Report of Executive Council
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BDC19 BDC19 Building a better future for all Report of Executive Council DUBLIN 2–4 JULY Contents Introduction & Overview 2 Introduction by Sheila Nunan, President 3 Foreword by the General Secretary 5 Executive Council Members 2017-2019 8 Section 1 The Economy 10 Brexit 14 Section 2 The Work of Congress 18 I: Industrial, Legislation & Organising 19 II: Northern Ireland 37 III: Equality, Social Policy & Labour Market 45 IV: Education & Training 58 V: Public Engagement, Campaigns & Communications 64 VI: European Union & International 75 Appendices 81 Introduction & Overview Introduction by Sheila Nunan, President The cost of Ireland’s economic collapse and the benefits of any on-going Shiela Nunan, President recovery has not been shared fairly across groups, Our housing campaign helped to create a sectors or regions in Ireland. powerful coalition under the ‘Raise the Roof’ banner. Building on the principles of the Workers have paid, and continue to pay, an Congress charter and informed by a wide range enormous price in terms of jobs lost and of social campaigners, who have seen first- incomes reduced. Living standards have hand the policies which have failed to deliver. plateaued but property prices, corporate profits Working together, we really did raise the roof, and equity returns lead the way in recovery. securing a motion of support in the Dáil and Many have borne the brunt of the downturn, but generating much needed public debate. few have reaped the rewards of the upswing. Our focus on climate justice and the need for Precarious work, zero hour contracts, bogus a Just Transition as we move towards a low self-employment, threats to our right to carbon economy places protection of workers at organise. This is the world in which our the forefront of the debate. movement finds itself. Our work has never been As we emerged from recession and sought to more important, protecting our hard-fought undo the damage to our public services, a new rights and ensuring every worker in Ireland, threat emerged. On the 23 of June 2016 the North and South, has a decent job and a decent United Kingdom voted to leave the European standard of living. Union. This decision and the chaos which has Our movement has led calls to radically change followed presents a significant threat to the our approach to housing, which is failing so livelihood of workers in the United Kingdom many across our country. As a movement, we and indeed here in Ireland. As the negotiations recognise our shared responsibility to stand up continue, seemingly indefinitely, it’s important for our members but also, to shape the world we as a movement ensure that the outcome in which we live. We have added our voice to protects workers and their rights. the trumpet call for change in housing policy, Our movement believes everyone should contributing our campaigning and organising pay their fair share of tax, in order to deliver experience and standing shoulder to shoulder robust and responsive public services. We with this locked out generation. A better quality led a successful campaign to end the reduced of life and access to quality public services is VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality sector, at the heart of a compassionate nation, and we where business was booming, hoteliers were won’t settle for anything less. Congress BDC – Report of Executive Council 3 pocketing more cash and yet, staff wages remained stagnant. As a movement, we have learnt some tough lessons from our recent recession. As the emergency FEMPI legislation comes to an end, we can look forward to the return to normal pay bargaining. But we must never be complacent. If we are to ensure our role isn’t eroded and devalued in the future, we must be prepared to adapt and renew. Many great ICTU leaders retired since 2017 and I want to acknowledge the contribution of many great leaders and activists who have united since then and welcome the continuation of their work by energetic successors. Congress is also fortunate to have high calibre and quality officials and staff driving the ICTU agenda in innovative ways. 4 Introduction & Overview Foreword by the General Secretary We gather in Dublin this year to review key events since we last met at Biennial Delegate Conference 2017. Our theme this year is Building a Better Future for All. It is a theme that speaks directly to our Patricia King Courtesy Conor Healy ongoing struggle to achieve Photographer an inclusive economy that Of equal concern is our dysfunctional health combats inequality, rather system and it is our view that Sláintecare must than reinforcing it. be implemented urgently and without delay. During the course of our conference we will also highlight the crucial role collective Decent work must be the cornerstone upon bargaining plays in achieving equality. It is which we build that fair and inclusive society. Congress policy to ensure that collective bargaining is established as the primary means But there are many problems that remain to be of determining pay and employment conditions tackled if we are to achieve that goal. in all sectors. The fallout from the banking crash and the We know that Brexit - if and when it happens ensuing years of austerity has wreaked havoc – will almost certainly have a very negative on communities and families across the country. impact on employment, trading and investment The number of homeless has now officially prospects, with this impact being felt more passed 10,000 for the first time, a new record severely in particular geographic regions and that represents a stain on our society and a sectors of the economy. source of deep shame and anger for all. Congress also has grave concerns about Of course, the official figures serve to mask the impact of Brexit on workers’ rights, on the tens of thousands affected by our housing citizens’ rights and on the Belfast/Good Friday emergency, including those on waiting lists or in Agreement and our hard won and much cramped and insecure accommodation. cherished peace. Housing is a human right, but the Government However, the Brexit debacle concludes the has outsourced housing provision to the private internationalism that is at the core of our sector and it has failed to deliver. movement and the sense of solidarity that Until the State begins to build public housing on informs all we do will continue to shape our a sufficient scale – as they have done in the past response. – this emergency will only worsen. Congress BDC – Report of Executive Council 5 In Northern Ireland our Better Work, Better with the One Cork and One Galway initiatives. Lives campaign seeks to build a wider societal As a result, both City Councils also passed consensus on challenging the scourge of low similar motions, along with local authorities in pay, the rise of precarious work, the decline in Dublin. public investment and the ill-judged 1% pay cap imposed on our public service members. We The ‘Right to Housing’ online petition is ongoing have protested, rallied, mobilised and lobbied and growing. to this end. In addition, we are also publishing As a result of a long running campaign by progressive, evidence-based policy papers to Congress, the recent Budget reversed the support our demands and will continue to do 2011 VAT cut for hotels and restaurants and so throughout 2019/20. reinstated the fairer rate of 13.5% on these Through active campaigning and policy highly profitable businesses. advocacy Congress has focussed on ensuring This tax subsidy was unnecessary in a sector that the trade union movement shapes and that is booming, where prices are still among influences policy development across the island the highest in the EU and where workers of Ireland, to ensure the interests of working are three times more likely to subsist on the people are reflected. minimum wage. Our annual review of CEO Pay (Because I’m In addition, the alleged impact on employment Worth It) reveals that it would take 230 years of the VAT cut has been greatly exaggerated and for a worker earning the average wage to equal it has seen tax revenue lost to essential public the earnings of one of Ireland’s top paid bosses. services such as housing or childcare. Such income inequality is not acceptable. The practice of misclassifying workers as self- Congress can point to tangible successes in employed is an ongoing scandal in Ireland. This recent campaigns. results in workers being denied the full range New legislation means the effective end to of social welfare benefits, along with access to the scourge of zero-hour contracts in most employment rights and protections. circumstances, with the law providing workers In addition, the State is denied Social Welfare in casual and precarious employment with and tax revenue, which has very serious greater certainty about their hours. Provision consequences for our public finances. Congress for the introduction of Banded Hour Contracts is continues to call for legislative control also included. measures to minimise the risk of and to detect Our Raise the Roof campaign brings together this bogus misclassification of workers as self- trade unions, political parties, student unions, employed. women’s groups, housing agencies and Congress is campaigning for a Just Transition to community organisations to demand a radical a low carbon economy that will protect jobs and shift in housing policy. incomes, as Ireland moves to combat climate In October 2018 up to 15,000 people took to the change. streets outside Leinster House demanding action The Paris Agreement – to which Ireland is a on the housing crisis. As a result, a majority of TDs signatory – requires that Just Transition and and parties passed an opposition parties motion social dialogue are at the core of our climate that demands major investment in public housing, change policy response.