Brendan Howlin Cleaners secure The Fiscal Compact speaks out victory explained Page 6 Page 11 Page 16-17 Vol. 11 No.2 March 2012 ISSN 0791-458X Door-to- Support door sales workers need protection for Jobs By Scott Millar The Government is facing calls for tighter regulation of door-to-door sales compa - nies amid accusations of exploitation within the industry. Plan Liberty has interviewed former workers of RK Corporation, a door to door sales company based in Waterford, who have stated that their earnings were often well below the minimum wage and Grows they were expected to work exces - By Frank Connolly sive hours. Independent Waterford TD, here is a growing Combined with European John Halligan, said; “I intend to support for trade Investment Bank (EIB) partici - raise this issue in the Dáil as it is Tunion movement pation other private money of deep concern that young people proposals to access could be leveraged to take the who are desperate to find employ - the estimated €70 bil - total amount to over €10 bil - ment may be getting exploited for lion held by private Irish lion. very, very small wages. pension funds to create The Construction Industry “It is fundamentally wrong that tens of thousands of Council has estimated that some employers believe that new jobs. every €1 billion invested in because there are large numbers of infrastructure including roads, young people looking for work Following the dramatic schools and hospitals as well that this gives them the right to scenes of thousands of people as water and energy projects treat them as they like. The queuing to enter recent job can generate up to 10,000 jobs Government must ensure that fairs in Dublin and Cork pro - which, in turn, would help to these young workers are adequate - moting work opportunities fuel badly needed spending in ly protected and I would also overseas it is evident that the domestic economy. encourage them to join a trade urgent measures are required Expressing his support, union to ensure their rights are to stimulate the economy. the Minister for Public respected.” If accepted by the Expenditure and Reform, A spokesman for energy suppli - Government, the proposals Brendan Howlin, has told er, Airtricity, which was among the would see pension funds that Liberty that he is committed companies whose products were release funds for investment to exploring the proposals sold by RK Corporation, told in jobs and growth getting an from the trade union move - Liberty; exemption from the contro - ment to incentivise private “We will vigorously investigate versial pension levy intro - pension funds. any complaints made against RK duced last year. “There is about €70 billion Corporation or any third party Up to €5 billion could be in pension funds here owned marketing sales agency that is sell - raised for job creation meas - by workers. About 2% of that ing on our behalf and, where nec - ures if the pension funds is invested in this economy. I essary, we will take appropriate were incentivised in this man - think workers want their action to ensure the integrity of ner while a further €2 to €2.5 money that they are putting our sales activities is maintained billion from the National into a pension fund to be at all times.” Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) active in sustaining jobs could be added to the scheme. Thousands queued outside the RDS for the Working Abroad here,” the Minister said. See page 10 Expo in Dublin on Saturday (3rd March) Picture: Bryan Meade Continued on page 2 ORGANISING FOR FAIRNESS AT WORK AND JUSTICE IN SOCIETY • WWW.SIPTU.IE • JOIN ONLINE 2 Liberty MARCH 2012 News In this month’s Building workers resist 40% wage cut plan Building workers attend - up to 40% and down to the level accept it. Our Committee will dis - Liberty ing union meetings across of the minimum wage. cuss the employers demand with the country have expressed Thousands of information every worker - employed and leaflets have been distributed at unemployed - in the Irish con - “shock” at the latest site meetings of construction struction industry. We will urge attempt by building employ - workers informing them of the them to resist this attempt to Vita Cortext support goes ers to cut their wages. extent to the latest attack by return our industry to the 19th global This month has seen the roll building employers. Congress Century.” out of the first phase of a major Industrial Officer, Fergus Whelan, The campaign is expected to be Page 5 campaign in the building industry said; “Plans to create a low-wage, at the centre of discussion at the to combat an attempt by the labour-sweating industry for the SIPTU Construction Sector AGM Construction Industry Federation future will not work because con - which will be held on the 28th (CIF) to slash workers’ wages by struction workers simply won’t March in Liberty Hall. A President for the people Page 9 Threat to voluntary home help sector The awarding of contracts wide to provide home care pack - tive engagement with the HSE and for the provision of home ages to the HSE and individuals. Government on maintaining high help services to a private 'for Paul Bell said; “The question is standards of home help provision. Liberty View profit' company could lead will this announcement lead to If they are unwilling to engage Page 13 to major job losses in the job creation or job displacement with the union our members will Liberty for our members in the voluntary mobilise in order to protect the ‘not for profit’ voluntary ‘not for profit’ home help sector. service they provide.” sector, SIPTU Health For decades, our members have "It is incumbent on the HSE Division Organiser Paul Bell been providing a high standard of and Government to address issues View has warned. care to the elderly and have been which we brought to their atten - In early March it was very concerned by the tion in 2011 concerning standards Justice for domestic announced that the private com - Government and HSE’s push to of care and conditions of employ - pany, Comfort Keepers, is seeking privatise the service.” ment in the home help sector,” workers to employ over 500 carers nation - “SIPTU is seeking a construc - Paul Bell added. Page 18 The new look Liberty SIPTU calls on Rehab to review Hall Page 19 Galway job cuts SIPTU has called on Quinn, said; “We are calling on retain their jobs.” RehabGroup Chief Executive, Angela Kerins to oversee a review SIPTU has also renewed its call Angela Kerins, to review the of the decision by Rehab on businesses in the Galway area, Community sector Enterprises to make these workers and beyond, to consider pledging faces cuts decision by Rehab redundant. The majority of the work for the Rehab Enterprises Enterprises to make 18 workers facing redundancy in recycling plant in order to protect Page 22-23 workers redundant at its Galway have disabilities. SIPTU is the workers long-term employ - recycling facility in Galway. willing to participate in negotia - ment. SIPTU Organiser, Michelle tions in any forum which are aimed at ensuring these workers Artist of the Revolution provides a unique pictorial record A R T of one of the most turbulent eras in modern Irish history. T I I S S T T In the four years prior to his death on the front steps of O O F Dublin’s Liberty Hall during the 1916 Easter Rising, Ernest F T Kavanagh, an employee of the Irish Transport and General T H Book Reviews H E Workers’ Union, regularly contributed hard-hitting illustra- E R tions to Irish labour, nationalist and surage newspapers. R E E V ese cartoons saw him champion the rights of Ireland’s V O working class, depict William Martin Murphy and the O L L U Dublin Metropolitan Police as murderous monsters during U T T I the 1913 Dublin Lockout, attack John Redmond for his re- I O cruitment of Irish soldiers for the First World War and lend O N N Continued from Page 1 - Support for Jobs Plan Grows Page 28-29 his support to the Irish suragette movement. is collection of original cartoons by ‘E.K.’ provides us with a fascinating account of an Ireland lled with protest and social unrest in the years leading up to the Easter J A A M Rising. M E E S S C C U U R R R R Y Y Y “We are going to have to find a the domestic economy by 5% for turing and service industries the www.mercierpress.iewww.mercierpress.ie ISBN 978 1 85635 948 1 MERCIERMERCIER HISTORYHISTORRYY mechanism for that and this use in selected job generating eco - funds raised through the combina - IrishIrish PublisherPublisher - IrishIrish StoryStorryy Front cover image reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland Government will engage with the nomic activities in return for tion of private pension funds, unions and the pension funds in exemption from the controversial NPRF and EIB monies could also that endeavour.” pension levy. create jobs in vital infrastructure The proposals envisage private As well as providing venture projects including in the energy, pension funds increasing the pro - capital for the establishment of utilities and transport sectors. portion of their assets invested in new enterprises in the manufac - Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. 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