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Lockup REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ORGANISE BDC BARGAIN PROGRESS 2017 BELFAST 46 JULY Report of the Executive Council, Biennial Delegate Conference, July 2017 Appendix 7 Contents Introduction & Overview 2 Executive Council Members 2015–2017 4 Section 1: The Economy 7 Section 2: The Work of Congress 15 I. Industrial, Legislation & Strategic Organising 16 II. Northern Ireland 33 III. Equality, Social Policy & the Labour Market 42 IV. Education & Training 54 V. Public Engagement, Campaigns & Communications 61 VI. European Union & International 67 Appendices 75 All Pictures: Photocall & Kevin Cooper A New Movement Building the strength and power of the trade un- Trade Union Commission may be dead but the ion movement in Ireland, north and south, is the challenges that it identified remain. only way we can ensure that equality and justice are at the heart of Irish political life. The key to a strong trade union movement lies in increased union density and a membership that If democracy is to be meaningful it must em- understands the nature of our society and recog- power citizens to take greater control over the nises those forces which threaten the interests of decisions that shape their everyday lives. That working people. is why we cannot leave these decisions solely to elected politicians and political parties. The It is a movement with which working class bank bail outs and the work of the Troika during communities can strongly identify and which the austerity years highlighted the necessity for campaigns unapologetically and effectively in people to mobilise to safeguard their interests. their interests. Globalisation and the imbalance of power in favour of capital and large corporations are a threat to democracy. This is evident with trade agreements such as CETA and TTIP, which expose a bias in favour of private business, at the expense of democratically elected governments, as underlined by the Investor State Dispute Sys- tem (ISDS). In the Republic of Ireland the Clery’s closure scandal shone a bright light on the reality of power in this society and the prioritisation of the rights of property over the rights of citizens. Privatisation of public services and natural resources weakens democracy and shifts ac- countability even further away from the people. The trade union demand that the public owner- ship of Irish Water be enshrined in law could, if successful, spark a renewed recognition of the value of public ownership and public services generally, for the well- being of wider society. In an era where culture and daily life are com- mercialised and commodified, we need to utilise all opportunities to ensure that at the centre of public discourse there is a clear understand- ing that the needs of citizens and communities should always trump commercial and financial interests. We have trade union offices, Trades Councils and centres located across the country which could function as the nerve centres of our alter- native narrative and as a motor for a resurgent trade union movement, which speaks and acts for all working class communities and helps generate a more equal distribution of wealth and power across the country. To begin this this we need to achieve greater cooperation and unity within the trade union movement. That doesn’t require the dilution or discarding of strongly held political and policy positions, or the surrender of independence. The 2 Introduction Facing the Challenges We gather in Belfast this year to review key events since our last Biennial Delegate Confer- ence (BDC) and critically, to forge a path for the union movement on this island, for the medium and long term. Our theme for BDC 2017 very consciously ech- oes what in many respects are the core elements of trade unionism, the essential day to day work that defines our mission and our very existence. ‘Organise, Bargain, Progress’ speaks to the very essence of trade unionism, whether it be prac- ticed in Dublin, Belfast, Ballyhaunis or Bangor. It spells out not only what we do, but the very elements on which we must focus relentlessly into the future, if we are to ensure that the trade union movement on this island maintains the capacity to better the lives of those we represent and shape a more equal society. Over the last two years Congress has placed great emphasis on the necessity for Decent Work and its role in any recovery, through the Charter campaign which you can read about elsewhere in this document. We have also focused on ensuring that the trade While no clear picture has emerged as yet as to union movement helps shape policy in Ireland the final outcome of that process, it would be safe through the publication of a wide range of brief- to assume that there are unlikely to be very many ings on critical issues for working people. upsides for working people on this island, or across Europe. Our voice will not be heard if we do not speak up and speak clearly. We must work as one to ensure that they do not become scapegoats for the ideological whims of We face many challenges in the coming years, right wing populism. but perhaps none greater than to fully realise our own potential as a movement and maximise the We must also state very plainly that Europe as impact of everything we do, on behalf of working a whole must change if it is to recapture those people. many millions who have lost faith in the entire European Project, a hardly surprising outcome We have an obligation to those who built this to eight hard years of austerity and the conscious movement and a duty to those we represent policy decision to drive down living standards in today to make this a reality. response to a crisis in high finance. Therefore we must always seek to ensure that That faith will only be restored when we see our organisational structures are fit for purpose Social Europe rebuilt and returned to its rightful and must immediately address deficits where place at the heart of Europe. they are identified. As a movement, we cannot possibly hope to successfully meet the challenges that face us armed with ill-suited structures and outmoded practices. This is particularly true as we consider how Brexit is likely to transform and reshape the social and political landscape of this island and the wider European Union. Report of the Executive Council, Biennial Delegate Conference, July 2017 3 Executive Council Members, 2015–2017 Brian Kevin Callinan, Campfield, Vice President President (IMPACT) (NIPSA) Sheila Nunan, Joe O’Flynn, Larry Margaret Richie Browne Vice President Treasurer Broderick Browne (UNITE) (INTO) (SIPTU) (FSU) (FSU – Retired Workers Cttee Observer) Ethel Buckley Shay Cody Colm Cronin Diarmaid Eamon Devoy de Paor (SIPTU) (IMPACT) (Cork Council of (TEEU) Trade Unions - (ASTI) Local Reserved Panel) Séamus Dooley Liam Doran John Douglas Steve Tom Geraghty Fitzpatrick (NUJ) (INMO) (MANDATE) (PSEU) (CWU) 4 Executive Council Arthur Hall Steven Harvey Mike Jennings Jimmy Kelly Marie Levis (TEEU) (NIPSA – Youth (IFUT) (UNITE) (IMPACT) Committee Observer) John Justin Patricia Gene Mealy Alison Millar MacGabhann McCamphill McKeown (SIPTU) (NIPSA) (TUI) (NASUWT) (UNISON) Jim Moore Maria Morgan Aileen Phil Ní Deirdre Morrissey Sheaghdha O’Connor (UCATT) (NIPSA) (MANDATE) (INMO) (INTO) Jack O’Connor Ciaran Rohan Eoin Ronayne Anne Speed Noel Ward (SIPTU) (AHCPS) (CPSU) (UNISON) (INTO) Report of the Executive Council, Biennial Delegate Conference, July 2017 5 Section 1: The Economy Although average weekly earnings have recently Developments in the reached the 2008 level, some groups have benefit- labour market and ted slightly whilst others have lost out. According to the CSO, the average nominal weekly earnings the wider economy of 15-24, 25-29 and 30-39 year olds all fell by about 1.5% between 2011 and 2014, while they rose for continue to place those 50-59 and 60 and over by about 2%. enormous pressure on In nominal terms, average weekly pay across all sectors in Northern Ireland rose by about workers, families and £55 (£406-£461) between 2008 and 2016. In the same period however, once figures were adjusted communities. for inflation with the UK’s Retail Price Index While there are strong signs of economic recov- (RPI) average real weekly wages for all employ- ery in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland ees actually dropped by about 7% between 2008 remains mired in a slow paced recovery in terms and 2016, as the price of a typical ‘basket’ of good of productivity and incomes. In the Republic, low rose by over 20%. pay and elevated levels of poverty, deprivation The aggregate figure masks considerable ine- and indebtedness weigh on the ‘social recovery’ qualities between generations as 18-21 year olds which is much less evident than its economic earned on average 30% less in 2016 than in 2008 counterpart. in real terms and 22-29 year olds were earning Regional and sectoral imbalances are increas- over 26% less. These figures, like those for the ingly exposed with implications for sustainable Republic of Ireland, do not reflect differences in communities. The crisis in housing constitutes unemployment between generations. the biggest single challenge, especially in the Women, young and migrant workers continue Republic of Ireland. To date, the response of gov- to be heavily represented among the lower ernment has been lacking in scale, ambition and paid and in the most precarious jobs. This is properly coordinated intervention. especially so in sectors such as retail and hos - The challenges of Brexit and the uncertain- pitality. Consequently, we have seen a greater ty arising from global political developments focus on the idea and implementation of the demand a new vision and energy from the Euro- Living Wage in the UK and in the Republic pean Union.