THE PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS UNIONEWSN YOU C APN USE OST MAY/JUNE 2013 ) 0 . EUROPEAN UNIONS IN DUBLIN SUMMIT 2 Y B C C - 2 ( 0 r 9 e l l 1 e 5 u M 3 9 n h o J : e 1 r u t c i HIGH P NOON l ORGANISATION FOR SOClIAL SOLIDARITY lEQUALITY l MINIMUM STANDARDS EUROPEAN trade unions are to set organised by the European Trade The conference consists of a out a range of alternative policies Union Confederation and hosted by number of panel discussions – on ETUC chief to deal with the economic crisis at Congress, starts on June 5 in Dublin trade union organisation, solidarity, Bernadette a major summit in Dublin next Castle. equality and minimum standards – Ségol month. A Congress source said: “The that involve, among others, ETUC EURLeading traOde unionists will bPe conferenceE theme is High Noon for chief Bernadette Ségol, left, Con - demanding that EU govern - Social Europe and no doubt speakers gress general secretary David Begg, ments make radical changes will be training their big guns, so to TUC general secretary Frances to restore growth, tackle speak, on the disastrous austerity O’Grady, EPSU chief Carola unemployment and build a policies being pursued by many EU Fischbach-Pyttel, Oliver Rothig, fairer Europe, governments that cause so much who heads up UNI Europa, and The two-day event, harm to working people.” CGT leader Thierry Lepaon. Benefits fraud: UK public being T‘bUCr gaenienralw secraetsaryh Freandces ’ O’Grady has claimed the public is being “brainwashed” into believ - ing the benefits system in the UK is “riddled with fraud”. She made the comment after Department for Work and Pen - sions data published earlier this month revealed that benefit fraud accounted for just 0.7% of the welfare budget. This is in stark contrast to the popular perception of benefit fraud – hyped up by sections of the media and by some politicians. Polling carried out by the TUC in January, showed that on average people think that 27% of the welfare budget is claimed fraudulently. Ms O’Grady said: “While benefit fraud is a problem, these figures show there is a significant issue with underpayment too, with one in 10 housing benefit claimants being underpaid at a time when living costs are soaring. “Instead of seeking to demonise those on benefits, ministers should be getting tough on tax- evading companies who are cheat - ing the Treasury out of £25bn a year.” PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "At just over £1 billion a year fraud in the benefits system is dwarfed by tax fraud, which is 70 times as much and whose perpetrators are not subject to the same level of vitriol from politicians and sections of the press. "While more resources in the DWP would bring the benefit fraud and error rate down even more, the government must also aggressively chase down the tax dodgers who deprive our economy of tens of billions of pounds a year." Rescue workers desperately search for survivors after the Rana Plaza factory collapse UK & Irish workers Picture: Qamrul Anam Coordinator, Textile & RMG, IBC trail in hols league WORKERS in the Irish Republic are Labels sign up to safety accord second only to UK workers when it comes to having the worst holiday entitlement in Europe, according to a survey carried out by travel after factory collapse horror company hotels.com. UNI Global Union general secretary commitment from the companies to They enjoy seven fewer days off Philip Jennings has described a new pay for the renovations and repairs a year than their Italian or Swedish accord on fire and building safety in necessary to make factory buildings counterparts. In Ireland, the Bangladesh as “a turning point”, in Bangladesh safe. average annual leave entitlement following the horrific April 24 Mr Jennings said: “We are putting is 20 days, supplemented by nine collapse of the Rana Plaza which in place rules that mark the end of public holidays, the same total as claimed the lives of 1,100 garment the race to the bottom in the global Germany and Switzerland. workers. supply chain.” UK workers are entitled to only Dozens of leading retail compa - Retail labels that have signed up an average of 28 days off whereas nies have already signed up to the so far include: H&M, Inditex, C&A, the French, Finns and Norwegians new safety guidelines. PVH, Tchibo, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, get to put their feet up on 35 days The legally-binding agreement be - Primark, El Corte Inglés, jbc, Mango, each year. tween the signatories and Industri - Carrefour, KiK, Helly Hansen, ALL, UNI Global and many local G-Star, Aldi, New Look, Mothercare, The total for the Danes and unions provides for independent Loblaws, Sainsbury’s, Benetton, N Spanish was 34 while in take-it- safety inspections, mandatory repairs Brown Group, Stockmann, WE easy Russia, employees had an and renovations as well as a vital Europe, Esprit, Rewe, Next, Lidl, annual tally of 40 days off. role for workers and their unions. Hess Natur, Switcher, Abercrombie Jennings: ‘turning point’ At the heart of the accord is a & Fitch. THE THE UNION POST is produced by Brazier Media for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Irish Congress of Trade Unions Northern Ireland Committee Irish Congress of Trades Unions 31/32 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland 4-6 Donegall Street Place, Belfast BT1 2FN, Northern Ireland ST Tel: +353 1 8897777 Fax: +353 1 8872012 Tel: 02890 247940 Fax: 02890 246898 UNION PO Email: [email protected] www.ictu.ie Email: [email protected] Web: www.ictuni.org 2 THE UNION POST y May/June 2013 Journo safety seminar to mark IFJ Congress ‘Wheels have come HUNDREDS of journalists from across the off austerity wagon...’ world are attending the 28th Congress of the International Federation of Journalists in CONGRESS general secretary David Dublin between June 4 to June 7. Begg has called on the Troika to do “the The event, at Dublin Castle, is being honourable thing” and admit that aus - hosted by the National Union of Journalists terity as a cure for Ireland’s problems is UK and Ireland. wrong, socially destructive and damag - And the NUJ’s Belfast & District branch is ing to prospects for economic recovery. holding a special event North of the border He delivered the blunt message as to mark the IFJ World Congress. part of a Congress delegation that met The branch has invited a panel of national with officials from the IMF/EC/ECB and international speakers to present a num - Troika in Dublin on April 29. ber practical workshops on safety for jour - Mr Begg said: “The wheels [have] nalists working in conflict zones and in public come off the austerity wagon as order situations. more evidence of its unsuitability and Branch secretary Gerry Carson told The destructive impact emerges. Union Post : “Since the start of this year jour - “The IMF concedes that the approach nalists, photographers and camera operators taken here was wrong. Equally, the case have, in the course of carrying out their for austerity is now known to be based work, been subjected to verbal and physical on flawed calculations. abuse, been threatened, harassed and suf - “But most damning of all, we have fered serious injury. heard Prof Ashoka Mody – an architect "Now, in the light of the ‘flag protests’, the of the Irish bailout – admit major errors forthcoming ‘marching season’ and ‘G8’ in the construction of Ireland’s rescue meeting, to help better inform individuals, package. management and owners about self-protec - “In other words, the ideological tion and how best to perform risk assess - underpinning of this entire policy ment, our branch has organised a special approach – in Ireland and across the seminar on Wednesday, June 5 in the Linen - EU – has been utterly discredited. The hall Library, Belfast.” Troika should now do the honourable Irish secretary Séamus Dooley added: "It is thing and admit their policy failure.” fitting that as the World Congress of the IFJ He added: “It’s time for a new discusses global threats, in Belfast our col - departure. It’s time for a new deal for leagues will be offering practical assistance Ireland.” based on experience of conflict." CIOCNGTRESSU has c lacimeda the ll oincnreas edS safethy preacautrionps and s sDhouldi inrcluede rcepretsenitavtivee s health of healthcare workers in safer working procedures from employers and unions, the Republic is being endangered through the use of medical including health and safety reps, by the Irish government’s failure devices that shield or retract occupational health, risk manage - to implement an EU ‘Sharps the needle after use. ment, purchasing, housekeeping, Directive’ on the use of medical It specifically bans the practice infection control, employee needles. of ‘recapping’ needles. education and training.” Legal affairs officer Esther The Republic failed to meet Ms Lynch pointed out the Lynch said: "Sharps and needle - the May 11 deadline for the directive applied to all healthcare stick injuries are a silent epi - transposition of the directive, but workers but noted that prison demic as they are notoriously Ms Lynch has called for its swift officers, refuse collectors, teach - unreported – estimates for implementation. ers, tattoo artists and thousands Ireland range from 1,000 to She said: "Acting now is essen - of other workers “who may 6,000 injuries a year.” tial. The directive requires a part - come across discarded hypoder - In 2011, an INMO study nership approach and Congress mic needles” were not included. revealed that one in three nurses is recommending the setting up And she urged the govern - south of the border had suffered of needlestick and sharps injury ment to extend the directive’s needlestick injuries.