Irish Cement 150 years of the Colombia: a time strike success Dublin Fire Brigade for peace Page 4 Page 6-7 Page 26-27 Vol. 11 No.5 June 2012 ISSN 0791-458X Ryanair’s Howlin grab for slates €1 billion Aer Lingus ESRI on fund jobs By Scott Millar SIPTU has called on the Government to block an By Frank Connolly attempt by Ryanair to pur- chase Aer Lingus and take report by the state funded control of the airline’s €1 Economic and Social Research billion in cash reserves. Institute (ESRI) which oppos- SIPTU Aviation Organiser, Teresa A es trade union and other calls Hannick, said that it is the third for urgent investment in jobs and time since 2006 that Ryanair has growth, has been slated by the attempted a hostile takeover of Aer Minister for Public Expenditure and Lingus. The previous attempts were Reform, Brendan Howlin. The Labour rejected by the European Party minister, who has been vocal in Commission on competition grounds. government in his support for a jobs Hannick said; “It is vital that the stimulus through investment in badly Government use its 25% share-hold- needed infrastructural projects, said ing to prevent any hostile takeover that every option to tackle the unem- of the airline. It would be madness ployment problem must be consid- Firefighter Dave Brunson for any government to put Michael ered. with ‘junior officer’ Jack O’Leary and Ryanair in control of The ESRI economists argued against a O’Gorman, aged three at our air links with the outside domestic jobs stimulus while projecting lower world. growth prospects for the economy next year. the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of “A takeover would also allow “Academic research is one thing but the Ryanair to use a virtual monopoly social imperative of getting people back to the Dublin Fire Brigade control to raise airline prices to pre- work is another and is far more important in on Saturday 2nd June mium levels. Amazingly it would the current climate,” Howlin said in response page 6-7 also result in Ryanair having access to its latest Quarterly Economic Commentary to almost €1 billion in cash released by the ESRI on Monday (18th June). reserves held by Aer Lingus for a His comments were echoed by SIPTU purchase price of less than 700 President, Jack O’Connor, who described the € ESRI as cheer leaders for the ‘slash and burn’ Agency million.” agenda that is continuing to destroy the qual- On the issue of why Ryanair ity of life, jobs and incomes of workers across Support workers rights owner Michael O’Leary has decided Europe. to make another bid for Aer Lingus, page 22-23 “Anyone who argues against a jobs stimulus Quality, Hannick said; “There is a view that in our current difficult circumstances is living the recent announcement by the on another planet,” Jack O’Connor said. Office of Fair Trading in the UK that He said that the ESRI argument against a Support Jobs it intends to refer Ryanair’s minori- domestic stimulus is consistent with its ty stake in Aer Lingus to the endorsement over several years of an ‘inter- in Ireland Competition Commission for fur- nal deflation’ agenda and particularly its page 15-18 ther investigation over competition emphasis on driving down the price of Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 ORGANISING FOR FAIRNESS AT WORK AND JUSTICE IN SOCIETY • WWW.SIPTU.IE • JOIN ONLINE 2 Liberty JUNE 2012 News In this month’s Liberty Workplace Committee: Contract Cleaners Page 8 President Michael D and Sabina Higgins with Aung San Suu Kyi (left) and members of the Burmese community greeting her at Grand Canal Theatre on Monday, 18th June. Photos: Photocall NEC Profiles Page 10 1600 jobs at stake as CE cuts bite in Galway UTS to the Community An Open Day to highlight the cru- public representatives to attend and Employment (CE) cial work undertaken by CE will be seeking their full support for schemes across Galway Schemes in Galway city and county the restoration of funding and pro- will take place on Monday, 25th tection of services.” Investment city and county could June, between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 Diane Jackson called on people to Cresult in the loss of 1600 p.m. at St Joseph’s Community attend the Open Day and show their Programme jobs, SIPTU Organiser, Diane Page 12-13 Centre, Shantalla, Galway. support for workers in the commu- Jackson has warned. Peter Connolly, who is a CE nity sector. “Hundreds of jobs and key servic- Worker employed by the Shantalla “Community workers are organis- es to the vulnerable and disadvan- Development Company explained; ing through SIPTU to fight for the taged are on the line unless there is “We are holding this Open Day future of these services and this a change in government policies in because our communities cannot action is one of many taking place Liberty View relation to CE funding,” Jackson afford to lose these vital services or right across the state in defence of jobs. We have invited all of our local CE schemes.” Page 14 Liberty said. View Bord Na Móna workers to escalate industrial action HE Bord Na Móna day stoppage last week. ingful. Group of Unions has “As the company ignored the one “The company has said it is avail- decided to escalate day stoppage on 5th June we were able for clarifications but the Home Helps rally its industrial action left with no choice but to escalate unions are fully au fait with the for justice T with a two day stop- to a two day action,” the chairman deal on offer and clarifications are page on 27th and 28th June. of the group of unions, Oliver not necessary at this time. Page 19 The Group held discussions in McDonagh of SIPTU, said after the Discussions must bring about Tullamore, county Offaly on meeting. improvements to the offer on the Monday, 11th June, during which He added that the Group of table and not simply clarify its the group of unions assessed the Unions was available for discus- detail,” he said. impact and response to the one Syriza: a new force sions but that talks must be mean- on the European Left Page 25 Continued from page 1 - Ryanair’s grab for €1 billion Aer Lingus fund concerns may be one motivation Government and shareholders to “Our members see this offer as bad behind this current bid. reject this offer outright and vigor- for the Irish aviation industry, bad Hannick added; “SIPTU members ously block any attempt by Ryanair for the airline company, bad for the in the airline are calling on the to purchase Aer Lingus. travelling public and bad for the Racism in football workers in Aer Lingus.” Page 30 Continued from page 1 - Howlin slates ESRI on jobs labour. ESRI claim that a large portion of jobs. “This policy is not only unfair any stimulus investment would go The in that it forces working people to directly into the purchase of invest- take the brunt of the economic imports. ment, the crisis but it is also patently not “It is a proven fact that the proposals working. The key to the future is import content of construction proj- suggest, job creation and growth for with- ects is only about 20% contrary to would out these we cannot look to a what the ESRI claims,” he said. come from Minister, future that offers a better quality Congress and SIPTU have a combina- Brendan Howlin of life for workers, the unem- released comprehensive propos- tion of Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. ployed and their children. The als, which have been discussed sources including the European recent election of the Socialist with Howlin and his cabinet col- Investment Bank, the National If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: [email protected] president, Francois Hollande, and leagues, and which envisage rais- Pension Reserve Fund, the com- other political trends suggest that ing more than £10 billion over mercial semi-states and from Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, people across Europe are opposed three years for investment in leveraging a portion of the more Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 to the slash and burn, one sided essential road, rail, broadband, than €80 billion held by private SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Patricia King • austerity, agenda. ” health and education projects in Irish pension funds in return for a General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn He also rejected as inaccurate an order to generate good quality rebate of the pension levy. Production: SIPTU Communications Department, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, Tel: 01 8588217 • Email: [email protected] SIPTU Head of Communications, Frank Connolly • Journalist: Scott Millar • Design: Sonia Slevin (SIPTU) & Joe Mitchell (Brazier Media) • Advertise in Liberty 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 JUNE 2012 Irish Rugby international Shane Horgan carries the Olympic Flame on the torch relay leg past Liberty Hall in Dublin on Thursday, 7th June. Photo: Jenny Coulahan THE International Olympic He told Liberty: “The symbol- ers’ rights in the Olympic Charter poverty pay, forced overtime, the Committee must ensure ism of the Olympic torch – and Code of Ethics, Joyce pointed repeated use of short-term con- All fired that all workers involved in respect, excellence and friend- to evidence from both the London tracts to deny workers legal enti- delivering the London ship – also provides an opportuni- 2012 and Beijing 2008 Games that tlements, and workers being too ty for us to demand an Olympics workers making Olympic-branded Games have their rights frightened to join a union, for respected.