Workers Rights Centre

November/ Vol.15 No. 6 December 2016 ISSN 0791-458X Public Water SIPTU in Trumped? Referendum Belfast Page 20 Page 5 Page 6-7 Demand Better Pay, DecentJobs

by Scott Millar Private sector workers will win the fight for better pay and greater job security by organising in a union and taking collective action, was the message delivered this month to delegates at the SIPTU Services Division Biennial Delegate Conference. Addressing delegates representing private sector workers employed in hotels, cleaning, warehousing, security and many other industries in Liberty Hall on 24th November, Services Division Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said: “Uncertain, precarious employment and the trend to- Members of the Justice for Clerys Workers campaign and supporters protest outside Clerys Department Store, North wards casualisation so brutally exemplified by the zero hours contract, Earl Street, Dublin 1, on Friday, 25th November. The protest highlighted the opening of a section of the store as a the growth of bogus self-employment and bogus freelancing is a blight shopping storage area for the Christmas period while the new owners continue to refuse to meet the workers they on Irish society and poses a real threat to thousands of families across made redundant, without notice or the payment of their legal entitlements, in June 2015. Speaking at the SIPTU this country. Services Division conference a day earlier, Divisional Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said that “the union stands four “SIPTU is seeking to tackle precarity. We believe that workers are en- square behind the Clerys workers and the country stands four square behind this union on this issue.” titled to the protection of proper employment contracts. No worker Photo: Dan O’Neill should be forced to accept a contract which describes them as self-employed when they meet all the tests of an employee.” Buckley said that the strategy of the Services Division is to engage Big Start Brexit and Crossword 5 6 3 4 with the Joint Labour Committee system and secure new Employment 1 2 8 Regulation Orders (EROs) for categories of workers. As an example of Page 31 demands Ireland 10

13 what this approach can achieve, Buckley highlighted the success of 1 12 14

16 Page 8 Page 14 5

SIPTU negotiators in securing a 10.77% basic pay increase in the new 17 19 20

Continued on page 2 22 1

WORKERS RIGHTS CENTRE

8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.,

Monday - Friday

wrc@siptu.ie 2 Liberty In this month’sLiberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 News

Housing Crisis Fidel’s inspiring legacy Page 9 By Frank Connolly people on Fidel’s death. The death of Fidel Cas- “Cuba achieved tro marked the passing 100% literacy many of one of the most influ- years ago and built ential and iconic revolu- up a health system that is one the most Liberty View tionary figures of admired in the Liberty modern times who in- world. With eco- Page 18-19 spired millions of pro- nomic growth rates gressive activists across similar to many View the world. other Latin Ameri- Under his leadership, the can countries, in- Cuban people developed a equality and modern society where the poverty are much Media chill - health, welfare and educa- less pronounced in Lyn Boylan tion of working people and Cuba than in sur- rounding nations,” Page 12 their children were the priority for government in con- President Higgins trast to the poverty, said. “The economic exploitation and repression Photo: Fidel Castro on board his flight from that existed under the US Havana while arriving in Moscow in the 1960s and social reforms Division backed Batista regime which he in the wake of the Cuban missile crisis. introduced were at and his comrades ousted in South African army in Angola in the price of a restriction of civil Conferences 1959. the late 1980s and ultimately society, which brought its critics. Page 10-11 Despite numerous attempts by brought an end to apartheid. Fidel Castro was of a generation US based Cuban exiles to under- He offered to send forces to of leaders that sought to offer an mine the revolution, including Chile when Salvadore Allende alternative global economic and with the failed invasion at the was faced with a threat to his social order. He was President of Bay of Pigs in 1961, and hun- democratically elected govern- the Non-Aligned Movement and dreds of assassination attempts ment by CIA backed generals be- a leading figure in international Health news on his life, as well as the decades fore the coup in 1973 and gatherings that sought a more assisted revolutionary move- Page 22 long and crippling economic equal world of trade, rejected blockade by the US, Castro ments across Latin America in odious debt and sought an inde- helped to build a unique form of their struggle against brutal right pendent path to development.” socialism on the Caribbean is- wing dictatorships. SIPTU General President, Jack land of eleven million people. Cuban doctors and other pro- O’Connor, described the former The collapse of the Soviet fessionals are present in many of Cuban president “as an inspira- Turkish Union in 1989 was a devastating the regions most damaged by tion for people everywhere who blow to the growing economy natural disasters, poverty and aspired to a better world based emergency while the more recent disrup- under development including on equality and mutual interde- Page 25 tion of oil and other support neighbouring Caribbean and cen- pendence. He and the achieve- from a struggling Venezuela has tral American countries wracked ments of the Cuban revolution intensified the difficulties and by poverty and violence. provide a beacon of hope for the hardship caused by the trade On his death, the right wing primacy of the higher human blockade. media on both sides of the At- characteristics of human society Notwithstanding these obsta- lantic embarked on a rampage of over primal greed. Sport cles, Castro supported anti-colo- ill-informed hysteria including “His life epitomised the strug- Page 30 nial and liberation movements in Ireland where some politi- gle for the realisation of a new across the world, with Cuban cians and commentators criti- and universally progressive level troops winning the decisive mil- cised the remarks of President of development and resistance itary victories that defeated the Michael D Higgins when he of- to all forms of oppression.” fered his sympathy to the Cuban

Continued from page 1 - Demand Better Pay, Decent Jobs ERO for contract cleaners. whichever is the higher figure. next year. This demand runs in Editor: Frank Connolly, SIPTU Head of Communications Union members are also secur- This advice will take into ac- parallel with our campaign to Journalist: Scott Millar ing pay rises by lodging local pay count productivity, inflation and leverage accelerated pay restora- Design: Sonia Slevin (SIPTU), Joe Mitchell (Brazier Media) & Niki O’Brien claims on employers, with Buckley wage growth figures. Unions will tion in the public service. More- Publications Assistant: Deirdre Price saying this approach was “paying be expected to pursue claims of over, it is entirely consistent with Administrative Assistant: Karen Hackett dividends” with a 5% pay increase this level in order to assist wider the industrial and political strategy Produced, designed, edited and printed by trade union labour. recently secured in one hotel and economic recovery by increasing we have pursued since the eco- Printed by The Irish Times, City West, Dublin. similar rises achieved for members workers spending power. Rises of nomic collapse of 2008.” Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. in contract catering. this level will also protect stan- He added: “Against the back- If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: [email protected] The demand for pay rises of a dards of living and give workers a ground of a gradually recovering Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, similar level are set to increase share of overall increased eco- economy we are back on the offen- Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 across the private sector with Con- nomic productivity. sive.” See pages 18-19 SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Gene Mealy• General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn gress shortly to circulate to affiliate Writing in Liberty, SIPTU General Production: SIPTU Communications Department, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, unions advice on the case for pay President, Jack O’Connor, said: Tel: 01 8588217 • Email: [email protected] claims expected to be in the order “SIPTU fully supports the call to of €1,000 annually or 4%, ramp up pay increases to 4% from Liberty 3 News NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Progress in RTÉ Strike ballots authorised talks with station management on public service pay The SIPTU National Executive called on “the Government to open found that pay restoration was The Trade Union Group “It has been agreed that Council (NEC) has authorised negotiations with a view to amend- their primary concern. This could union and management repre- (TUG) has reported some negotiating groups of the ing the Lansdowne Road Agree- be brought about through the abo- sentatives will enter into com- progress in negotiations union within the public serv- ment”. lition of the pension levy and pay prehensive discussions on this with management regard- ice to begin balloting their It added: “An agreement must be progression for low and middle matter in line with our agree- members for industrial ac- relevant to the circumstances earners. They also highlighted the ing the proposed closure ments. Discussions will con- tion on 1st December, if the which prevail during the period of need for pay justice for new en- of the Young Peoples De- clude no later than 31st its application. It must also be ap- Government does not agree trants that came into the service partment, following talks January 2017.” plied equitably. This is no longer to enter into talks on restor- during the economic emergency by on Friday, 25th November. She added: “The outcome of the case with the Lansdowne Road ing pay early in the New Year. ending the two tier pay system.” SIPTU Campaigns and Equal- the talks today has highlighted Agreement because the rate of eco- Over 60,000 workers in the pub- SIPTU Public Administration and ity Organiser, Karan O’Lough- the value of workers, through lic service, in areas including the nomic recovery has considerably exceeded that which was antici- Community Organiser, John King, lin, said: “RTÉ and TUG met to their trade unions, securing health service, local authorities pated when it was negotiated.” said: “Our members took the hard discuss RTÉ’s decision to collective agreements with an and state agencies, are members of The NEC authorised “each recog- decisions during the economic cri- transfer all Young People’s Pro- employer. Throughout the SIPTU. nised negotiating group of the sis and lived up to their side of the gramming to the Independent forthcoming period of talks we SIPTU Vice President and ICTU union’s members in the public agreements with Government Sector. RTÉ accepted that there will be seeking to ensure that Public Services Committee mem- service to conduct ballots seeking which ensured the protection of has been a breach of the ‘Guid- the interests of our members ber, Gene Mealy, said: “SIPTU has mandates for industrial action the vital services provided by pub- ing Principles Agreement’ are protected and the public been calling for early pay restora- and/or strike action in pursuit of lic sector workers. which commit to prior consul- service ethos of the station is tion for public service workers for better terms”. These mandates will “They are now seeking to nego- tation on significant issues. safeguarded.” a number of months. In light of the be activated unless the Govern- Labour Court recommendation in tiate a fair and equitable process of ment issues an invitation to talks, pay restoration within the frame- relation to the dispute involving to commence by 1st February work of the Lansdowne Road the Garda representative organisa- 2017, to the Public Services Com- tions, the GRA and AGSI, and its mittee of Congress. Agreement. There are a number of subsequent acceptance by the Gov- “Our members want to reclaim areas where our members are seek- ernment it is no longer tenable for the ground lost since the economic ing progress. These include pay these pay restoration talks to be collapse,” said SIPTU Health Divi- restoration and the recovery of SIPTU gets new pay delayed any further.” sion Organiser, Paul Bell. extra hours of work provided The NEC, in a statement issued “A survey of over 1,000 SIPTU under the Haddington Road Agree- deal for up to 30,000 following its November meeting, health workers across the country ment.” contract cleaners The pay deal follows agree- charge of €15.00 will apply for ment on a newly amended new entrants. In addition there Employment Regulation Order are new rules that workers must (ERO) for the sector which was be provided with advance notice of rosters as well as arrangements negotiated over recent months for the transfer of client contracts by SIPTU shop stewards, union from one contractor to another. officials and employer repre- SIPTU Services Division Organ- sentatives within the Joint iser, Ethel Buckley said: “This is Labour Committee structure an industry that has been tradi- (JLC). tionally characterised by low pay A new pay deal of over 10% will and precarious working condi- benefit up to 30,000 contract tions but the provisions set out cleaners and provides for three in this ERO will go some way to- pay increases. A new hourly rate wards improving employment of €10.05 is to be introduced standards for cleaners.” later this year while further in- Negotiations with employers creases in December 2017 and for the new ERO at the Joint December 2018 will see rates go Labour Committee, which con- up to €10.40 and €10.80 per cluded in late October, were led hour, respectively. This repre- by SIPTU Sector Organiser, Diane Jackson, who said: “This ERO is Plans to develop a James Connolly Interpretive Centre on the Falls Road in Belfast are progressing. Fáilte Feirste sents an overall pay increase of Thiar, the West Belfast tourism promotion body, has agreed to purchase a site for the centre. Fáilte Feirste 10.77% over 3 years. good for contract cleaners and demonstrates the power of low Thiar executive director, Harry Connolly, said: “The site, 374-376 Falls Road, is within 50 meters of where The ERO also ensures that de- James Connolly lived while in Belfast. We are currently looking for support in Ireland and internationally for ductions/charges for uniforms paid private sector service workers when they join together and the centre which aims to operate as a museum and social enterprise providing education and programmes to shall cease for all existing em- the community of West Belfast.” ployees, and an initial one off bargain collectively through their union.” To find out more contact: [email protected] 4 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 News

Community Sector workers Suzanne Griffin and Grainne Griffin supporting the campaign for The establishment of such a High Level Forum Navan gets Workers Rights Centre for the Community Sector, Liberty Hall, 11th A WORKERS Rights Centre November (Dan O’Neill) (WRC), which provides information and assistance to SIPTU members and the general public, was opened in Navan, County Meath, in Community Sector message to Government: mid-November. Located on the the Dan Shaw Road, the centre is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on weekdays. engage with us or face industrial action SIPTU Organiser, John Regan, said: “This is the third WRC to be THE Government must honour Lansdowne Road Agreement in President, Donnie O’Leary, said: “It opened by SIPTU, with other cen- its commitment to engage May 2015. is completely unacceptable that tres having opened in Dublin and with unions representing com- “However, this Forum has only workers providing vital services to Cork earlier this year. munity workers or face the met twice since then to deal with their communities now face losing “WRC staff are committed to prospect of industrial action one issue that still remains unre- their jobs without receiving their SIPTU Organiser, John solved. providing up-to-date, free, confi- Regan addressing the by SIPTUs 10,000 Community full legal entitlements from the dential and accurate information crowd in Navan. “During this period our mem- Sector members. bers in the Community Sector have very government departments on workplace issues to members That is the key message of a new which administrated and funded of the public who drop in off the “During this period, the WRC SIPTU campaign launched in Lib- faced the introduction of competitive tendering, job losses, redun- the programmes they delivered. street. Representation will be fur- has saved the jobs of many of erty Hall on 12th November. dancy without their full legal “If our members are eventually ther offered to those who wish to Speaking at the launch, SIPTU these workers or satisfactorily ad- entitlements and a general attack forced to take industrial action it avail of the expertise and knowl- Sector Organiser, Eddie Mullins dressed their grievances. The on the effective operation of their will be highly disruptive but they edge currently available to SIPTU said: “The many issues in the Com- WRC is also the single biggest munity Sector were to be dealt organisations.” will at all times seek to ensure that members.” user of the State’s employment He added: “If the Government Head of the SIPTU WRC, Tom with in a High Level Forum which the most vulnerable are protected, rights bodies recovering close to would bring together unions and does not engage with these work- as they do every day of their work- O’Driscoll, said: “Since the fore- ers’ unions in the High Level €20 million in compensation for decision-makers from government ing lives.” runner to the WRC was estab- Forum for the Community Sector workers.” departments and agencies. There are approximately 10,000 lished in 2010, its advocates and “The establishment of such a in the coming days, our members information sssistants have pro- High Level Forum for the Commu- will be left with no option but to SIPTU members working in Com- vided advice and representation The SIPTU WRC in Navan can nity Sector was agreed during the consider a ballot for industrial ac- munity Sector organisations to thousands of SIPTU members. be contacted on 046 902 3437. talks process which led to the tion.” SIPTU Community Sector throughout the country. Seanad votes to reinstate freelance workers’ rights THE PASSING by Seanad Éire- lance journalists, which were taken ann of a Bill which reinstates from them 12 years ago by a ruling the right to collectively bar- of the Competition Authority. That gain for voice-over actors, ses- ruling catergorised these workers as sion musicians and freelance self-employed persons who if they journalists has been hailed as combined to set prices for their services could be charged for insti- an important step towards tuting anti-competitive practices. victory in a long-running cam- “Since that ruling was made our paign by those workers. members in SIPTU, Irish Equity, the SIPTU Services Division Organ- Musicians Union of Ireland and the iser, Ethel Buckley, said: “The Com- National Union of Journalists have petition (Amendment) Bill 2016, campaigned for an amendment to which was introduced by Senator the law that would exempt these Ivana Bacik in January was passed categories of workers.” by Seanad Éireann, on 10th Novem- This Bill when enacted will be ber, with all-party support follow- crucial in protecting vulnerable ing the acceptance of amendments workers in the Arts and Culture Sec- proposed by the Minister for Jobs, tor from precarious working condi- Enterprise and Innovation, Mary tions. To help workers in engaging Mitchell O’Connor. in collective bargaining, SIPTU in- SIPTU activists, organisers and Labour Party Senators “This Bill will reinstate collective tends to launch a major organising with copies of the The Competition (Amendment) Bill bargaining rights to voice-over ac- campaign in the sector in the com- 2016, outside Leinster House on 10th November. tors, session musicians and free- ing months. Liberty 5 News NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

SIPTU welcomes cross-party backing for constitutional move to keep water public

A BILL calling for a referendum on a constitutional amendment to ensure that the ownership and management of water services remains in public ownership, in progressing through the Members of the SIPTU Local Authority Sector, union officials and TDs Joan Collins and Michael Healy Rae outside Leinster Oireachtas after it received House on 10th November. cross-party support in the Dáil. The 35th Amendment to the Con- referendum. safeguard the public ownership of commend those who have made sure it results in a constitutional stitution (Water in Public Owner- SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan water services. good on their promise on this amendment which will, if passed, ship Bill 2016) which was proposed O’Brien, said: “Our members in “During the last election cam- issue.” SIPTU Public Administra- provide an irrefutable guarantee by Deputy Joan Collins TD is sup- local authority water services wish paign, many politicians gave a writ- tion and Community Division Or- ported, by SIPTU. It was passed in to express our sincere appreciation ten commitment to our members ganiser, John King, told Liberty: within the Constitution that our the Dail with cross-party support on to Deputy Collins for her work on that they would demand a referen- “Our members will remain focused water services and management 10th November. It follows an earlier this issue which has significantly dum to safeguard our water serv- on this issue as it passes through will remain fully in public owner- call by SIPTU and others for such a advanced the SIPTU campaign to ices in public ownership. We the Oireachtas and will seek to en- ship.” The university of hard knocks ALTHOUGH precarious employ- irony that increasing my profile at even humiliating, such as being in- nancial security, which means I ment impacts most sectors – my own considerable expense informed by a colleague at that con- have been unable to secure even a including technology, media, creases my university’s profile too. ference that they couldn’t reach small mortgage to purchase a mod- health, hospitality, In this way, the college benefits me because my profile and contact est home. And being made vulner- retail, and construc- from the hard work I do at my details don’t appear in the staff list able to a car insurer that penalised tion* – the trend own expense. That I do of my department’s website. I can- me for a few late payments last this without an office and not help but feel that this some- year by insisting that I pay the en- towards the casualisation without regular office how marks me as a second-rate of labour in the education tire premium in full up front. hours compounds a sense academic. Precarious employment While it’s true that the education sector has far reaching of isolation and estrange- also impacts my family. Without a sector is one of many sectors im- implications. ment I feel as I miss out viable career path, there is no fi- pacted by the casualisation of labour, As precarious employment con- on the solidarity and rich and I am only one lecturer among tracts increase among university i n t e r a c - many affected, it’s increasingly diffi- lecturers, researchers, and admin- tions that Without a cult to ignore the wider societal im- istrative staff, insecure working come with plications of precarious employment c h a n c e conditions inevitably impact the viable career contracts. Which is why SIPTU and quality of teaching. CASUAL encoun- ters with path, there is the Irish Federation of University It is this impact upon student Lecturers’ Defend the Irish Univer- learning that ultimately threatens c o l - versations outside lecture WORKERleagues, to no financial sity campaign** is right to point to to undermine the very reputation hours and Blackboard com- say nothing of the possi- the huge gulf that exists between the of the university itself within Irish muniqués providing further ble opportunities for collaborative security, which pay and working conditions of those society. materials, lectures and additional research I may be missing. at the top and those in junior aca- As one of the many lecturers support. Aside from pay, precarious em- means I have demic which ranks as one of the with a precarious employment Being paid only for the hours I ployment causes massive insecu- been unable to most defining labour issues of our contract, I can personally attest to lecture inevitably means that I am rity. Such as being told a few weeks day. the insecurity such contracts bring. This aricle was contributed by a university also not paid for my academic de- before I was to attend an annual secure even a lecturer who wishes to remain anonymous. For starters, because I am only velopment, which means that the conference for the second year in paid for the hours I lecture, I am time spent writing research papers a row that the email address I have small mortgage *Carl O’Brien. Precarious Work: The unpaid for the time I spend each and attending conferences comes had for over a decade was about to Sectors at Risk. Irish Times, 6th July 2015. year familiarising myself with the at my own expense. be cut off given that I was consid- to purchase a **Defiversity: latest research. I am also unpaid Although I have managed so far ered ‘out of contract’ over the A Charter for Action: http:// for the time spent communicating to deliver papers at conferences summer. modest home defendtheuniversity.ie with my students – including con- and publish, I cannot ignore the Other policies are embarrassing, 6 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Workplace Committee Forging unity among workers

By Frank Connolly

ELFAST City Council employs approximately 2,800 people, Bin various roles from street cleaning to community development officers. The workers serve all communities in a city which continues to deal with severe deprivation and political discord. SIPTU member, Garret O’Fachtna, has worked for the last five years as a trade union co-ordinator in Belfast City Council, alongside representatives of the other recognised unions, the GMB, NIPSA and Unite. The role is a full-time position meaning he is seconded from SIPTU’s team inside City Hall, Greater Belfast’s seat of power. Pictured from left: Emmanuel Millar, Glen Commu- his work as a community develop- nity Centre, Garret O’Factna, Trade Union Coordinator Belfast City Council, Ulrike Letzner, Ligoneil Community ment officer to carry it out. Centre, Martin O’Rourke, SIPTU, Annette Hallam, Community Development, Israel Hontavilla, Community Currently the unions in Belfast Development, Nikki Devlin, Events Office, Ciaran Hartley, Community Development Picture: Kevin Cooper, Photoline City Council are facing the challenge of major changes to local au- “The council has a Good Relations thority operations across Northern Strategy and Action Plan that it deliv- Ireland. ers every year, which is concentrated “I think we are currently experi- around countering sectarianism and encing the biggest piece of organi- racism, as well as the creation of sational change since 1974,” said shared cultural spaces and other Garret. “It’s the roll-out of local associated issues. government reform that saw the His job puts David at the fore- reduction in the number of local front of the community relations authorities in the North from 26 to issues which still divide Belfast’s 11.” working class areas. “Belfast is one He added: “In Belfast what of those cities that when you’re they’re trying to do is create an organisation which has a large for- working within communities ward-facing department which you’re working across communi- includes the current parks depart- ties and you’re trying to support ment, cleansing, bits of waste man- communities working together,” agement, community services, and he said. some of the enforcement services, “You’re working with commu- all of that kind of stuff in one nity workers, some of whom place. And then another, more would be from the ex-prisoner strategic type of department, community. You’re working with which would be based around eco- communities who have quite diffi- nomic development and city cen- cult demands that are all tied up in tre regeneration.” local politics, national politics and who is essentially a litter picker “One of the fallouts that we The reorganisation will also see constitutional politics. Now it’s who is on a different pay scale. As currently have within cleansing smaller internal departments cre- very enjoyable. I have to say I love it currently is operated if you were five sets of terms and conditions. ated, one dealing mainly with “They are unionised it but sometimes there can be a funding and the other with human to go up the railings of Falls Park There aren’t many and we’re not gulf between a sort of management resources. Garret sees a key benefit because we fought you could have the two guys either talking about huge amounts of tier within the council and the re- from the reorganisation being a side of the fence doing exactly the people transferring in but there are ality of trying to deliver on the more uniform approach to job de- extremely hard for same job getting different wages. enough, so there’s an issue around ground.” scriptions. the trade union That’s an obvious one, so you start harmonisation,” said Garret. David says that both the organisa- “At the moment we’ve got 700 to amalgamate those two.” With most SIPTU members em- tional changes and funding issues different job descriptions for about facilities agree- The reorganisation has also re- ployed in community services and resulting from the implementation 2,800 staff, which is crazy to be ment that we sulted in workers from former cleansing the union’s membership of the austerity agenda have in- fair. What they want to do is re- councils which border the Belfast will be concentrated in the new creased difficulties. duce that right down to as few as negotiated with area being brought into the City City and Neighbourhood Services “Staff can feel a lack of security possible. One way of doing that is Belfast City Council Council. Each of these councils had Department. One of those moving in their ability to be able to do to amalgamate similar tasks across their own wage scales which will to this department is David Robin- their job as effectively as they what were different services. to be carried over” now have to be brought into line son, a good relations officer, origi- could for fear of nobody having “Take for example a cleansing with Belfast City Council pay scales, nally from Bray, County Wicklow, their back.” operative who is a litter picker. In which guarantee all workers at least who has worked for the Belfast Emmanuel Millar, a centre su- parks you’ve got a parks operative a Living Wage of £8.25 per hour. City Council for the last 10 years. pervisor at the Glen Road Commu- Liberty 7 Workplace Committee NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

in Belfast comes at a time of increased concern over the internal social dynamics within working class areas of the city which remain divided along sectarian lines by so-called peace walls. “We still have 88 physical barri- in a divided city... ers in Belfast,” said Garret. “We have more than we had when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. 91% of social housing in Belfast is still segregated. Only 7% of young people are going to inte- grated schooling and we’re spending too much money on the duplication of services. So we need to tackle those deep-rooted atti- tudes that exist.” He added: “The way to save money in the long term is actually to invest very strongly in communities and community peace building in particular and it’s the short-sightedness of the cuts that frustrates a lot of people.” Unfortunately, the workers believe in certain areas that they are witnessing a re-emergence of past The way to save money in the long term is actually to invest very strongly in communities and community peace building... it’s the short-sightedness of the cuts that Sadly iconic: one of Belfast’s many Peace Walls frustrates people Picture: Nick (CC BY 2.0)

nity Centre and a shop steward for agreement [the national joint problems. “We’ve definitely seen a more than 30 years, highlights the council agreement, which covers small upsurge within cleansing in threat of privatisation to services. local authorities throughout the particular, said Garret. “People hav- “Eighteen months ago the oper- UK] and any deviation from the na- ing to be moved from an area be- ation of leisure services was out- tional agreement. It’s going to be sourced to Greenwich Leisure Ltd. very difficult to keep our eyes on cause of threats.” We did the negotiations around every ball,” said Garret. He added: “It’s really important the deal. We resisted the move to Added to these issues has been to say that the working class loyal- outsourcing in the first place but the recent Brexit vote by the ist communities are struggling, we lost that battle. British electorate to leave the EU, there’s no doubt about that and “The Waterfront and Ulster Halls a body which still provides large they are far from stable. There is have also both been operationally amounts of funding to community also a worrying trend of young taken over by what’s called a Hope in a shared space: projects in Northern Ireland. Girdwood Community hub people within nationalist commu- council-owned company – a CoCo. Picture: Belfast City Council Garret said: “It’s massive. Even That is a separate company which though the amount of European nities being drawn towards the has all its shares owned by the structural funding has been re- Real IRA or the Continuity [IRA] or not quite like it is in the South and tion is that people are wondering council.” duced and reduced. You’ve still got whatever they call themselves, so it’s not like it is over the water; it which one is going to be next. Is it Despite the establishment of something like 250 jobs at risk just isn’t just outsourcing everything that’s a concern.” these new entities to run facilities community services to be out- on the Falls Road alone. They’re they can. The rationale is that sourced. People on the ground are However, some of the Council’s formerly controlled by the council, community jobs but they’re paid major projects aimed at developing workers have maintained their these are commercial entities worried about the future of their for out of European money. ‘shared space’ are having an im- unionised status. which are not effectively run community services. Even if it’s “Anything after 2019 is in jeop- “They are unionised because we within the confines of local gov- not the case there is a fear every- ardy,” said David. “I know people pact. David highlights the recently- fought extremely hard for the ernment. That is the argument that thing is moving outside of Belfast who have walked away from com- completed Girdwood Community trade union facilities agreement they’re making and that gives the City Council. This added to the big munity work. I know a guy, he’s an hub in north Belfast which pro- that we negotiated with Belfast politicians a bit of cover.” reorganisation is putting people in ex-loyalist prisoner who was doing vides leisure, community and edu- City Council to be carried over,” Israel Hontavilla, a community a situation of fearing what changes fantastic work under Peace 3 [an cation facilities across a campus on development worker with the there may be.” said Emmanuel. EU-funded programme], who is the site of a former army barracks. However, he is in no doubt of Traveller community and a SIPTU “For us as a union there is such now back to painting and decorat- “It’s a fantastic facility that sort the long-term threat of privatisa- representative originally from an immense amount of work ing. I know a guy who’s gone back tion to council services. “They’re Spain, highlighted the fear of coming down the line. Much of to taxi-ing. These are fantastic of tags on to loyalist and republi- currently kind of stripping away workers and communities that this these negotiations will have a people who have left community can communities to try and pro- what are being termed as commer- is just the beginning of a wider significant degree of detail around work.” This growing unease about vide space that people can use in a cial assets. So at the moment it’s privatisation process. “The situa- terms and conditions, around the the future of the community sector shared environment.” 8 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Big Start Campaign Invest now in Early Years sector Early Years educators have called on the Government to Ciara SIPTU Big Start’s recognise and invest in their sector, in a submission on the Shaughnessy Debbie Early Years Professional 12 key demands planned Single Affordable and SIPTU member Nightingale Childcare Programme pre- Early Years Professional sented by the SIPTU Big Start “I joined SIPTU because I and SIPTU member for new childcare campaign. don’t feel our pay, recognition or conditions are good “Childcare providers programme The submission highlights the have jumped through need for high quality, affordable, ac- enough. So, before I give out Aims to achieve the ‘dou- about the conditions I work all the hoops when it cessible childcare services that are comes to funding, but ble dividend’ of childcare in, I would like to say at least I that is both affordable delivered by qualified, competent they’ve never had a 1 professionals who are appropriately tried to fight to improve and of high quality. them. I feel I’m doing that voice. In all the national paid. Starts no later than through joining SIPTU. I want strategic planning, they To advance these aims the sub- haven’t listened to the September 2017 and be mission contains 12 recommenda- to be respected and valued fully in place no later just as much as primary and childcare providers 2 tions for the Single Affordable themselves. I think than April 2018. Childcare Programme, which is to secondary school teachers, colleges, everything. Early what really is needed is Is developed within the be introduced by the Department of recognition and proper children’s rights frame- Children and Youth Affairs in Sep- Years professionals are part of the education system also – wages.” 3work as enshrined in the tember 2017 and will provide sub- we’re just as important.” UN Convention on the Rights sidised childcare places to families. At the Submission launch Ciara Shaughnessy of the Child. At the launch of the submission (left) and Christiane Schulte (right). Ensures all early years in the Mansion House, Dublin 2, on providers meet their re- 9th November, Head of Advocacy at progress in the implementation of SIPTU Sector Organiser, Darragh is having a direct impact on quality 4sponsibilities to respect Barnardos, June Tinsley, said: “The these plans.” O’Connor, said: “Children deserve in the sector. If we want quality and support children’s rights. Government’s commitment in She added: “As outlined in the Big access to quality childcare but when childcare then we have to address Budget 2017 to invest €35 million Start submission, a subsidised sys- Should apply price caps the average rate of pay is €10.26 per wages as well as affordability.” to deliver affordable childcare to all tem is fairer for everyone; childcare on childcare fees and hour fewer qualified professionals introduce a 100% subsidy families is a crucial step forward. providers, staff, parents and – most For more information, or to assist 5 see a future in the sector. the Big Start campaign, please for families with high levels of “Access to high quality, affordable importantly – children. need. childcare is proven to reduce child “However, it must be of high “The difficulty of recruiting and contact [email protected] or call poverty and we will monitor quality to yield the best results.” retaining qualified and skilled staff 01-858 6367. Follows through on the commitments to increase 6investment in childcare set out in the Programme for Partnership Government. Childcare workers organising across country Subsidised places should be made available through THE PROBLEMS facing the 7regulated childminders. SIPTU Early Years, Mayo Early Years education sector Support should be pro- have been the focus of discus- vided for the inclusion of sions at Big Start campaign 8all children with special meetings across the country. needs as well as children with a Traveller, Roma or migrant In recent weeks, childcare pro- background. Profile of children fessionals have attended regional taking part (or not) in the new meetings of the campaign in coun- programme should be moni- ties across Ireland including Mayo, tored to establish whether cer- Roscommon, Dublin and Mon- tain groups face barriers in aghan. accessing services. A particular issue raised at several meetings is that many workers Link funding to quality improvements and in- have contracts that only run for crease regular quality au- the 38 week duration of the state- 9 dits of participating services. funded Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme. This Greater access to an scheme provides families with free expanded Learner Early Years education for three age investing in Early Years educa- 10Fund (this fund of- hours a day. tion. Adequate investment would fers existing early years staff and registered childminders a At a meeting in Castlebar, Mayo, ensure affordable, accessible and high quality services.” subsidy towards the cost of in late October, Elaine Malone, a early years courses). manager at Aughagower Commu- Ann Joyce, the owner of the nity Childcare in Westport, said: Mount Carmel Academy Montes- Provide for paid non- “There is no non-contact time sori, a private childcare service in contact time, of at catered for. We are employed for Claremorris, said: “Those of us 11least one hour per three hours a day, five days a week who are in this line of work do so four hours of contact. for 38 weeks and then we are un- for the love of children and we Includes negotiated Launch of the Big Start Submission at need to be recognised and re- employed. the Mansion House Photo by: Dan O’Neill salary scales and “Delivering a high quality service spected as professionals.” 12working conditions takes more than three hours a day. For the venue and time of a Big that ensure the recruitment Realistically it takes four to four- servations to our curriculum added: “Early Years Education is Start meeting in your area see and retention of skilled ECCE and-a-half hours – this includes framework, communication with not valued in Ireland. Ireland only www.bigstart.ie or visit the Big staff. planning, observations, linking ob- parents and staff meetings.” She spends 25% of the European aver- Start Campaign Facebook page. Liberty 9 Housing Crisis NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

By of these municipal agencies must Marie be to move beyond the sole provision of social housing and to pro- Sherlock vide for the development of mixed SIPTU and One Cork income public housing. AS WE near the end of 2016, We need to change the model almost four years since the away from the current ‘all or noth- housing crisis began to really ing’ approach which means that take effect in this country, those just above the social housing successive governments have thresholds get no help with their failed to grasp the nettle of seek to boost public housing costs. this emergency. In Dublin at present, the waiting The effort and energy put in by list thresholds are some €15,000 both the outgoing and existing below (or 30%) what would be re- Minister to tackle this problem quired to be paying 35% of net in- cannot be doubted but the current come in rental payment. In effect, Government’s housing policy is no housing supply a single person requires net in- more than running to stand still. come of more than €50,000 to af- Even more worryingly, there is a Over recent months, SIPTU and vate landlords, house purchasers local authority areas and one for commonly held view within Gov- the One Cork group of unions have and other current housing expen- the two Cork local authorities. A ford average rents in Dublin, based ernment and elsewhere that the been working on a series of pro- ditures. longer-term priority must the es- on current estimates. bulk of the social housing problem posals to tackle the current hous- At present, individual local au- tablishment of a National Housing The Housing Agency and others can be resolved by a pick up in pri- ing crisis. thorities face a number of major Delivery agency which would have identified that trends in Ire- vate housing construction. At the heart of it is a recognition roadblocks to housing develop- merge both companies and others land’s tenure mix, affordability, de- There is no doubt that the social that local authorities can play a ment; one is approval for access to set up in other counties. mography and economy suggest housing problem has been exacer- much greater and leading role in sufficient Housing Finance Agency These agencies would pool exist- that one-quarter to one-third of the bated by the huge undersupply of the delivery of social housing (HFA) funding. Another is an ex- ing architectural, finance and pro- population will find it increasingly private rented housing, but large alongside that of affordable hous- penditure constraint imposed by curement expertise within the difficult to achieve homeowner- scale construction of owner-occu- ing bodies. This contrasts with the government deficit fiscal rules and participating local authorities. In a ship. pied and private rental housing ‘arms length’ approach set out in local authority accounting meth- major departure from the current The development of mixed in- will still not meet the needs of low the Government’s Action Plan for ods which do not recycle existing reliance on Department of Hous- come housing by municipal hous- and middle income households. Housing and Homelessness which ing, Planning, Community and social housing revenues back into ing agencies would offer a new For a couple with children on a sees the private and AHB [Ap- additional housing procurement Local Government, municipal type of rental option to house- combined income of 1.5 times av- proved Housing Bodies] sector as and maintenance. agencies would have direct borrow- erage earnings, private rental the main agents of delivery of so- In 2015, local authorities paid ing access to the Housing Finance holds, both in terms of cost and prices would need to drop by up to cial housing need. down more of the stock of their Agency. duration of tenure. 18% in Dublin so that this family In 2017, for every euro the Gov- HFA loans compared with their Subject to Eurostat accounting The private rented sector has would be able to rent at an afford- ernment has allocated for invest- level of borrowing, due to Depart- rules, it is possible that expendi- usually been a transitional option able level. It is for this precise rea- ment in social housing ment of Environment restrictions tures incurred by the municipal for people before buying a home, son that calls for much needed construction and maintenance by on borrowing. This must change. agency would not be classified as or moving to social housing. Our rent certainty and security of local authorities and affordable As a start, we are calling for two part of general government spend- model envisages a new type of tenure have to be complemented housing bodies, it is funding ap- municipal housing agencies to be ing. longer-term tenure for households to an increase in housing supply. proximately €0.86 to support pri- set up – one for the four Dublin Ultimately, the primary purpose to rent over long periods of time. Unions call for action on rent security THE Secure Rents campaign on renters. The proportion of in- seeks to mobilise, organise come being spent on rent in and coordinate the voices of Dublin is one of the highest in Eu- the 750,000 renters in the Re- ropean capital cities. It is now es- public of Ireland behind a de- timated that rent costs between mand for secure rents. 35% and 40% of the average It is a partnership between monthly income in Dublin. SIPTU, and our trade union col- Rents have increased by almost leagues in IMPACT, CWU, Mandate, 12% in the last year alone and and UNITE, the FSU and the peo- rents in Dublin are now 10% ple-powered campaigning organi- higher than the previous peak in sation UPLIFT. 2008; in Galway they are 14% Minister for Housing, Planning Renting in Dublin costs between above the previous peak. 35% and 40% of average income and Local Government, Simon Based on Daft.ie figures, which Coveney, will be publishing a new are for new leases, average rent na- Picture: Fabio Paoleri (CC BY-SA 2.0) strategy for the rental sector in De- tionwide has risen by 45% since cember and trade unions must do ity by linking any increases to the so as to reduce the number of fam- crease in housing needs in the Re- 2011 and is expected to increase by all they can to influence it to en- Consumer Price Index. The second ilies losing their homes each week. public of Ireland as social housing between 22% and 26% over the sure it truly benefits workers. is to revoke the right of landlords “A proper type of well-designed ‘waiting lists’ continue to swell. In next two years. All of this obvi- SIPTU Campaigns and Equality to evict tenants for the purpose of system of rent controls, based on 1996, there were 28,000 house- ously puts workers’ income under Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin, told sale. Finally there must be a move the best practice of other coun- holds on the housing list. By 2005, pressure and is creating intolerable Liberty: “In recent days the Minis- from current four-year leases to in- tries, will help stem the tide of ris- this had increased to 42,000, and situations, particularly for low- ter has said he will not be includ- definite lease terms.” ing homelessness.” by 2013, 90,000 households. The paid workers. ing proposals on secure rents in She added: “While we wait for That action on rising rents is es- Local Authority figures now show To support the Secure Rents his strategy so trade union mem- the housing supply issue to be re- sential is beyond doubt. As Liberty that this figures stands at more campaign, please log on to bers must tell him he is wrong solved, it is clear that the Govern- goes to print there are 4,283 adults than 130,000. https://action.uplift.ie/cam- about this. ment must act now to introduce, and 2,426 children in emergency Rising rents and lack of security paigns/41/ and sign our peti- “The campaign has three clear without any further delay, a well- homelessness of some kind. of tenure in the private-rented section to join the call for asks – firstly to provide rent stabil- designed system of rent controls There has been a dramatic in- tor is putting increased pressure #securerents 10 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Biennial Conferences

Manufacturing Division TEAC Division Successes and challenges for manufacturing workers

ONCRETE proposals to offset any adverse Jack McGinley speaking at effects after Brexit the TEAC Division BDC Cand to improve workers’ conditions of employment emerged from the SIPTU Manufacturing Divi- sion Biennial conference. Workers fighting back Held in Liberty Hall on 3rd and 4th November, the conference was HE successful fight where employment is based attended by more than 200 dele- to win fair wages around non-renewable energy gates and observers. and secure improve- production so they can develop The possible impact of Brexit on ments in terms and alternative jobs and industries. the future development of manu- T A motion from the Construc- conditions of employment facturing in Ireland was the focus dominated the Transport, tion Sector focused on the ongo- of much debate. Delegates pro- Energy, Aviation and Con- ing campaign to secure a Sector posed a strengthening of links struction (TEAC) Division Employment Order/Registered with our European partners as the Biennial Delegate Confer- Employment Agreement for the most suitable response. ence. construction industry. There was overwhelming sup- With a conference theme of There was also a motion pre- port for a motion from the Agricul- “Workers Fighting Back and De- sented by the Retired Members ture, Ingredients, Food and Drinks manding our Fair Share” a num- Section highlighting the impor- Sector calling on the SIPTU Na- ber of important motions tance of public transport for tional Executive Council “to open received enthusiastic support older people and calling on con- serious discussions through the from the more than 150 dele- ference to recognise that privati- ICTU on the feasibility of a perma- gates present at the conference sation jeopardises the free travel nent presence being established by Division Organiser Gerry McCormack informs in Liberty Hall on Friday 18th pass and routes which they de- delegates of pay rises in nearly 500 workplaces the Irish trade union movement in and Saturday 19th November. pend on. Brussels”. The motions passed included Among the keynote speakers In his address, Division Organ- in areas such as pensions and in eral issues. These included amend- one on ensuring that the transi- at the conference was ICTU Gen- iser, Gerry McCormack, outlined organising migrant and interna- ing the Unfair Dismissal Act to pro- tion to renewable energy did not eral Secretary, Patricia King, who the successes of the Division’s pay tional workers. adversely impact on workers in outlined the challenges posed by campaign that had so far resulted vide increased protection for shop Delegates also received reports the sector. This motion, which TTIP and the Irish trade union in pay rises for members in nearly stewards, to raise the age limit in on other continuing campaigns the Parental Leave Act from eight received unanimous support, movement’s campaign against it. 500 workplaces. He said that local stated that the trade union There were also presentations by bargaining was preferred by our supported by the Division. These years of age to 13 years of age and included the Supporting Quality movement needed to face up to the Cuba Solidarity Fund and the members and it was estimated that to eliminate all forms of precarious the “existential crisis that cli- showing of a film featuring the most workers in the sector were consumer choice campaign and the work such as zero-hour contracts mate change presents” and SIPTU events which commemo- now covered by employment level Ethical Trading Initiative. and ‘If and When’ contracts. “work towards the creation of a rated the 1916 Rising. agreements. The conference also heard pre- Among the other speakers to ad- carbon-neutral economy”. It was the first conference held Overall, Gerry characterised the sentations from Strategic Organis- However, it recognised that under the Division’s new title campaign as “good for members, ing Department researcher, Tish dress the conference was SIPTU this had to be done through a and also marked the end of a good for workers in general, good Gibbons, on the Educate to Organ- Dublin District Council chair, Jack “just transition”. To this end the very successful period of leader- for the economy, good for Ireland ise programme and its roll out to McGinley, and SIPTU Migrant and motion called on SIPTU to cam- ship by Owen Reidy who handed and good for SIPTU”. the union membership. International Workers Support paign for EU support for commu- over the TEAC Division Organ- However, he warned that the Di- Delegates voted to call upon the Network coordinator, Evelina nities and workers in areas iser mantle to Greg Ennis. vision still faced major challenges union to initiate campaigns on sev- Saduikyte. Public Administration & Community Division

HERE WAS a resolute mood evident among delegates at the Pub- T lic Administration Restoring quality and Community Division Bi- ennial Conference as they ber in Liberty Hall. In his keynote from delegates. He said: “We ut- outlined plans to make up address, SIPTU General President terly reject the assertion that there lost ground on pay and con- Jack O’Connor warned that the is no money and that it is a choice ditions following the eco- union would authorise ballots for between pay increases and services nomic crisis of 2008. industrial action among its 60,000 for the public. This is an ab- More than 180 delegates and ob- members in the public service un- solutely false dichotomy.” servers from across Local Author- less the Government set a date be- As well as the urgent need to ity, Education, State Agency and fore February 2017 to open talks renegotiate the Lansdowne Road Community Sector employments on pay and related matters. This Agreement in the light of the eco- More tha 180 delegates attended the two-day Public attended the conference on Thurs- Administration & Community Division conference day 10th and Friday 11th Novem- received an enthusiastic reaction nomic recovery, the concerns of Liberty 11 Biennial Conferences NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Health Division Services Division

HE MESSAGE was clear from the 200 plus delegates who T attended the SIPTU Health Division Biennial Del- Winning a ‘New egate Conference in Liberty Hall on 13th-14th October – they had weathered the economic storm and were now set on the path of securing a Deal for Health’ ‘New Deal for Health’. Union leaders’ addresses and contributions from members ex- amined the work done over the last two years and decided on the During the conference illustrator Declan Pierce created a graphic art Division’s future agenda. To the work based on issues highlighted by speakers (Photo: Dan O’Neill). fore were organising campaigns that have successfully brought together health care assistants and workers in the Intellectual Disabil- ity Sector to fight for better condi- Services workers will tions through their union. Clear demands for speedy pay restoration and increased funding of the public health service solidi- fight for their future fied around the conference’s slo- Delegates at the SIPTU Serv- dressed by members of the gan of a ‘New Deal for Health’. ices Division Biennial Dele- Justice for Clerys Workers SIPTU members have demanded gate Conference, on 24th and campaign, ICTU General Secre- a new deal for health workers that 25th November, were told the tary, Patricia King, and the includes accelerated pay restora- SIPTU members Yvonne O’Callaghan, Marie Barry and union will fight against precar- leading Australian trade Rosie Condra with Calais volunteer Federica Pipolo tion, a road map to real pay pro- ious work practices and to se- unionist, Michael Crosby, the gression and a commitment to pay cure fair pay in the services author of ‘Power at Work: re- justice for new entrants. sector. building the Australian Union In his keynote speech, SIPTU Di- Addressing over 200 dele- Movement’. vision Organiser, Paul Bell said: gates and observers on the Crosby placed a heavy em- “The message from our members first day of the conference phasis on organising re- to Government is loud, clear and which was entitled ‘Fighting sources, communication and decisive. We want to reclaim the for the Future of Work’, SIPTU smart strategy if unions are to ground and win a new deal for Services Division Organiser, grow strong into the future. health that is underpinned by bet- Ethel Buckley, said there was a “We have got to think harder ter health care for patients and bet- growing global threat to work- and better than the bosses and ter jobs for health workers.” ers’ rights. She said: “Trump we’ve got to be able to imple- There was also focus on the Di- and Brexit are neither acciden- ment our plan to win.” vision’s wider social justice man- General Secretary Joe O’Flynn makes a presentation to tal, nor separate, but form part To combat the rising global date, with Federica Pipolo, a Eileen Murphy, wife of Pat Murphy, to commemorate his of a dangerous trend that is scourge of precarious work voluntary worker at a Calais service to SIPTU’s Health Division. Also pictured are NEC member Padraig Peyton and Divisional Organiser Paul Bell openly - explicitly – setting Crosby appealed to young refugee camp, delivering a heart- out to undo many of the workers to get organised and rending account of conditions achievements and protections active in a trade union. there. This ensured that a motion from Calais, who, though resilient, to interact directly with their Divi- for which the global trade “The first thing I say to any calling on the union to intervene face added vulnerability and po- sion to raise issues and express the union movement has fought.” worker is to get active. We also both nationally and internation- tential exploitation.” views of their own workplaces. Conference delegates need to stop being shy about ally to assist the plight of refugees The conference also saw the SIPTU Health Division Cam- passed motions on a number asking our colleagues ‘are you was passed unanimously. highly successful launch of a new paigner, Paddy Cole, said: “We are of issues of importance to in the union?’Unions work on Health Division app for members’ Proposing the motion, SIPTU immensely proud to be the first services workers including the the basis of collective power. Global Solidarity Committee mem- smart phones and tablets. union that represents health work- increasing casualisation of If you want the union to work, ber, Brian Condra, said: “Ireland This app will relay news and work, transfer of undertakings you’ve got to become active. can and must take action. We are views of importance concerning ers in Ireland to provide this dedi- legislation, pensions and pre- You’ve got to step up and do also calling on Ireland to take 200 the health service to members di- cated communications platform carious working conditions. more than just buy a trade of the unaccompanied children rectly. It will also allow members for our members.” The conference was also ad- union membership.”

cussed in depth the threat of the public service.” He said only trend towards precarious employ- worker organisation could hope to ment throughout the global econ- reverse these trends, adding: “The omy. challenge, therefore, is to prevent public services and jobs... He told delegates: “Never wish- the marginalisation of the trade ing to miss an opportunity, the fi- union movement and strengthen it army of precarious workers, from ices. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Jane the Division’s various sectors were nancial crisis was used by those in the public service and employ- Boushell, pointed out that as well to the fore. general operatives to administra- driving the neo-liberal agenda to ments in general by a concerted as compromising service delivery, A motion from the Education tion staff to teachers in our third commercialise, privatise and con- and focused organising campaign Sector demanding an end to pre- level institutions. The majority of outsourcing had the effect of tract out public services and where based on reversing the trends in carious working conditions in the workers who find themselves “denying workers the opportunity recruitment was to occur in the employment of the last decade.” third level institutions received in precarious employment are to advance their careers” and led to public service the contracts offered Among the others who ad- unanimous support. SIPTU Equal- women.” a “depletion of skills within public began to reflect those offered in dressed the conference were Tom ity Sub-committee NUI Galway Conference also supported the service organisations”. the private sector with reduced McDonnell, of NERI and Christine chairperson, Maggie Ronayne, told launching of a campaign to regu- In his address, the Division Pres- salaries and benefits. Precarious Jakob of the European Public Serv- the conference: “There is now an late the outsourcing of public serv- ident, Maurice O’Donoghue, dis- work has entered the realm of the ices Union. 12 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Comment Who owns our media? preventing retrospective application of ownership thresholds. By The report carried out by Kevin Lynn Boylan Winters Law of Belfast and Doughty Street Chambers of Lon- The Media industry is an don found that Ireland has one of industry unlike any other. It the most concentrated media mar- is considered by many to be kets of any democracy. RTÉ, the na- the fourth pillar of democ- tional broadcaster and one racy and for any democracy individual business man, Denis to be healthy there must be O’Brien, were the two most con- an open and diverse media – trolling entities. O’Brien enjoys a a media that holds the pow- dominant position in the print sec- erful to account, that seeks tor and a significant position in the truth and ensures the the commercial radio sector. public’s access to that truth. By not applying the 2014 media As a result the question of who merger guidelines on thresholds owns the media is very important. retrospectively, the Irish govern- In March 2016, an EU funded re- ment actually made the matter port on media plurality found Ire- worse. The new rules copperfas- land to be at ‘high risk’ for the tened the majority hold of Denis concentration of media ownership. O’Brien while simultaneously set- This is despite the fact that the ting up new thresholds and barri- Irish Government had put in place ers for anyone seeking to challenge threshold guidelines for media that position. ownership since 2014. Unfortu- A Dublin City University study of 140 articles carried out by Dr nately, the thresholds were not ap- Cartoon by Alfredo Gazon plied retrospectively to those Flynn, found that coverage of the business interests of Mr O’Brien already active in the media market. run a story for fear of large settle- ling it. we had that Commission although was less likely to be negative in his When I questioned the rationale ments and protracted court What is now required is political the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has own publications and was more for this, many stakeholders to proceedings. backbone. ruled out the idea. Indeed in whom I spoke were of the belief likely to focus on other individuals But it is not just media outlets Minister for Communications, recent weeks the Competition that property rights in the Irish although it did not conclude that who are afraid. For decades, politi- Denis Naughten, should seize the Authority has given the go ahead Constitution prevented any deal- Denis O’Brien had sought to influ- cians have shied away from opportunity to deal with the for INM to purchase seven more ing with media ownership retro- ence editorial decisions. effectively dealing with media thorny issue of media ownership spectively. This then places a greater onus regional newspaper titles. I decided to commission an in- on other media outlets to bridge ownership. once and for all. Politicians of all Those elected to public office, dependent legal report on the Con- the gap and to ensure balance. This is simply not good enough. parties and none should come to- including myself, have an obliga- centration of Media Ownership. However, Mr O’Brien has taken The report I commissioned clearly gether to support him in that. tion to ensure that the Irish media The report set out to look at the EU out 12 cases against media organi- shows that we have a problem in The NUJ have called for a multi- has the ability to fulfill its role as and Irish legal framework protect- sations since 2010 alone and due Ireland and that neither Irish Con- disciplinary Commission of In- the sword arm of democracy. ing the industry and to assess if to the current defamation laws stitutional Law or EU Competition quiry to look at the media Lynn Boylan is a Sinn Fein MEP the Irish constitution was in fact many publications choose not to Law are preventing us from tack- land scape, I believe it is time that for Dublin. Successful OPW Tour Guides Campaign Sector Organiser, Jane This campaign has been a suc- SIPTU and OPW management Boushell and Assistant cess with over 80 guides joining are meeting to discuss guides is- Industrial Organiser, Jason since commencement of the ini- sues in particular in the coming Palmer, with Pat McCabe tiative which improves union weeks. These issues include Sea- (Strategic Org Dept.) initi- density by 40%. sonal Contracts, Resumption A comprehensive report based ated a focused organising Notice, Promotional Opportuni- on a Survey of OPW Tour Guides campaign to improve union ties and Training. which was carried out in con- density in the OPW Tour junction with the membership A well-attended workshop was Guides Section in 2016 and density campaign, was pre- held at SIPTU College in May Marie Cairbre (JFK Arbouretum), Susan Loughrane (Trim Castle), Ronan Kenny (Rock of Cashel), Roy Barron (Kilmainham), Glynn Anderson (Botanic Gardens), re-invigorate participation sented to the National Commit- which was attended by new ac- Aisling Gaffney (Dublin Castle), Richard McDermott (Casino Marino), in the National Guides tee for discussion and comment. tivists as well as members of the Jason Palmer (Ind Org SIPTU), Bartley Beatty (Dún Aonghasa) Pat McCabe (SOD Committee. As a result of the initiative National Committee. SIPTU). Liberty 13 Comment NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

The challenges of Br-ump: Facing up to Brexit and Trump

By Vic Duggan

IRST it was Brexit. Then it was Trump. Twice in recent months, we have Fawoken to news from across the water that shook us to our core. Something has gone ‘Br-ump’ in the night. For Ireland, the biggest impact of Brexit and Trump’s ascendancy are likely to be economic. Even if recent decades have seen Ireland Inc. diversify its economic ties, the UK and US are still by far our most important trade and foreign direct investment partners. Directly or indirectly, hundreds of thousands of Irish jobs depend on these countries’ fortunes and policies. The temptation will be for Irish policymakers to adopt a reactive stance, but this needs to be complemented by a proactive and comprehensive approach. As a tiny, very open economy, Shock number one: Brexit – Ireland has surfed the wave of neo- ex-UKIP chief Nigel Farage liberal globalisation more deftly than most, making the most of our geographic and cultural proximity Shock number two: President Trump – to the US and the UK, in particular. How the NY Post reported the news... For decades, for better or worse, Pictures: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0); Marco Verch (CC BY 2.0) we have been ‘all in’ on an eco- For decades... we nomic strategy aimed at grabbing a trade, investment, immigration sively to protect the citizens whose slice of the global economic pie. As have been ‘all in’ and information flows and techno- livelihoods depend on the high- a result, there is perhaps no other logical progress could increase the Among the key performing multi-national sector. country as uniquely exposed to the on an economic size of the economic pie. But, no matter what becomes of twin ‘Br-ump’ challenges. strategy aimed at In practice, this is not a given, demographics that President Trump or post-Brexit Eu- Who knows which of Trump’s but it has largely held true. Despite rope, there is a need for a proactive campaign promises he actually in- grabbing a slice of big bumps in the road, not least voted for Brexit and progressive policy agenda in tends to keep, but lets look at the the halting global recovery from Ireland. We need to do more to one most likely to impact on Ire- the crisis of 2008, our economies the global eco- and Trump were tackle inequalities of incomes, as land: corporation tax. are now bigger and more intercon- Corporation tax reform has been nomic pie... there nected than they have ever been. working class well as outcomes in health, educa- mooted by both main political par- Rapid catch-up growth in China, tion and employment. ties in the US for well over a is perhaps no other India, Africa and elsewhere has communities... We need to tackle pockets of decade. With Republicans now in raised hundreds upon hundreds of rural and urban inter-generational control of the Presidency, Senate country as uniquely millions out of poverty. areas devastated deprivation – areas that the Celtic and Congress, they now have the But, economic orthodoxy is by decades of de- Tiger largely passed by, but that the scope to enact it on their terms by exposed to the largely silent on how the pie is Celtic Crash hammered anyway. bringing down the headline 35% twin ‘Br-ump’ shared across our economies. industrialisation, We need an industrial policy that rate (Trump campaigned for a 15% While helping narrow inequality puts at least as much focus on rate), maybe phasing out some of challenges... between countries, the era of compounded by boosting indigenous enterprise as the tax reliefs that complicate the hyper-globalisation has almost union kowtowing to fleet-footed system and incentivising multi-na- versally given rise to increased in- a welfare state in multi-nationals. tionals like Apple to repatriate the equalities within countries. In We need to build better bridges mountains of cash they’ve been retreat... practice, the biggest gains from between domestic and foreign hoarding oversees in expectation through and taxed in Ireland could globalization have been concen- of precisely such an opportunity firms here. And, we need to have leave the public finances exposed, trated in the hands of the few, but (Trump proposed a one-time 10% the confidence to build a business so have the losses. Among the key It should not come as a surprise rate on such profits held abroad). but nothing like the extent of ex- model founded on more than a posure to the bursting property demographics that voted for Brexit that people with little to lose were It’s quite likely that profit repa- and Trump were working class giveaway corporate tax regime. bubble in 2008. willing to roll the dice. triations would have a big impact communities in Northern England In short, we need to learn the For its part, Ireland needs a twin- on headline Irish GDP and FDI More generally, a shift away and America’s rust belt, areas dev- right lessons from Br-ump: by all numbers, but it doesn’t necessarily from global economic openness is astated by decades of de-industri- pronged response to the Br-ump means, take action to mitigate the follow that jobs or wages in the likely to hit the smallest and most alisation, compounded by a phenomenon: reactive and proac- damage to Ireland Inc., but don’t multi-national sector would also open economies hardest. Eco- welfare state in retreat and unable tive. Given the degree of uncer- lose sight of why it happened in take a big hit. In the medium term, nomic orthodoxy would suggest to create decent jobs to replace tainty, our policymakers need to be the first place, so we stop making fewer multi-national profits routed that breaking down barriers to those lost. resolute and ready to react deci- the same mistakes here. 14 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Comment Brexit debate and the need for Social Europe

By emphasises the need for social Lorraine rights to take precedence over economic freedoms and for a guaran- Mulligan tee of ‘upward convergence’ rather than downward pressure on standards. ON 28TH OCTOBER SIPTU, in conjunction with the Euro- In my presentation, I outlined pean Parliament, hosted a the skills shortages in the Irish Forum in Liberty Hall on the economy and future challenges development of a European facing workers, notably the impact Pillar of Social Rights. The of digitilisation. The nature of first panel, chaired by Blair work is changing and online or Horan from the Charter ‘platform’ models of business Group, was focused on Brexit. must not mean that workers in Sinn Fein MEP, Lynn Boylan, un- this space have limited access to derlined the importance of avoiding a hard border between the fundamental rights and protec- Republic and Northern Ireland and tions at work. The European Pillar suggested Europe is failing to learn of Social Rights (EPSR) is not in- lessons. tended to assign new rights but Tom Healy (NERI) referred to a rather to act a benchmark for proposal from the Irish Congress Delegates at the Forum in Liberty Hall on 28th October. measuring the performance of of Trade Unions for an ‘early warn- Photo: Fennell Photography member states based on a series of ing system’ to identify sectors and principles. As such, it represents a employments at particular risk and also for a retraining fund. become a divisive issue in Ireland way to make incremental progress in the way that it did in Britain to but is a step in the right direction. examining potential models for Professor James Wickham of Northern Ireland, drawing on ex- TASC warned that the gains se- The European amples such as the Isle of Man cured from the early years of Euro- which is part of the Customs pean integration have been eroded Pillar of Social Union but not a member of the Eu- in recent years and that Europe ropean Union. must now change direction. Rights (EPSR) is The second panel concentrated While recognising that there is a on the contribution that a Euro- not intended to pean Pillar of social rights could lack of clarity about whether the assign new rights make building a more Social Eu- outcome of the European Pillar of rope. Head of SIPTU’s Services Di- Social Rights initiative will deliver but rather to act vision, Ethel Buckley, spoke about discernible and tangible benefits, the resistance of some employers SIPTU President Jack O’Connor ar- a benchmark for in the services sector to tackling gued that it presents an opportu- the problem of precarious work, nity which should be grasped. To measuring the From left to right, Blair Horan, SIPTU Manufacturing Divisional for instance in hospitality. She also Organiser Gerry McCormack and Lynn Boylan MEP adopt a purely cynical stance risks Photo: Fennell Photography endorsed the European Trade performance of Union Confederation (ETUC) posi- the danger of playing into the Far member states tion on the European Pillar which Right agenda he said.

THE GOVERNMENT’s first All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit was held on the 2nd November in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Most of the main political parties, north and south, were represented, but the Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party refused to attend. A myriad of Vincent Turley, a Consultant civil society organisations and employers were also there to make contributions. with HR Services, pointed to the negative impact of Brexit on the Patricia King, Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary, warned that ‘Brexit must not become a pretext to dismantle hard won employment mushroom industry in the border rights and standards derived from EU Directives’. An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, emphasised that he and British Prime Minister, Teresa May, agree that region which is already manifest- there can be ‘no return to the border of the past’ between Ireland and Northern Ireland. ing. Gerry McCormack, Head of the A report on the proceedings is to be published. Further sessions of the Dialogue are envisaged in the months ahead, including at sectoral level. It SIPTU Manufacturing Division, would be beneficial to ensure that these future events include a focus on the contribution that a credible European Pillar of Social Rights could highlighted Ireland’s considerable reliance on exports to the UK and make to allay the fears of many about the potential for Brexit to undermine existing labour and other social protections. There is even the seed of the many thousands of jobs that possibility that an avenue is open to forge consensus across society on a comprehensive strategy for dealing with Brexit. However, this opportunity are at stake. will be missed if the government uses it only as window-dressing and fails to take a partnership approach in addressing the key concerns that Discussion ensued with those in attendance ranging from the need emerge. to ensure that migration does not Liberty 15 Comment NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 TTIP and CETA - the Devil in the Detail • By Farrel Corcoran

As the backlash against the Governments will lose revenue. All neo-liberal orthodoxy under- boats will not rise with the flowing pinning both TTIP and its EU- tide of transatlantic trade. Canada cousin CETA is slowly Secondly, the EU’s guiding prin- building, what is coming into ciple on food safety standards will focus is the downside of trade not be preserved when regulatory deals that had previously been harmonisation begins. If the masked by illusive prosperity. trade agreements are put in place, This realisation played no practices routinely used in US small part in the bitterness in food production, currently the recent US presidential banned in the EU, will have legal election. Free trade is seen to protection. These include the use be no longer just about dis- of genetically modified organ- mantling protectionism but isms, carcinogenic pesticides and about protecting multi-na- growth-pro mo ting hormones in tional corporations against cattle and pigs. The EU’s ‘precau- the public, in three major tionary principle,’ requiring food producers to prove that chemicals areas. are safe before they can be used, Firstly, the fear that trade liber- will be swept aside as a ‘barrier to alisation will generate unemploy- trade.’ Key European principles ment, further inequality and will be regarded as legitimate bar- welfare losses. Official studies un- gaining chips to achieve corporate derpinning CETA argue that economic gain. Through its actions economies will grow, new jobs will at the World Trade Organisation, appear and laid-off workers will the US has already demonstrated allows corporations to by-pass na- ment’s sovereign right to regulate lobbying influence of multi-na- rapidly find new jobs. This is obvi- opposition to EU policies in food tional courts. Essentially, it opens smoking. tional corporations smothering the ously not the experience of living safety and has steadily pressed for the way for international investors Irish politicians should be well objections of public interest in post-NAFTA America, but aca- adoption of a more US centred ap- to scavenge for profits by suing aware that the way trade negotia- groups. The EU consultation mech- demic research is also at odds with proach to the science that is called governments, accusing them of tions are structured has been prob- anisms for business are systemati- the official view. Recent research upon to underpin public health cally stronger than those for breaking trade commitments. Sim- lematic for some time, as this from the University of Technology rules. consumer, environmental, labour at Delft, for instance, shows that Thirdly, these treaties enable ilar legal challenges can be seen criticism has been well circulated and public health advocates. This for the first seven years after CETA multinational companies to raise today in Uruguay, where Big To- in Brussels by various citizen lobby presents trade unions with a very is in place, unemployment will legal challenges to national legisla- bacco is attacking cigarette control groups over several years. EU interesting challenge in tackling rise, wages will fall and economies tion protecting public health. Ar- regulations despite the constitu- ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, too future trade deals. will see their growth rates decline. bitration by transatlantic tribunals tional court supporting the govern- has been outspoken about the Reminder to Christmas shoppers... Fast Fashion costs lives THE PUSH towards so-called clothing is shipped and flown from resulted in political pressure to ef- Fast Fashion, where retailers the Far East to Europe than ever fect change and led to the setting seek to move designs from before and the life cycle of these up of the binding Accord on Fire the catwalk quickly on to the garments is decreasing. and Building Safety in Bangladesh “Next to oil Fast Fashion is the between clothing brands, retailers High Street, has led to a fur- second most pollutant industry on and trade unions. ther decline in conditions for earth. It takes 22 bathtubs of This multi-buyer collective agree- many workers in Asia. water to make one cotton T-shirt. ment, the first of its kind, has been SIPTU Global Solidarity Commit- Eighty billion new garments are the stepping stone to clean up tee chair, Yvonne O’Callaghan, told produced every year, with two mil- some of the ills of the fashion in- Liberty: “The Fast Fashion busi- lion tonnes of textiles ending up in dustry. ness model has turned six-month landfill annually.” O’Callaghan added: “Trade unions lead times into days and got con- In 2013, the worst ever indus- are now campaigning for retailers to sumers hooked on many more trial incident to hit the garment in- not only promise to sign the clothing seasons a year. dustry took place. The collapse of Bangladesh Accord but commit to “Allied to globalisation and free- the Rana Plaza factory building in working towards a living wage in market economics, Fast Fashion Bangladesh killed 1,134 people and countries where legal minimum brands and retailers have increas- left thousands more injured. wages are set too low to ensure a ingly outsourced production to People across the world looked decent standard of living. low-waged economies, predomi- on in shock and horror as media “They are also campaigning to nately in Asia where labour and reports revealed the true nature of ensure that the rights to join a overheads costs are a fraction of the working conditions endured union and to collectively bargain those in Europe. Rana Plaza factory collapse: by garment workers in the global become the norm in the rescuers scramble in the rubble “Today, one in six people work supply chains of leading high- fashion industry.” in a desperate search for in the global clothing industry. street retailers, such as Primark To find out what retailers have survivors Picture: courtesy IRLF Most of these workers are women and H&M. signed the Accord, go to earning less than $3 per day. More The public outcry that followed www.bangladeshaccord.org 16 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Supporting Quality

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THE PPOWEROTHE WER UNION proud parpr partnertneroud Liberty 17 Political Levy NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Origins of the Political Levy unions functioned more as the employers’ offensive against friendly societies, offering limited workers’ pay and conditions By Padraig benefits to members. However, Note on the Political Fund gained momentum, that trade Yeates some craft unions did manage to unions and socialists began began exercise controls over the supply 1. The contribution to the Political Fund is to find real common purpose and of skilled labour, even creating 63 cents per member per year support grew for a distinct ‘Labour HE SIPTU political strike funds in some instances to Party’, as the political arm of the fund is currently in finance disputes. 2. It is used for various campaigning wider movement. In February 1900 the process of a major The lack of adequate structures T review. In this context to support negotiated settlements purposes - not just political affiliation fees at a special conference of the TUC it is worth revisiting the ori- between employers and unions in London a wide range of trade gins of the political levy. often led to outbreaks of violence. 3. In this years general election support from union and left wing political ac- Associations of workers have ex- Groups of unskilled workers organ- the fund was open to SIPTU candidates tivists agreed to create a Labour isted in Ireland from at least the ised in gangs such as the ‘Billy Wel- Representative Committee (LRC). early eighteenth century. These ters’ in Dublin to attack employers irrespective of their political party on Meanwhile, the need for legisla- sought to regulate the supply of who would not concede increases. condition that they signed a pledge to tion to protect unions became skilled workers by organising jour- In Britain Irish working class agita- more urgent after the House of neymen and apprentices in the tors built links with British radi- support certain union policies Lords in 1900 found in favour of various trades. In 1780 the Irish cals and trade unionists through an employer’s claim that picketing the Chartist movement that sought Parliament passed the first of a se- was a violation of the Conspiracy a universal franchise. During this ries of Combination Acts that al- and Protection of Property Act of lowed employers to recruit as period political agitation and par- liamentary reform were seen as 1875. This meant that a union many apprentices as they wished, the most viable ways of promoting could be sued for any damages while simultaneously banning the workers’ rights rather than indus- arising from a dispute. The strike journeymen’s associations. Dra- trial organisation. weapon was taken instantly from conian penalties were introduced Real progress on the industrial the hands of unions as a means of for demanding pay rises, issuing front came initially in Britain with defending members. membership cards, or holding the formation of the Amalgamated Over the next five years most meetings of more than seven per- Society of Engineers in 1850. Other unions affiliated to the LRC and sons or damaging machinery. crafts followed suit and between raised a political levy on the mem- Following the Act of Union of 1850 and 1876 union membership bers. In the 1906 general election 1800, the Irish economy went into in Britain grew from approxi- Labour secured 29 seats, and a new steep decline. However the Combi- mately 200,000 to 1,500,000. While Liberal government introduced a nation Acts were repealed by the advances were made on pay and British Parliament in 1824 follow- conditions employers often re- Trades Disputes Act that gave ing a vigorous campaign of opposi- fused to recognise unions, playing unions immunity from actions for tion from workers. Nevertheless, on their uncertain status as damages arising out of industrial craft workers remained the only friendly societies. Unions gener- disputes. group organised in unions, while ally adopted a cautious strategy Picture: Public Domain However, in 1908, an individual agricultural labourers were more seeking to secure acceptance by the TUC led to the sentences being breach of contract a civil rather member of the Amalgamated Soci- moderation and arguing that as commuted to four months and in than criminal offence and, in the ety of Railway Servants (ASRS) friendly societies they could curb The lack of 1875 the Conspiracy and Protec- following year, the 1876 Trade trade union brought a case re- militancy and industrial unrest. tion Act removed the charge of Union Amendment Act made any straining the union from imposing adequate The courts remained hostile. De- combination of workers to pursue a political levy on members. Once spite the repeal of the Combina- structures to their common interests lawful. more the House of Lords upheld tion Acts, almost every action Thus the campaign for trade the case. However, a Liberal gov- support connected with a trade dispute negotiated was potentially illegal and union union rights had inevitably led to ernment passed the 1913 Trade funds very liable to being ceased. political involvement. Agitation by Union Act allowing unions to use settlements The Molestation of Workmen Act Thus the trade unionists played a key role in funds for political purposes with of 1859 did offer some protection campaign Acts which expanded the franchise an ‘opt out’ clause for members. between to strikers who behaved ‘in a rea- to most men by 1884. This expan- Nevertheless, the relationship employers and sonable manner’. for trade union sion resulted in several union lead- between trade unions and the ers, being elected as so-called unions often led In 1868 the newly formed Trades rights had Labour Party has remained prob- Union Congress began a campaign Liberal-Labour (Lib-Lab) MPs. How- lematic in Ireland as well as ever, the spread of socialist ideas to outbreaks of of mass rallies and lobbying that inevitably led Britain. At the end of the 1920s the led to a debate about the value of called for greater legal protections Irish Labour Party and Trade Union violence. to political links to the Liberal Party. for unions. A Trade Union Act in Congress split as the party and var- 1871 gave some general protection It was the election of Keir Hardie, involvement. ious unions found themselves un- to union funds. However, a new a miners’ leader, in 1892 as the first able to reconcile their positions on Criminal Law Amendment Act, re- ‘Labour’ MP, independent of the likely to resort to traditional agrar- instated many of the worse aspects Liberal Party, that marked a break various issues. The party often ian secret societies to press for im- of the of Combination Acts. with the limited vision of craft adopted political positions that provements in their conditions. The following year, 1872, saw unionism. The following year he conflicted with those taken by Unlike Britain, where industrial- the leaders of the London gas stok- criminal conspiracy being used became one of the founders of the various unions. However, common isation saw a rapid growth in ers union sentenced to a year’s against unions where they were Independent Labour Party. How- ground has been found in the past union organisation, Ireland contin- hard labour after a strike had acting ‘in furtherance of a trade ever, it lacked the resources and of a shared social democratic ued to experience decline as the caused power cuts. Mass demon- dispute’. The Employers and Work- support to have any real impact. legacy. For full article go to economy deteriorated. Irish strations and lobbying of MPs by men Act of the same year made It was only in the late 1890s, as www.siptu.ie 18 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Liberty View Liberty By JACK O’CONNOR SIPTU General President View Back on the offensive

SIPTU is deeply involved in the work on what became the National Transitional of the Collective Bargaining infrastructure of the Private Sector Committee of the Agreement of 2008. This was to become the e.g. the Registered Employment Agree- Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) last of the Social Partnership agreements, ments (REAs), Employment Regulation Or- which extended back to 1987, when the em- ders (EROs) etc. and fully supports the call to ramp up ployers and the then Government reneged pay increases to 4% from next year. on it in January 2009. This was followed by This demand runs in parallel with our the most savage assault on working people campaign to leverage accelerated pay in the history of the State throughout 2009 restoration in the public service. More- and 2010. The key fortifications that over, it is entirely consistent with the It became apparent by the end of 2009 we, along with others in industrial and political strategy we and early in 2010 that the trade union the wider trade union and have pursued since the economic col- movement was not strong enough to win labour movement built the battle at that time. When one side lapse of 2008. recognises in any war situation that it is not were; the ‘Protocol’ in the When the scale of the crisis became ap- strong enough to storm the ramparts of Private Sector, the Croke parent we moved to conclude negotiations their opponents, without getting their own Park Agreement and its side slaughtered, they do the next best successors in the Public thing. They build whatever fortifications The key fortifications that they can to hold as much ground as possi- Service and a political we, along with others in ble and await more favourable conditions strategy to prevent the the wider trade union and to go on the offensive again. This is pre- centre right parties from cisely what we did from the end of 2009, labour movement built early 2010 onwards. It was an horrendously obtaining an absolute were; the ‘Protocol’ in the difficult and decidedly unpopular strategy. majority of power in the Private Sector, the Croke The key fortifications that we, along with 2011 General Election, Park Agreement and its others in the wider trade union and labour when the Troika was movement built were; the ‘Protocol’ in the successors in the Public Private Sector, the Croke Park Agreement essentially in control of Service and a political and its successors in the public service and the country’s finances. strategy to prevent the a political strategy to prevent the centre centre right parties from right parties from obtaining an absolute majority of power in the 2011 General Elec- obtaining an absolute tion, when the Troika was essentially in majority of power in the control of the country’s finances. Our ob- Meanwhile, we worked with others 2011 General Election, jectives were very clear; to prevent the bar- within the ICTU on the Commission on when the Troika was gain basement sale of state assets, to Trade Union Organisation which was es- prevent outsourcing of public service jobs tablished as a result of a motion moved by essentially in control of on an industrial scale, to maintain the es- our union at the ICTU Biennial Delegate the country’s finances. sential infrastructure of our social welfare Conference (BDC) in 2009 to try to bring system, to avoid anti-trade union legisla- about a much more powerful movement. tion and to maintain the essential elements The ultimate report which was adopted by Liberty 19 Liberty View NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

the BDC 2013 in Belfast envisaged a much out by the courts (twice) we have managed more powerful Congress co-ordinating col- to get legislation enacted, through the ef- lective bargaining and organising across forts of the Labour Party, to get them each industrial sector of the economy, sup- largely reinstated. Indeed, they have been ported by a greatly strengthened Nevin Re- augmented with the introduction of a new NEC News search Institute, a new Workers’ College, a mechanism called Sectoral Employment From December 2016 the trade union newspaper or media platform Orders (SEOs) providing for legally bind- membership of the National and the opening of joint trade union cen- ing agreements across whole industries or Executive Council of SIPTU tres in every county. (Whereas the recom- sectors. Moreover, as a result of that same mendations were adopted virtually legislation, it is now possible for workers to includes: unanimously it is now clear it will take organise themselves in a trade union and longer to bring them about than originally to go on to obtain improvements on pay Broc Delaney envisaged). and conditions of employment which are legally binding on their employer even Jack Dempsey though the latter refuses to recognise the Seamus Dillon trade union for the purpose of collective Terry Donaghy In private sector services bargaining. Annette Donlon we have concluded Against the background of a gradually re- legally binding covering economy we are back on the of- Suzanne Griffin fensive. We have been achieving pay Matt Henry agreements providing increases ranging from 2% - 3% per year, Tim Herlihy pay increases for tens of well ahead of inflation, across the manufac- thousands of workers in turing sector, in some cases extending back Michele Monahan to 2011. In private sector services we have John Montgomery the security and contract concluded legally binding agreements pro- cleaning sectors as viding pay increases for tens of thousands Patrick Moran well as negotiating of workers in the security and contract Kevin McCarthy improvements for work- cleaning sectors as well as negotiating im- Willie McGuinness provements for workers in wholesale, re- ers in wholesale, retail, tail, distribution and insurance and finance. Jemma Mackey distribution and insur- In the transport sector, we were unequivo- Eugene Murphy ance and finance. cal in our support for the Luas workers and Tommy Murtagh the members in Dublin Bus. In aviation, we won a 4% increase by way of a Labour Marian O’Donnell Court recommendation in the Dublin Air- Elizabeth O'Donohoe Thus far our objectives have been largely port Authority and are now involved in ne- Mary O’Sullivan achieved. There has been no sell-off of state gotiations for a new model agreement. This assets except for the energy generating is the context in which we declared the in- Padraig Peyton component of An Bord Gais, the minority tention to commence a national ballot of all Ann Ryan shareholding of Aer Lingus and the Lotto our public service members unless the Trevor Skelton Whereas the outsourcing agenda in the Government opens talks on the accelera- Public Service is still being aggressively tion of pay restoration. When recommend- Catherine Smith pursued by some, it has been considerably ing the difficult rear-guard industrial and Tom Walsh contained as against what would have un- political strategy we had to follow during Christy Waters folded otherwise. We have succeeded in the crisis years, we always made it clear avoiding any compulsory redundancies in that when conditions changed we would go the public service. back on the offensive to retake lost ground While there have been cuts, the core in- and that’s precisely what we are doing. frastructure of the social welfare system has been maintained to the extent that there have been no cuts in the basic rates since the beginning of 2011. We have avoided anti-trade union legislation. While our REA and ERO mechanisms were struck 20 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 US Election

Shock and awe: By President Elect Adrian Kane Donald Trump

EVER has so much been written about a US presidential can- Ndidate. He has been described in a myriad of He won ways: the first post-truth, post-political, reality-show politician. He is a reaction to America’s global demise, the crisis in its democratic system, a creature of the huge inequalities that exist in a post-industrial America. He is all ...now these things and more, like a pan- tomime villain, who grows larger the more we write, talk or obsess about him. I think Laura Penny, writing in the New Statesman, was most per- ceptive when she describes how he has “simply taken contemporary right-wing rhetoric to its logical conclusion. He has torn away the what? modesty curtain of mainstream neo-liberal debate and shown the jabbering psychopath behind it.” But what will he do now that he has won and what does it mean for the US, Latin America and for Ire- land? Typically to answer this question you turn to a candidate’s manifesto. Trump, undoubtedly, is king of the sound-bite but behind the slogans and the blatherings he is very short on detail. The nearest we have to a manifesto is a docu- ment entitled Contract with the American Voter which he pub- Picture: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0) lished in October. may be more likely to plan future come less reliant on foreign direct pressed hope the incoming admin- In this declaration, he sets out investment at home rather than investment in the long-term. istration will seek to promote how he will ‘Make America Great abroad. Trump’s policies are Meanwhile, south of the border, "peace and worldwide stability". Again’ in his first 100 days in of- more likely to benefit working Mexico has been the Latin Ameri- Underneath these official re- fice. The manifesto is some- class Americans in creating can country which has been most sponses, however, there is wide- thing you would associate with jobs in construction, if his immediately impacted by Trump’s spread concern about what a a typical right-wing American commitment to update Amer- victory. The peso suffered a 13% Trump presidency could mean for shock-jock, but there are ele- ica’s antiquated infrastructure fall in value, its steepest decline in the peoples of Latin America. The ments of it that trade unionists goes ahead. But whereas a new- 20 years. This will, however, make rise of progressive governments would support such as: his with- wave of green infrastructural its exports all the more attractive across the continent over the last drawal from the Trans-Pacific projects would be of greater ben- in the US. two decades has been halted with Partnership Agreement, his com- efit to the US in the long term, i.e. The reaction from across the set-backs in Brazil and Argentina mitment to invest a $1trillion into investment in public and sustain- southern American continent to especially. The screws will un- infrastructural projects and curb- able forms of transport, Trump’s Trump’s victory has been, for the doubtedly be turned on Venezuela, ing the influence of lobbyists in plans will undoubtedly favour in- most part, what could be described Trump may reverse Obama's dé- American politics. vestment in roads over these types as the normal diplomatic response: tente with Cuba and the Colom- would keep aspects of ‘Oba- Then he gets into his hard-core of projects. Brazilian Premier Michel Temer bian peace process may well falter. maCare’. So in short, it is a little neo-liberal agenda. He commits to In Ireland, our extraordinary said Trump’s victory “doesn’t It was somehow tragically appro- too early to predict what a Trump cutting corporate taxes from 35% GDP figures, which arise due to the change the relationship between priate that the Trump victory was administration will do. I think it is to 15%, and he will allow US corpo- level at which US companies de- the two countries in any way.” Ar- followed by the announcement of rate money overseas to be repatri- safe to say that with Republican clare their profits in Ireland, will gentinian President Mauricio the passing of Leonard Cohen. ated at a rate of 10%. control of both Houses it will be most likely deflate considerably, as Macri congratulated Trump on his Trump’s America will be no coun- He talks about building a wall trickle down economic policies on US corporates find it as opportune victory and said: “I hope that we try for poets. Cohen’s grace, hu- between the US and Mexico, end- speed, but it is more complicated to repatriate profits in the US. can work together for the good of manity and sincerity could scarcely ing illegal immigration and, most than that. There will not be a flight of jobs our countries.” co-exist with Trump’s brash new worrying for the entire planet, he His economic policies essentially in the short-term, but it will mean Even Venezuela’s President world. commits to cancelling billions in try to turn back the clock on ‘glob- that Ireland will have to support its Maduro’s government response The crack that let the light in has payments to UN climate change alisation’, to ‘re-industrialise’ indigenous industry more and be- struck a diplomatic tone and ex- been sealed, a perfect dystopia has programmes and lifting restric- America, by adopting the tax poli- been formed. It seems the lights tions on the production of fossil cies that developing countries such are going out, the walls are going fuels, including shale, oil, gas and as Ireland and India put in place to The crack that let the light in has been up, all over the world. We will sur- coal. In the October address he lure America corporations to these sealed, a perfect dystopia has been vive I believe, but it will be a long, also committed to rescinding all of shores over the last four decades. hard road ahead. Barack Obama’s presidential de- Will it work? I think conven- formed. It seems the lights are going out, Only a popular front will do, if crees. tional wisdom would have it that we are to hold the line in the next But in the first few days since his US corporates are unlikely to re- the walls going up all over the world... great electoral battle that awaits us victory, the President-elect that he turn in any great number but they in France come the spring. Liberty 21 Direct Provision NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Unions call for an end to Direct Provision

By Yvonne O’Callaghan

Despite years of objections from community groups, anti- racism organisations and migrant rights groups, Direct Provision is still being implemented by the Irish Govern- ment. Introduced in 1999, Direct Provision, sees asylum seekers accommodated in centres around the State. Meals are provided and asylum seekers are entitled to €19.10 per adult per week, with a lower rate for children. They are not allowed to work or to engage in educa- Ellie Kisyombe tion beyond the Leaving Cer- tificate. Many remain in the system for up to a decade. dren.“They are not able to eat what the only community they have Ellie Kisyombe an asylum seeker and when they choose. Mental known since arriving in Ireland. from Malawi arrived in Ireland al- health issues, especially depres- She pointed out that greater meas- most seven years ago. On 12th No- sion is common place, particularly ures to ease integration must be vember, she joined almost 1000 put in place, which could include people to march through Dublin to training on how to negotiate the housing, healthcare and employment systems. Hundreds of Introduced in 1999, Recently, Ellie has co-founded children have been ‘Our Table’, which is a community- Direct Provision, sees born into Direct driven, non-profit food project asylum seekers aiming to highlight the need to Provision and do end Direct Provision in Ireland. It accommodated in not know any runs a pop-up café in the Projects centres around the Arts Centre in Temple Bar in other life. State. Dublin provides paid employment, training and links to the future for those within the system and those who have been granted status. as they are barred from the labour highlight the campaign to end the market rendering it impossible to The Irish Congress of Trade Direct Provision System. provide for their themselves or Unions (ICTU) has said that the Ellie spoke about how the only their families. This results in asy- abolition of the Direct Provision thing those within the system have lum seekers living in a state of en- system, which is simply inhumane done is to exercise their right to forced idleness. and degrading, must happen now. seek asylum and a haven for a safe “A third of those in the system and secure future for themselves It has called for an amnesty to be are children. Hundreds of children granted to all asylum seekers cur- and their families. The majority she have been born into Direct Provi- rently in the sytem. It has further said are fleeing conflict, persecu- sion and do not know any other tion, oppression and torture. life.” called for clarity to be given on the She argued that it is a system in She said even when people have single application procedure and which people are still asked to been granted refugee status with that all asylum seekers be given share living spaces, sometimes bed- the right to leave the Direct Provi- full access to the right to work. rooms which makes them ‘intolera- sion system they face many obsta- Yvonne O’ Callaghan is secre- ble’ and ‘cramped’, with little cles to begin the integration tary of the SIPTU Global Solidarity private space for parents with chil- process as they break away from Committee. 22 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Health Dispute at Drogheda hospital drags on

SIPTU nursing and support posts, the use of contractors and staff members in Our Lady of the removal of shift pay from some Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, support grades.” County Louth, are involved in “It is a matter of deep concern that processes agreed following an ongoing dispute with HSE discussions overseen by the indus- management at the facility trial relations machinery of the concerning a number of issues. State are not being implemented The dispute resulted in a without undue delays by HSE man- lunchtime protest during October agement.” and SIPTU members are currently He added: “SIPTU members are considering further action in the calling on management to agree to coming days. a reasonable timescale on approv- Speaking to Liberty SIPTU Or- ing the filling of all vacancies ganiser, John McCamley, said: “Our within the hospital. We are also members feel let down due to the asking management to reverse any non-implementation of a number cuts made to members’ pay and for of deals which were agreed at the it to uphold all the agreements it Workplace Relations Commission has reached with staff representa- concerning the filling of vacant tives.” Home care workers campaign brought to WRC

The national campaign to win and the elimination of the bank- tional agenda on behalf of SIPTU better conditions for home ing of hours’ system. members working in home care. care workers and the people “Our members are demanding “Home care workers provide in the community they care a full review of staffing, the re- such a crucial service in our com- placement of home care workers munities but such is the nature of for has been brought to the who retire and the introduction the job that many work in isola- Workplace Relations Commis- of fortnightly pay. Management tion so communication is key. sion (WRC). has given a written commitment With that in mind, we designed a First Health Care Assistants SIPTU Industrial Organiser, Ted that all home care packages are to section on the Health Division Kenny told Liberty that the union be given to HSE Home Helps in App exclusively for home care so Forum meeting is currently engaged with the the first instance.” that our members can get exclu- WRC to conduct a review on con- Speaking to Liberty SIPTU Sec- sive up to date information on The inaugural Health Care As- fought a long and hard campaign, tracts of employment so that they tor Organiser, Marie Butler, said the campaign.” sistants Forum, which brought over a number of years, to estab- take into account paid travel time SIPTU is actively pursuing a na- together SIPTU representa- lish a platform that enables them tives with officials from the to have a clear and decisive voice at a national level. HSE and Department of She added ‘SIPTU Health Care Health, was held in Dublin. The Assistant members see this forum role of the Forum is to exam- as another step on the road to na- ine the role of Health Care As- tional recognition for the profes- sistants and related grades sional ‘hands on’ patient care that across the health service. they provide day in and day out.” SIPTU Care Sector Organiser, It is expected that the Forum Marie Butler said: “This Forum is will assist in delivering the SIPTU long awaited and gives us a plat- Health Care Assistants agenda. All form to support the future devel- updates on the Forum can be opment of the role of Health Care found exclusively on the SIPTU Assistants. Our members have Health App.

Download the SIPTU Health App at

Certificate in Trade Union Studies Graduates 2014 - 2016 with class tutors Mags O’Brien (far right). www.siptuhealth.ie Photo: Paddy Cole Liberty 23 Profile NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 I could have been an accountant but made union organising my life’s work learning from, Paddy Donegan, Tommy Walsh, who suffered a severe Dan Shaw, and Tom O’Brien, By John stroke in 1997, finally retired from his Flannery work at SIPTU when he was 60. It was during this period that he Pictured here with his son Thomas met his future wife Maria Quirk. near Tara Winthrop, the nursing home where he is a resident They married in 1972 and had two T WAS the fortuitous children, Lavinia and Thomas. spotting of a newspaper “Between my work and the fam- advertisement that led ily, there wasn’t a whole lot of time Tommy Walsh to embark I for social pursuits. I joined the on a very successful, but sadly curtailed, career as a local branch of the Labour Party, union organiser. went to watch Naomh Mearnóg, Born in Whitehall in Dublin in the local GAA team, and of course, 1940, Tommy had achieved a good attended Croke Park for most of Leaving Certificate and with a job the appearances of my beloved in a finance house lined up it Dubs,” he said. looked like his future lay in the ac- In April 1983, Tommy was ap- countancy profession. However, pointed a national group secretary, before he started on this path he in charge of organising workers in noticed an ad in a newspaper from a number of major industries, in- the ITGWU seeking trainee union cluding transport and Bord na officials. Mona. “My da had always told us how important the trade unions were “In 1990, on the formation of in ensuring working people got a SIPTU, I was appointed to the po- decent wage and ‘a fair shake’ from sition of Assistant National Execu- their employers,” he recalls. “It tive Officer, responsible for the must have struck a chord with me whole of the private sector, and because I got really excited about membership organising nation- the prospect of working for the ally,” he recalls. union.” In the early 1990s, he also organ- He got the job and started work- ised a national ‘Buy Irish Cam- ing for the ITGWU in September paign’. 1959. Tommy’s first assignment “A ‘crash’ in the value of pound was in the Hotels’ Branch, under Micky Mullen, who would go on to sterling against the Irish púnt had become the union’s general secre- brought about a new wave of re- tary. dundancies and mass unemploy- “It was a good time to work for ment,” he recalls. the union in the hotel industry,” “Our campaign had the slogan said Tommy, “morale was high and ‘Buy Irish and the Job’s Right’. It the union was really respected.” It was hard work, constantly traversing the country, organising and was very successful and helped to This was largely the result of a attending meetings, but I loved every minute of it. Little was I to boost employment numbers and major strike by Dublin hotel work- our members’ morale when spirits ers in the early 1950s which know that my world was about to come crashing down... were at a very low ebb.” Mullen had led. This dispute had Speaking of this time, Tommy been complicated by the fact that said: “It was hard work, constantly many of the hotel workers at that time ‘lived in’ – that is they were traversing the country, organising accommodated with ‘food and and attending meetings, but I board’ as part of their contract of loved every minute of it. Little was employment. I to know that my world was about Alternative accommodation had to come ‘crashing down’.” to be found for these workers, On 21st January 1997, during a with many union activists taking meeting of the National Oil-Rigs in a ‘lodger’ for the duration of the Committee in Cork, Tommy took strike. However, the strike was a ill and was rushed to the Cork Uni- great success, and Dublin hotel versity Hospital with a severe workers secured major advances in stroke. pay and working conditions. “After a lot of remedial support By the mid-1960s, Tommy had and very hard work, I became been transferred to the No. 14 Branch, organising workers in gen- somewhat ‘mobile’ again, with the Dapper: Tommy, left, on his wedding help of my mechanical wheel- eral engineering and motor car as- day in September 1972, and, right, sembly. In 1971, he was promoted with President Mary Robinson when he chair. I went back and worked as to work in Liberty Hall as a head was on the Board of Dublin Port and Docks best I could until my 60th birthday office official, working with, and and my retirement.” 24 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Global Solidarity Escape from the ‘Jungle’ - The Refugee crisis

refugees who were to be forcibly By removed from the camp and dis- Yvonne O’Callaghan persed to locations all over France. Of grave concern was the lack of In September, a trade union infrastructure being put in place to delegation from ICTU visited respond to the specific needs of the refugee camp in Calais, vulnerable women and children also known as ‘The Jungle’. who faced exploitation in the On reporting to the ICTU chaos and uncertainty that the Global Solidarity Committee a demolition brought. decision was undertaken to SIPTU through the ICTU Global campaign for the government Solidarity Committee actively lob- bied politicians by organising a to make good on its commit- briefing for TDs about the situa- ment to relocate 4000 tion of the almost 1500 unaccom- refugees to Ireland. panied children in Calais. Because The delay is blamed on the com- of the ‘Not on our Watch’ cam- plexity of the process in arranging paign a two-hour Dail debate was for families and unaccompanied held under the scrutiny of a full children to travel to this country. public gallery of solidarity ac- The campaign began by focusing on these groups, particularly the tivists. This was preceded by a vigil protection of unaccompanied chil- of over five hundred people out- dren whom, along with women side Leinster House. Subsequently, traveling alone and with small chil- the government agreed with oppo- dren, represent a specific humani- sition parties to accept and relo- tarian need amongst refugee cate here two hundred of the communities in Europe. unaccompanied children who had In early October, the French au- resided in Calais by May 2017. thorities began the demolition of In December, the ICTU Global ‘The Jungle’ in Calais. Considering Solidarity Committee will an- this, ICTU stepped up its solidarity nounce details of the initial action by joining with the ‘Not on ICTU delegation in Calais in September. screening of its documentary of Our Watch’ campaign to highlight Photo: Graham Seely the stories of those who resided in the risk to the safety of over 10,000 ‘The Jungle ‘. ICTU calls for action on Global Labour Rights On November 11th, ICTU in collab- lion people. Participants agreed oration with Trinity College held a that Goal 8 of the Agenda itself conference on ‘The UN Sustainable recognises that decent work and Development Agenda and Global social dialogue are the foundation Labour Rights’. The UN Sustain- of fair and inclusive growth and a able Development Agenda, also driver of development and social known as Agenda 2030, is a politi- advancement. It provides for social cal framework for Sustainable De- protection for those that can’t find velopment based on a set of goals or unable to work, addresses eco- that tackle the common ills of so- nomic inequality and endeavours cial injustice, poverty and inequal- to create a social floor for working ity. people. The conference brought together In addressing the conference trade union activists, academics SIPTU’s General President Jack O’ and policy makers to discuss how Connor said “If we can make this this agenda offers countries the agenda become a reality in the opportunity to build a global coali- next decade, we will be turning the tion for decent work and stronger tide back in the direction of social labour rights. One of the most im- justice and assuring a sustainable portant elements of this agenda is and equal society for future gener- that human rights include rights at ations. However, in a world full of work and basic notions of social difficult challenges we must stand justice are explicitly included. Goal together against all injustices 8 of the Agenda commits countries wherever they appear. We see this to the “promotion of sustained, in- reflected in society and politics clusive and sustainable growth, full productive employment and with the growth of extremism and decent work for all”. expressions of xenophobia. This The conference heard how the requires us to respond and to re- current global economy is unable spond with urgency.” Yvonne O’Callaghan to provide work to some 200 mil- Pic:?dreamstime.com Liberty 25 International NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Erdogan’s post-coup purge of

Tayyip Erdogan tightens opposition grip on power in Turkey

By Auveen Woods

THE STATE of emergency currently governing Turkey has been extended to January 2017, allowing the government of the Justice and De- velopment Party (AKP) to rule by decree. While parliament can overturn any bill passed during this time, the AKP majority in parliament can block every attempt. In effect, Pres- ident Tayyip Erdogan’s much sought after presidential system is already in place and the brief political unity in the aftermath of the 15th July coup attempt has disinte- Anti-coup billboard, above, reads ‘We the nation shall never let Turkey be grated. manipulated by terrorists’. Civilians commandeer a tank, below, during In a severe blow to democracy, the abortive coup in Istanbul Pictures: Toby Scott (CC BY 2.0); Public Domain the co-chairs of the left-leaning pro-Kurdish party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdag were arrested along with a dozen of the Party’s MPs on 3rd Novem- ber. The next day a car bomb attrib- uted to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) killed eight and injured hundreds in Di- yarbakır, Turkey’s largest Kurdish city. The detained HDP lawmakers have all been accused of collusion with the PKK. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has aligned itself with the government by re- Picture: Presidencia de la Republica? Mexicana (CC BY 2.0) viving the debate on a Turkish- style presidential system and allegedly affiliated with the Gülen academic institutions that had Donald Trump as President of the signaling to the AKP that it may fi- network which has been blamed stood for more than two decades. United States has been met with nally have the votes needed in par- for the coup attempt. On the last This has already led to protests on tentatively warm response. De- liament to force through a weekend of October, more than a some university campuses as the spite criticism of his Islamophobic referendum as well as a vote on re- dozen media outlets were closed government-appointed university campaign, Trump is perceived to pealing the ban on the death across the country. presidents take up their positions be more amenable to the AKP’s penalty. The success of the HDP in Additionally, 12 journalists and in defiance of democratically agenda than a Clinton administra- previous elections had blocked the the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s old- elected candidates. tion. AKP from achieving the 330 parlia- est newspaper, the left-leaning and The internal instability has been His election is seen as an oppor- mentary seats needed for the pro-secular Cumhuriyet, were ar- accompanied by Turkey’s broaden- tunity to improve souring relations votes. This situation has diluted rested on charges of supporting ing engagement in the region’s between Washington and Ankara. the political opposition in parlia- outlawed Gülen organisations and conflicts. Turkey has insisted on While Trump has disappointed ment to just the Republican Peo- the PKK. This is the second editor taking part in US-led efforts to lib- Turkey by indicating that ousting ple’s Party (CHP). of the paper to be detained in the US-based Fethullah Gülen erate the Iraqi city of Mosul from Picture: Public Domain ISIS – not Assad – will be his prior- In the meantime, the post-coup past year. The paper’s former edi- ISIS, despite opposition from Bagh- pected of ties with terrorist groups ity in Syria, there are signs that his purges have continued with 370 as- tor-in-chief, Can Dündar, fled to dad officials. has also been used to expand pres- administration may be more sociations in 39 of Turkey’s 80 Germany in June after being con- At the same time, Turkey and al- idential control over all Turkish provinces closed on 11th Novem- victed of espionage after publish- lied Syrian groups have continued amenable to extraditing from the universities, including private ber due to alleged ties with terror- ing photos allegedly showing their incursion into northern Syria US Fethullah Gülen, the Pennsylva- ones. From now on, all university ist organisations. Turkey’s arming of Syrian opposi- in an effort to both destroy ISIS nia-based leader of the groups held presidents will be directly ap- Some 199 of the organisations tion groups. and prevent Syrian Kurds claiming responsible for the coup. pointed by President Erdogan, nul- Auveen Woods is a researcher with are Kurdish and accused of links A government decree making it lifying the electoral power of newly liberated areas. the Istanbul Policy Centre (http://ipc.sa- with the PKK, while the others are easier to fire public servants sus- In this context, the election of banciuniv.edu/en/people/auveen-woods/) 26 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 News Around the union Jim Cotter MRSC! SIPTU activist Jim Cotter from NUIG was recently awarded membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry which carries with it the designated entitlement to use MRSC after his name. This is a major distinction for Jim who received the award based on his lengthy experience working Paddy Moran, a credit to the union, retires... as a laboratory technician in NUIG and a thesis in chemistry research. The board and volunteers of the Jim Jim started working in the uni- Larkin Credit Union pictured with versity, then known as UCG, in SIPTU General President, Jack O’Con- 1971 and immediately joined the nor, at the retirement party of credit Workers’ Union of Ireland. union manager, Paddy Moran (stand- In the intervening 45 years he ing to the left of O’Connor), in Liberty has been a shop steward for the Hall on 11th November. Technicians’ section; an active member of the former Western Area/Galway No. 2 Branch Commit- Senior Citizen’s tees and of SIPTU’s Galway District Council. He is also a past President of Galway Trades Council. Parliament role for Chrissie LONG-SERVING SIPTU activist Chrissie O'Flynn has been elected to the Cork Division of the Senior Citizens’ Parlia- ment as a Committee member. Chrissie was an active member of the union all her working life and is now involved in Chrissie is pictured with SIPTU SIPTU Retired Members Regional and Administrative Assistant Catherine Caffrey National Committees. Her son, Joe, is the SIPTU General Secretary.

Members of the outgoing SIPTU National Executive Council at the start of their final meeting which was held Last hurrah! in the Mansion House, Dublin 2, on 17th November.

‘Industrial Dispute’ plays out Owen Reidy Former SIPTU Division Organiser, Owen Reidy, played himself out of Liberty Hall and onto his new role as ICTU Vice President by performing alongside his colleagues in the band Industrial Dispute. The band had its first public performance at the SIPTU Services Division Biennial Conference social night on 24th November. The members of Industrial Dispute are SIPTU Organisers, (from L to R) Adrian Kane, Paddy Cole, Dan O’Neill, Yvonne O’Callaghan and Owen Reidy. After 20 years, Mags bows out TUTOR, activist and campaigner, Mags O’Brien, (right) ended her almost 20 years working in SIPTU at the beginning of No- vember. During her SIPTU career Mags worked in various sections of the union, in- MMA fighter Aaron aims for Tokyo Gold in 2020... cluding the Food Branch and Health Serv- MIXED Martial Art (MMA) fighter Aaron O’Reilly pictured with SIPTU Organiser, ices, before taking up her final role as a Jason Palmer, on the roof of Liberty Hall. Aaron recently won a world championship tutor in SIPTU College. A committed politi- MMA medal and is supported by the SIPTU Dublin City Council Section Committee, cal activist, she was involved in interna- whose members include his father, Declan. The young Dubliner’s ambition is to tional solidarity activities particularly in represent Ireland in the sport in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. support of the Palestinian people. Liberty 27 Reviews NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

President with purpose THE INCORRUPTIBLE provides cause for INHERITORS “Republicanism & Socialism in Ireland – From Wolfe Tone to Connolly” Priscilla Metscher (Connolly reflection and concern Books) 2016 By Michael D’ Higgin’s new book of speeches deserves Michael an engaged, respondent audience, writes Paul Dillon. Halpenny AT THE SIDE of St Catherine’s "WHEN IDEAS Matter" brings church on Thomas Street in together 35 speeches made by Dublin’s inner city if you look hard President Michael D Higgins you will find there a plaque to the since his election in 2011. Be- working men of Dublin who gave ginning with his inaugural up their lives in Robert Emmet’s at- speech, which defined a "Pres- tempted revolt of 1803. Notwith- standing the mass participation of idency of Ideas" and ending ordinary rural and urban labouring with "Of Myth-Making and people in the momentous events of five years earlier, the 1798 Ethical Remembering", the Rebellion, there are few if any such memorials specifically recog- book highlights some of the nising working class participation. best moments to date of a Priscilla Metscher sets out to trace the development of work- presidency which has sought ing class and socialist thought and organisation in the struggle to put inclusive citizenship at for national self-determination in the years following Tone’s rebellion, up to the 1916 Rising. its heart. She looks at the gradual radicalisation of Republicanism from What is immediately striking is 1798 and 1803 through the first half of the nineteenth century, that many of the speeches put cen- exploring the elements of their failure and the lessons for those tre stage causes and ideas champi- who would continue the struggle. Focusing on the thinkers of oned by Michael D for many the Young Ireland movement she draws in not just develop- decades, often as a minority view- ments across the water, particularly in the growth of the Chartist points. "Of Memory and Testi- movement, but the role of Irish migrant workers who identified mony", presented in El Salvador in with its radical social ideas and with the nascent trade union 2013, traces the President's in- movement. volvement in El Salvador during She discusses also the Fenian movement of the 1860’s and the 1980s, standing up for human ‘70’s, crossing swords with the eminent British historian, Eric rights during repression and civil Hobsbawm, whom she says gives the impression that the move- war with such groups as the Irish ment was devoid of social content. Rather she argues: El Salvador Support Committee. “The fact that the Fenians incurred the combined wrath of the The speech quotes Heaney: "Even landlords and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is indeed an if the hopes you started out with indication of the radical social content, however vague, of Feni- are dashed, hope has to be main- President Michael D Higgins. anism” Pic:?Rolling News tained." However, the key period for the author is the Land War of The speeches blend poetry, aca- temperament, his frequent dis- rebuke to what Michael D calls 1879-1891. She sees this as “A bridge between radical Republi- demic reports, occasional humour, plays of volatility and his confus- “the fiction of the ‘self-regulating canism and the rise of the Socialist movement in Ireland”, clas- and at one stage, an extract from ing and ambiguous relationship market’, an ideology which has sifying it as “the closest thing to a people’s revolution”. Michael Ds personal diary, to cast with Ireland. Larkin was inspira- under pinned the systematic de reg - The bulk of her argument and the largest section of the book, light on themes as diverse as the tional in many ways, but he was u lation of nation al systems of deals with the development of James Connolly’s thinking, show- future of work, parliaments and exceptionally difficult as a collabo- labour.” The speech debunks the ing that his socialism: “…cannot be isolated from republicanism and its tradition, diplomacy, the migratory experi- rator.” Later, the President recalls myths of “neo liberal utopia of the that his life and work are the culminating point in the history ence, remembering 1916 and the the particularly hostile climate for total market” but gives no easy 1913 lockout. “Remembering the of republicanism and socialism in Ireland”. women workers in the 1930s and comfort for those of us who wish 1913 lockout” is not the only ‘40s, and the lack of support from Therefore, by the time that Dublin workers once more took to to challenge it. In it, Michael D speech which will interest trade the labour movement for a cam- the field in the cause of Ireland at Easter 1916, not too far from says: “The fact that this is the first unionists but is of special value. It paign against the Conditions of Thomas Street in the garrisons of City Hall and St Stephen’s systemic crisis without a com - demonstrates the value of Michael Employment act 1936, which re- Green, it was in their own military formation, the Irish Citizen D’s work: up to date with the latest stricted the jobs available to pelling progressive vision on offer Army. research, deep with honest reflec- women. as a response should act as a It was not for nothing that Connolly called the working class tion and analysis and a refusal of All of the speeches here are wakeup call for all of us”. the “incorruptible inheritors” of the cause of Irish freedom. cliché and hagiography. significant, but none more so than The book is no less engrossing Dr Metscher’s work, republished for a fresh audience, is a well- Delivering the Lockout speech "The Future of work". The Presi - than would be expected and will argued, illuminating and timely reminder of the cutting edge for the 2013 Michael Littlejohn lec- dent recalls the declaration of give cause for consideration and that they and Connolly provided, no longer hidden down the ture, Michael D said: “Today, any Philadelphia, adapted by the ILO real food for thought for anyone side lanes of history. consideration of James Connolly in 1944 which affirmed “Labour is engaged with the themes raised by must include knowledge of his not a commodity” as part of a his “Presidency of Ideas.” 28 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Review

Three poems from ‘Geomantic’ - Paula Meehan’s new collection The Memory Stick I searched high, low, all over the place growing more anxious by the minute: a whole summer’s work in a square inch cohesion of metal and plastic – an ode, an elegy, a ballad, a sonnet flawed by its rhetoric but still retrievable at a pinch, if I could recall where I put it, the memory stick in its shiny case

The Commemorations Take Our Minds Off the Now The Clue A boon to the Government; they rule I don’t do the past, said my father in the knowledge that none can keep track and turned back to his crossword puzzle: of just how much of the country has Three down ‘sold out’ eight letters – betrayed been flogged like an old nag to within ‘essential to life’ five letters – water

an inch of its life. The karmic wheel ‘flag of the people’ – the starry plough. Paula Meehan signing a book for her Aunt and Uncle, goes round and round. I commemorate The seven stars on a field of blue – Patricia Field and Walter Meehan at the launch of Geomantic her new collection of poetry (published by the poor going round and round the bend. dream of a republic, dream of hope. Dedalus) in the Teachers Club, Dublin on Monday 14th How mad do you have to be to make Flowering on the island every spring, November. Photo by Derek Speirs sense of the state of the State we’re in? stars and dreams: the natal horoscope. Invisible Kingstown Labour in from the shore for their imperial Kingstown 1890 – 1920 monarch, large swathes of the By Charles Callan (2016) workers of the town were, accord- ing to an earlier 1884 health re- THE April 1900 visit of Queen Vic- port, “…constantly on the verge of toria to Kingstown (now Dun pauperism”. Laoghaire) was marked by a rather Indeed, in the following year, classy expensive fountain built op- when the old queen’s heart had fi- posite the town hall. It’s still there nally ceased to glow at all, the Kingstown parish priest said of the today. conditions of nearly seven hun- Her illustrious arrival was dred labouring families: “…noth- recorded more cheekily by Percy ing in the Dublin slums would French: compare to this.” “…’When this welcom’ roar’, Charles Callan details how work- sez she ing families and their trade union ‘Come up from the shore’, sez and political organisations strug- she, gled over three critical decades to ‘Right over the foam?’ sez she, Thousands of mourners create a better life. follow James Byrne’s cortege ‘Twas like comin’ home’, sez The sweep of that tale covers the brings the story of working people she, early development of the ITGWU out of the shadows and back lanes ‘An me heart fair glowed’, sez as well as the Lockout and its im- from events at a political level dur- by the Irish Citizen Army. she pact on the town. A dozen workers ing the decade of revolution and However, despite a predomi- of one of Ireland’s largest towns in ‘Along the Rock Road’, sez from the district were jailed for the author tells of the Irish Volun- nantly female population there is both detail and texture, adding not she…” their union activities – one of teers as well as attempts to form a no evidence unearthed of Cumann just to our understanding of the However, while the great and them, James Byrne, subsequently corps of Unionist Volunteers and na mBan or the Irish Women Work- area, but of the country as a whole. good of Kingstown were roaring died. Kingstown was not isolated an apparently unsuccessful foray ers’ Union. Charles Callan’s book Mick Halpenny Liberty 29 Obituaries NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Tom Murphy R.I.P. Paddy Wade R.I.P. Dedicated A life of music union man Paddy Wade, who died on 29th September last aged 85, was a well-known and much and empathy respected trade union activist, firstly in the ITGWU and then SIPTU. He was born and raised in Dorset Lane, just off Dorset Street in the north Dublin inner-city. After several years driving a horse and cart in his father’s small builders/pig-rear- ing/jobbing-transport business, casual work in the Funeral Un- SIPTU. Every week, Monday to and a short spell working in dertaking trade. After a couple Thursday, he arrived in the of- Glasgow, he took got a job as a of years, he was recommended fice at 10am, and worked the factory worker in the Ferrodare for a permanent job in Fana- phones, the registers, and did Wire plant, part of the then regan’s in Aungier St. His reputa- anything else that was needing cently established Unidare option as an ‘honest broker’ had doing, for nominal, out-of- eration in Finglas. His preceded him and he was duly pocket expenses. He continued reliability and strength of char- elected shop steward/collector this for a 20-year period and acter were recognised by his by the staff in Fanagan’s. He served five Branch Secretaries new workmates at an early later took over as chairman of in this manner, (John Mc- stage and it wasn’t long before the Undertakers’ Section Com- he was elected on to the mittee and led the successful Manus, Liam Peppard, Chris ITGWU works’ committee in overhaul of the organisation to Rowland, John Flannery, and Unidare. In those early days, become one of the most effec- Noel Maguire), and retired for Tom Murphy. the work was hard and danger- tive sections in the Union. the second time in 2009, aged ous, mostly shift-work, and Over a number of years, pay 78. Tom grew up in Drimnagh in The Druids. conditions were terrible. There and conditions significantly Each one of the above, and Dublin, a son of a Kilkenny woman Tom experienced much loss in were ongoing industrial rela- improved, and a pension everyone else he ever worked and a Kerry man. His early child- his life. Including his father and in tions problems in the factory scheme was established. with, would give testimony to hood was shaped by a medical con- 1999, his beloved daughter Denise which culminated in a pro- He continued to help build his loyalty and dedication to longed unofficial strike. Al- up the No 15 Branch of the dition and he spent the first years due to a life limiting illness. In the union, and the honesty and though he was not directly union, (subsequently, the of his life in Baldoyle and Cappagh 2007, he also lost his voice and de- integrity he displayed in all his involved, he supported the Dublin Services Branch of hospitals having several corrective spite several medical interventions endeavours. surgeries on his feet. During this people who were in dispute. It SIPTU), alongside his old com- Somehow, he managed to it was never to return. ended with just seven of them rade, the late Paddy Behan. It period he saw his family once a As a life-long self-educator, Tom achieve this while, at the same week at most. refusing to go back to work. grew to be one of the biggest time, maintaining the love and had the wisdom of literary giants Paddy felt he could not aban- branches in the Union, with al- He had fond memories of the respect of his wife and family, to draw upon to help him process don them at that stage, and all most 5,000 in membership at nuns that looked after him in Cap- and a wide circle of friends and difficult times. One of his seven, including Paddy were one stage. pagh, but there is no doubt that colleagues. the experience left its mark on him favourite plays was Samuel Beck- sacked. As a result, Paddy could Severe arthritis put an end to ett’s Waiting for Godot, which in- not keep up the payments on his career in Undertaking, and Ní fheicimíd a léithéid ann as a person, perhaps leading to the arís. great empathy he had for others cludes the line ‘The tears of the the mortgage of a house he and he had to retire at age 58. He He is survived by his widow, through out his life. Further shap- world are a constant quantity. For his wife, Lily, had bought in continued to chair the Under- Lily, and children, Mary, David, ing his childhood was the loss of each one who begins to weep Finglas, and they had to go into takers’ Section, remained ac- his father at a very young age and somewhere else another stops. rented rooms in Rutland St. tive on the Services Branch Patrick, Liz, and he developed a very close bond The same is true of the laugh’. He kept up his union mem- Committee and worked four Catherine, 6 grand-children, with his mother. Tom’s other great support was bership however, and got some days a week, pro bono, for and 2 great-grand-children. As a young man Tom developed his family, and the greatest love of an intense interest in music and all, his wife Anne. They met at the literature. However, he was also age of 18, when having moved good with his hands, and after at- from Kilkenny Anne lodged in Jimmy Doherty R.I.P. tending Technical College began an Tom’s family home in Drimnagh. apprenticeship with Roadstone as However, it was only after Anne re- a metal fabricator. He was to work turned from two years working in Respected Donegal council worker there for nearly 20 years. Unfortu- London that their their courtship The funeral took place in St. in all his years with the Council nately, he was made redundant in began. They became an insepara- Eunan’s Cathedral on Wednesday and more recently he was part of the 1980s and during a difficult pe- ble couple whose love was based 26th October of Jimmy Doherty, the Donegal County Council Out- riod worked in various jobs includ- Medarra Park, Woodlands, door Water Services Staff Commit- ing on the Dublin Docks. on an understanding of how to enjoy life at an easy pace and Letterkenny, County Donegal. He tee, that was formed in 2013. As In 1989 he joined the premises passed away in Beaumont Hospital part of the committee he attended shared values which placed mate- department of SIPTU in Liberty in Dublin after a short illness. meetings of the National Water Ne- rial possessions as meaning noth- Hall, where he worked until his re- He was employed by Donegal gotiating Committee and during tirement at 62. Tom was a wondering, and experiences as everything. County Council for approximately the early days he was instrumental ful guitarist with a superb picking Tom, who died aged 69, is sur- 25 years and was a well known and in implementing the current Water style and a beautiful folk singer. vived by his wife Anne, son’s respected member of the local Scada system for the county and He enjoyed a performing life of Michael and Alan, and daughter community. most recently got involved with over 40 years with the ballad group Sharon. Jimmy was a member of SIPTU the Water Conservation Team. 30 Liberty NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Sport

Images of Irelands historic win against the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday 5th November Cubs, Dubs & Cats fying the “Curse of the Billy Goat” then proceeded to tell about some animosities between the “codes” 2018. and avoiding any more incidents incident involving the Cubs and has long since evaporated. From a domestic point of view, it By such as in 2003 when Cubs fan the Dodgers when the Dodgers and For Dublin GAA people the high- was Dundalk who captured the Matt Treacy Steve Bartman decided to try and Jackie Robinson were still in New light of the year was winning two headlines with a reasonable run in catch a ball that was heading for York. All Irelands in succession for the the European competitions follow- the glove of a Chicago outfielder. We also visited Belmont Park for first time since 1977. They played ing their third Premier League title I was in New York for the Cubs then proceeded to throw a 3 the ponies, but least said about with less flair and adventure than in a row. They look well set to win World Series. Watching base- – 0 lead to lose to the Marlins. Ap- that the better! other years, but will be more re- it again this year. The downside of ball in normal time certainly parently Bartman still maintains The other big historical sports laxed I think chasing the third in a that is the likelihood that Dun- anonymity such was the hostility story this year was Ireland beating row next year. dalk’s financial bonanza will make makes a change from having and level of threats against him. the All Blacks, ironically enough in In Association Football, Ireland them more or less unbeatable for to be up in the early hours of As I was watching the last game Chicago, for the first time ever. I acquitted themselves reasonably several years. Mind you, Shel- the morning. in a bar on 44th street the woman watched that in St. Vincents GAA well in the European champi- bourne thought the same before It was remarkable for the fact beside me asked me why I was club after Vinnies had beaten onship and following victory over slumping into the doldrums fol- that the Chicago Cubs won it for “pulling for those assholes.” I told Castleknock in the Dublin final. Austria are in a good position to lowing their dominance in the the first time since 1908. Thus de- her I had a bet on the Cubs. She Obviously, any lingering historical qualify for the World Cup finals in early noughties. Liberty 31 Liberty Crossword NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 PRIZE DRAW To win €200 in Arnotts vouchers Liberty courtesy of JLT Insurance Crossword (see back cover)

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