Lagan Brick So where is my Larkin Hedge dispute bail out? School Page 4-5 Page 10 Page 31 Vol. 11 No.3 April 2012 ISSN 0791-458X Vote on Building workers’ Treaty charter depends launched By Scott Millar new campaign is asking building workers to on jobs Acommit to rescuing their industry, and the wider economy, by pledging to support a ten point Building Workers’ Charter. plan The charter not only calls on workers to unite to defeat the attempts by building employers to By Frank Connolly slash their wages but also demand that the Government takes action to kick-start the economy. he National Executive Council In January the Construction (NEC) of SIPTU has decided it will Industry Federation (CIF) revealed Trecommend in favour of the its latest wage cutting demands. Fiscal Treaty referendum proposal These include reducing all build- if the Government commits to an off ing workers wage rates by 20%, slashing allowances and pushing balance sheet stimulus plan to create the wage rate of new entrants to “tens of thousands of jobs” – but only if the industry down to the mini- it does so. mum wage of €8.65 per hour. In a detailed policy document analysing the Photo: Peadar Whelan Congress Industrial Officer issues the NEC has characterised the strategy Continued on page 2 underpinning the Treaty as a one-sided austeri- ty approach, principally at the expense of working people, which will not work. Lagan Brick workers The detailed NEC statement issued on Launch of Better Thursday (19th April) said that a more rational route would entail a less severe “debt brake” bring campaign to Belfast Health Care, Better accompanied by other measures to share the page 4-5 burden and engender growth. Jobs Campaign It calls for an off balance sheet domestic stimulus plan in addition to the projected capi- see page 21 tal spend. It would be based on a number of components, including investment by private pension funds incentivised through exemp- tions from the pensions levy. According to SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, this could provide the growth stimu- Fiscal Compact lus in the domestic economy that is absent at EU level, generating tens of thousands of jobs. Treaty special He said; “Ireland is between a rock and a hard place. The Treaty imposes, what we believe, to be an unnecessarily severe “debt page 13-18 Continued on page 2 ORGANISING FOR FAIRNESS AT WORK AND JUSTICE IN SOCIETY • WWW.SIPTU.IE • JOIN ONLINE 2 Liberty APRIL 2012 News In this month’s Liberty Abbeyleix Hospital protest Page 6 Workplace Committee: Automatic Plastics Page 7 Congress President Eugene McGlone addressing the NI Committee of ICTU on Wednesday 18th April as NI Executive Junior Minister, Martina Anderson looks on. In her speech she pledged to oppose as much as possible “the British Coalition’s so-called Welfare Reform” and to introduce a Bill of Rights. Dominic Hannigan intervew Page 9 Vita Cortex mediation talks convene Labour Court chairman, Kevin Labour Court officials, Jack Nash redundancy entitlements of two Duffy, led mediation discussions and John Doherty, convened the weeks per year of service from the with SIPTU representatives and talks in Dublin on Thursday (19th Department of Social Protection in the owners of Vita Cortex in the April) which will centre on the February. latest effort to resolve the long demand by the Vita Cortex workers The workers have been occupy- Liberty view running dispute at the former for their agreed redundancy pay- ing the Vita Cortex plant on the Page 19 foam manufacturing in Cork. ments from the company. Kinsale Road in Cork since 16th Liberty Duffy, who is assisted by former They received their statutory December last. View which runs from 28th April to 12th Precariat’ (Bloomsbury). May. The Festival has been organ- On 1st May, DCTU will hold a ised jointly by Congress, the march and rally, while 2nd May Is there a prayer for Larkin Hedge School and Dublin will see a special screening of the Council of Trade Unions (DCTU). powerful Swedish labour film peace in a troubled Workers Memorial Day will be Adalen 31 at the Irish Film Centre. Middle East? marked with an event in Dublin’s On 5th May, the Belfast calendar of Page 25 National Gallery, on 28th April, events starts with a protest rally, while the growth of precarious and while the annual Jim Connell insecure work will be the focus of a Summer School takes place in Music, politics, poetry, protest, public talk in Liberty Hall, on 30th Crossakiel, Meath, on 4th, 5th and film and the world of work feature April, by Dr Guy Standing, author 6th May. Social Media dos in the 2012 May Day Festival, of a new study on the issue ‘The See page 31. and don’ts Page 26 Continued from page 1 - Vote on Treaty depends on jobs plan brake”. However, if we do not rat- sided austerity approach will not we will go along with the Treaty ify it we will not have access to work. We can provide our own despite our reservations because it the ESM fund. The immediate investment stimulus with the would give us all a fighting chance problem is the imposition of a co- potential to generate several thou- of emerging from this nightmare. Sport - St Pat’s ordinated contraction over twenty sand jobs through innovative use Otherwise we cannot endorse it.” wonder goal countries without any offsetting of our pension funds. If the See pages 13-18. stimulus for growth. This one- Government commits to doing it, Page 34 Continued from page 1 - Building workers’ charter launched Fergus Whelan, who is leading the Registered Employment Agreements first stage of a major campaign Building Workers’ Charter cam- which guard against exploitation.” aimed at ensuring the building paign, said; “When workers com- The campaign was launched on industry plays its role in economic mit to the Charter they’re not only Wednesday (18th April) following a recovery. The industry can only making clear what they oppose but meeting of the Construction play that role by creating sustain- also what they want. Industry Committee of Congress. able and direct jobs.” “We’re saying we are against the When workers commit to the He added; “Fundamental to the Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. slashing of wages, robbing of pen- Charter they will be kept informed future of the industry are robust If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: sion rights and a decline in safety of what actions are being planned compliance requirements and [email protected] standards. What we are for is Irish to ensure its aims are achieved. enforcement.” Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, workers pension funds being used SIPTU Construction and To view the Charter visit; Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 for job creation in Ireland, the Utilities Division Organiser, www.ictu.ie/constructioncharter or SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Patricia King • prospect of worthwhile apprentice- Christy McQuillan, said; “The collect a leaflet from your local General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn ships and the maintenance of launch of this Charter marks the trade union organiser. 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 email communica- Produced, designed, edited and printed by trade union labour [email protected] • Liberty offers very competitive rates for advertisements which reach SIPTU Printed and distributed by The Irish Times, City West, Dublin. members countrywide Liberty 3 News APRIL 2012 As part of the 2012 May Day celebrations SIPTU is hosting the Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society photographic exhibition in Liberty Hall Theatre from 9th May to 16th May. The exhibition of 40 photographs features images of life and work on the Dublin Docks from 1940 to 1990. For more information see www.siptu.ie Strike begins at Irish Cement Second strike at after bosses ignore Labour Eddie Stobart SIPTU members held a “The workers are adamant that Court recommendation successful official 24-hour their campaign will continue until work stoppage at distribu- these very serious grievances are tion company Eddie Stobart dealt with satisfactorily.” IRISH Cement workers began ing the decision by the Irish Cement the Labour Court recommendation. in Ballymun, Dublin, in late During both stoppages, drivers strike action on the 3rd April Group of Unions to go on strike – “Workers are particularly March. took part in an official picket of in a bid to secure money for the first time since 1970. annoyed at the hypocrisy of Irish The stoppage, which started on the Ballymun depot – used by the distributor for delivering goods to owed to them by the highly Irish Cement Group of Unions Cement’s parent company, CRH, Wednesday, 21st March at Secretary, Karan O’Loughlin, said: which at the same time as it is 8.00a.m. was the second industri- Tesco stores across Ireland. profitable firm. “Earlier this year the Labour Court refusing to pay its employees the al action by drivers at the compa- SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia Workers claim they were left with made a recommendation that the monies they are owed, is sanction- ny this year. A similar action was King, has called on Eddie Stobart no other option but to take indus- company must pay monies which ing massive pay rises for senior held in February.