ESB sell off Lessons from The East Wall would cost State Obama on jobs school boys strike Page 4 Page 10 Page 27 Vol. 10 No.8 October 2011 Pension ISSN 0791-458X funds could generate 80,000 jobs By Frank Connolly Between 60,000 and 80,000 new to retain the value on their balance jobs could be created and economic sheets while doubling the impact on growth rekindled if the Government the economy, according to SIPTU exempted pension funds used for General President, Jack O’Connor. productive investment from the pri - “An imaginative way must be vate pension levy. found to leverage investment into Private pension funds control esti - the economy to generate jobs and mated assets of €70 billion a portion begin rebuilding confidence,” Jack of which could be accessed for a pro - O’Connor said. “The trade union gramme of investment in much movement is opposed to the pen - needed infrastructure projects creat - sion levy. We believe that if pension ing tens of thousands of skilled jobs funds could be persuaded to increase and reviving economic growth. the proportion of their assets invest - In a document entitled ed in the domestic economy by 5%, “Investment for Jobs and Growth” which is more than double the value the National Executive Council of of the levy, it would generate SIPTU has set out how 5% of the upwards of €4bn for the exchequer.” assets of the private pension funds Investing these funds in develop - along with some €5 billion available ing the electricity network and the in the National Pension Reserve water and transport infrastructure Fund (NPRF) could be used to gener - would also help generate tens of ate up to 80,000 new jobs. thousands of good quality jobs and The document argues that an help to stem the mass unemploy - investment package using levy ment and emigration that is destroy - exempted private pension funds and ing families and communities across the NPRF should be introduced by this country, he said. the Government to offset the defla - He said that Construction Industry tionary effect of budgets 2012 and Council estimates suggest an 2013. Workers are angry at the employment return of the order of Government imposed levy on pri - 10,000 jobs (direct and indirect) per vate pensions which has reduced the €1bn invested in selected infrastruc - value of their available funds on tural development. retirement. He said that the facility for exemp - Granting an exemption from the tion from the levy should be provid - controversial levy to those private ed for in the Finance Bill 2012. pension funds used for investment and job creation would enable them (see pages 16 and 17 for full report) Dublin street scene Picture: Derek Speirs ORGANISING FOR FAIRNESS AT WORK AND JUSTICE IN SOCIETY • WWW.SIPTU.IE • JOIN ONLINE 2 Liberty OCTOBER 2011 News In this month’s Hundreds assemble in Ennis Liberty for SIPTU biennial conference Over 500 delegates and observers “Each of the five divisions will will assemble in Ennis, county Clare have an opportunity during break- ESB sell-off for the SIPTU biennial conference. out sessions at conference to discuss would cost The conference, which takes the re-structuring and how it is pro - place in the West County Hotel from gressing,” SIPTU General Secretary, State Monday (3rd October) to Thursday Joe O’Flynn, told Liberty. Page 4 (6th October), will discuss the vari - Among the guest speakers to ous campaigns and policy initiatives address the conference are Tánaiste, which the union has developed in its Eamon Gilmore, Congress President, efforts to protect and create jobs David Begg, the President of the Michael D’s while preserving pay and incomes SEIU in the US, Mary Kay Henry and during the current economic crisis. ETUC advisor, Ronald Janssen. vision for Delegates will also examine how The West County Hotel was cho - Ireland the re-structuring of the union into sen as the conference venue to Page 8 five divisions and sectors has pro - underline SIPTU’s endorsement of gressed since its introduction just the Fair Hotels campaign which sup - over a year ago. ports unionised jobs in the hotel and catering industry. West County Hotel, Ennis Unfit for the Aras? Robert Ballagh on Martin McGuinness Page 9 EU transaction tax could Greek Economist raise up to €55 billion a year Yannis Varoufakis and SIPTU General President, Jack past three years and that it was financial and banking system by his plan to save Europe O’Connor, has welcomed the pro - now “time for the financial sector their reckless gambling will now Page 14 posal for the introduction of an EU to make a contribution back to soci - have to bear some of the cost its transaction tax which could raise ety.” rescue. It will also release badly up to €55 billion a year. The tax Jack O’Connor said the trade needed funds for job creation was proposed in the European union movement across Europe across the EU,” he said. The SIPTU plan: Parliament by the President of the had been calling for the introduc - “We have been calling for such a European Commission, José tion of a transaction tax for several tax for several years now and while Investing for jobs Manuel Barroso, on Wednesday years and welcomed the fact that it it will be fiercely resisted by corpo - and growth (28th September). would now be put in place by 2014 rate and banking interests it is Page 16-17 Barroso told Parliament that rather than 2018 as earlier envis - essential that the Irish government member states had provided grant aged by the Commission. puts its full weight behind its aid and guarantees worth €4.6 tril - “It means that those who con - introduction by 2014.” lion to the financial sector over the tributed most to the collapse of the Putting an end to forced labour Page 21 Vote for action at Central Mental Hospital Dublin’s All-Ireland victory: A case of SIPTU members at the Central is our members’ view that the new industrial action will commence hard work winning out Mental Hospital in Dundrum, work rosters proposed by manage - unless the HSE steps back from Page 30 Dublin, have voted in favour of ment will result in times when care these imposed changes.” industrial action. units will be depleted of staff to SIPTU representatives will be The ballot follows an ultimatum such an extent that there will not attending a meeting convened by from HSE management that they be sufficient people to respond to the Health Sector Implementation intend to impose changes to staff an emergency.” Body (HSIB) on Monday (3rd terms and conditions in breach of She added; “The HSE managers October) to discuss the issues that the terms of the Croke Park involved have not addressed the have arisen at the Central Mental Agreement. safety concerns raised by staff. Hospital. An invitation to attend SIPTU Nursing Sector Organiser, Instead, they have simply written this meeting has also been issued Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. Louise O’Reilly, said; “What our to them stating that from 12th by the HSIB to HSE management. If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: members are objecting to is the October the new rosters will be SIPTU organises over 100 [email protected] imposition of a deadline when imposed. This move by manage - nursing and care staff at the Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, there has been no agreement on ment is in breach of the terms of Central Mental Hospital. Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 proposed changes to their terms the Croke Park Agreement. The bal - SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Patricia King • and conditions of employment. It lot is a protective ballot and the General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn Production: SIPTU Communications Department, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, Tel: 01 8588217 • Email: [email protected] SIPTU Head of Communications, Frank Connolly • Journalist: Scott Millar • Advertise in Liberty Design: Sonia Slevin (SIPTU) & Joe Mitchell (Brazier Media) • Publications Assistant, Deirdre Price • Administrative Assistant, Karen Hackett To advertise in Liberty, contact the Communications Department on 01 858 6372 or Produced, designed, edited and printed by trade union labour email [email protected] • Liberty offers very competitive rates Printed and distributed by The Irish Times, City West, Dublin. for advertisements which reach SIPTU members countrywide Liberty 3 News OCTOBER 2011 Collective bargaining in Ireland high up on UN rights agenda JUSTICE Minister Alan Shatter will Congress of Trade Unions has Rights” and numerous other inter - late on the right to collective bar - vides unions with a timely oppor - be grilled over Ireland’s failure to ensured the lack of collective bar - national treaties. gaining is included in the tunity to call on the Ggovernment legislate for the right to collective gaining rights in Ireland is high on The submission warns: “Anti- Programme for Government. to enact legislation that will under - bargaining at a United Nations the agenda. trade union activity, once the pre - SIPTU Campaigning and Equality pin the right of all workers to col - hearing on Thursday, 6th October. In a hard-hitting submission, serve of a few anti-union compa - Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said: lective bargaining through their It will be the first time that the ICTU states that “domestic legisla - nies, is now becoming widespread, “Ireland has a well-deserved repu - trade unions in line with the human rights record of the Irish tion is needed to protect the trade jeopardising the basic human right tation as a champion of human State’s international commit - government has been inspected union-human rights of workers in of workers to organise in unions to rights abroad and yet fails dismally ments.” under the UN’s Universal Periodic a manner consistent with the protect their interests.” A to adequately protect the rights of Review (UPR) process.