking place online today (Thursday 13^th May).

Ms Connolly said three reports on the impact on the aviation industry had been produced in the last year, and while there was a lot of value in this work, she said the reports are “sitting on shelves and gathering dust.” She said it is for the Government to act on their recommendations “as a matter of urgency.”

Ms Connolly said the recent Government announcements on the easing of restrictions said virtually nothing about aviation at all: “For most of us, the announcement was about good news and hope. But that glaring omission left thousands of workers in aviation with a sense of dread – not just that their future remains uncertain, but that their situation was barely worth a mention.

“The Government needs to decide if the halt on the industry is to be permanent or temporary. Only the State has the power and resources to preserve Ireland’s vital international connectivity – the connectivity that supports thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs – over the coming months, and possibly years,” she said.

The union’s general secretary Kevin Callinan said the Government response to the aviation crisis, which is having an extremely negative effect on the Irish economy as a whole, continues to be “tardy and timid” and told delegates that Fórsa has mobilised members to put pressure on elected representatives: “We’ve taken every opportunity to lobby for State action to shore up the sector and its staff in the short-term, and to ensure its full recovery in the medium to long-term,” he said.

Mr Callinan added that the union has “constantly impressed upon the Government that aviation companies which impose compulsory redundancies, or off-shoring, should not benefit from State aid funded by Irish taxpayers.”

Ms Connolly said aviation workers needed the Government to do better, to provide political leadership and foresight, and a clear roadmap setting out the return to international travel and hope to families waiting for news that they can be reunited with the loved ones living abroad.

She said Fórsa continues to call for an industry-specific approach: “Capable of maintaining the relationship between employees and employers and to position airlines and others to quickly bounce back once travel restrictions can be eased.”

Ms Connolly called on the Department of Transport to implement a number of measures including:

• Provide the necessary income supports to protect the jobs of these highly-skilled workers
• Provide clear and precise guidance on when and how international travel will be allowed to resume
• Send a clear message that we Ireland is open to key markets and will adopt the European Commission Green Digital Cert
• Ms Connolly also called for affordable Covid testing, a reopening of the common travel area as the UK is “well ahead” in its vaccination programme, and that Ireland develop a clear travel corridor with the US
• Engagement on plans for the future viability of our regional airports.

The chair of the union’s Services and Enterprises division, Niall Mullally (pictured), is a senior cabin crew manager in the aviation industry, and told the conference that his colleagues in aviation have experienced job losses, work practice abuses and severe wage cuts that have left them struggling: “Massive pay cuts and significant layoffs have been more difficult to endure in the total absence of a clear plan from Government to reopen the sector.

“The lack of a coherent plan has left many rightly fearful for their futures. Plans for the Green Digital passport to be rolled out across Europe is welcome, but without a plan from Government hope is mingled with uncertainty.

“From this week we are seeing different sectors reopening, which is encouraging after more than a year of restrictions, but there is no equivalent plan for aviation, an industry that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ireland.

“We need to maintain the focus winning these interventions for aviation, because so many industries, jobs, regions and communities are reliant on a vibrant and functional aviation industry,” he said.

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 who work there: “Uncertainty remains over the recovery and future of aviation, despite signs of hope as more people are vaccinated against Covid-19. Slowly but surely we are seeing roadmaps to reopening, which is encouraging after more than a year of restrictions, but there is no equivalent plan for aviation, an industry that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ireland.

“The news today from Shannon reveals the continuing vulnerability of the industry and the economy of the Shannon region, which is why we need to hear a solid commitment form Aer Lingus at this critical time. The pandemic has struck a devastating blow to every part of the industry, and the future of the industry remains uncertain.

“Fórsa has sounded its warning over the industry for more than a year now, but the necessary state interventions to protect the future of Irish aviation haven’t materialised.

“We continue to advocate for solutions based on social dialogue, and the union has backed campaigns seeking to ensure the future survival of this key industry.

“While there are welcome signs of hope elsewhere in the economy, there is little to draw comfort from on aviation’s future both immediate and long-term. All stakeholders, including the Government and industries relying on aviation, need to take on the challenge of planning a sustainable future,” she said.

Fórsa has previously warned that thousands of jobs dependent on aviation could be lost permanently unless the Government acts to support the sector though a second summer of inactivity caused by Covid-related travel restrictions.

The union communicated this message to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications Networks in February.

Fórsa has called for enhanced industry-specific wage supports, easier access to mortgage payment breaks, and enhanced Government supports to the industry including a State-led stakeholder engagement to develop a survival plan for the sector.

The state-owned Shannon Group has reported a loss of €28 million last year, with passenger numbers falling by 79%, while the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) warned that air travel could decline again in 2021 as it reported a loss of €284 million last year.

Blowout in Bessemer: A Postmortem on the Amazon Campaign

Trade Union Left Forum May Day Statement:

Today May 1^st 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, & putting businesses interests first, by reopening too soon etc.

If Covid-19 was a stress test on political and economic systems globally, Capitalism has failed that test abysmally and has been shown to be morally bankrupt.

Workers now face a series of crises unparalleled in our history, a health pandemic, an environmental catastrophe, poverty and staggering wealth inequality coupled with a lack of workers’ rights. The corporate influence over media and government consistently support the interests of the wealthy and powerful over ordinary working people. We have also  witnessed last month the most vicious attacks on striking workers at Debenhams in Dublin, probably since the 1913 lockout. These attacks on workers were made possible by the state, through the courts, legislation and protected by the Gardaí. This attack on workers was buried and largely kept out of the media. The trade unions were conspicuous by their absence, restricted by the 1990 Industrial Relations Act, yes, but that would not stop leading individuals coming down in a personal capacity to support the workers without breaching the act.

The 1990 Industrial Relations Act must be abolished to put workers in charge of industrial action not the judiciary but more importantly to stop many within the trade union movement from hiding behind it.

The Trade Union movement is at an all time low in membership density, morale and  militancy. Serious questions need to be asked in relation to the role and the future direction of the trade union movement.

Unions must get radical or they will become redundant.

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 parading in the Square of the Revolution, a party that is played in the provincial capitals and brings together millions of participants throughout the island.

This great celebration in Havana begins with a block made up of international delegations, which after the parade celebrate the international union solidarity meeting.

The Covid-19 pandemic has prevented us from celebrating that great party in the last two years and sharing together about the aspirations and union struggles for a better world, where the working class is recognized in its full rights as the force that moves development and the welfare of humanity.

However, we have not stopped being together and communicated.

During this period, the Cuban people have continued to receive important expressions of solidarity from Irish unionists and workers, especially in the international demand to end the criminal economic blockade that the United States government has maintained against the Cuban people for more than 60 years, and reinforced with brutality during the pandemic, with the deliberate and perverse desire to generate additional hardships for our people and surrender the sovereign will to build a diverse and better world, which does not obey the rules of the empire.

The congress of the Communist Party has just been held, which has marked the transition from the leadership of the Revolution to the new generations, who are daughters of that Revolution. Process that was led by the historical generation that made our Revolution triumph and led it during these 62 years along the paths of victories.

In that Congress, these new generations, represented by the newly elected first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, have ratified their fidelity to the Revolution and the commitment to preserve its conquests and continue the construction of a socialist society capable of providing wellbeing to the Cuban people.

I want to express on behalf of the Cuban working people and their union organizations, and on behalf of the Cuban embassy in Ireland, our deep appreciation and sincerest gratitude for all the solidarity shown.

Receive our cordial congratulations on International Workers’ Day and our best wishes for the success of your struggles in favor of the just aspirations of the working class of this fraternal country.

A fraternal hug.

Hugo Ramos Milanés
Ambassador