Vol.14 No. 3 April 2015 ISSN 0791-458X Dunnes Stores The real Tears for workers protest TTIP impact Palestine Page 2 Page 13 Page 22-23 Launch of Workers Rights Save Centre our bus Page 3 services New generation by Scott Millar Bus drivers across the country will engage in four days of shop strike action during May to defend the public transport stewards service and decent jobs from the threat of privatisation. SIPTU drivers in Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann will conduct 24- Page 9 hour work stoppages on Friday, 1st May, Saturday, 2nd May, Friday, 15th May and Saturday, 16th May. The decision to engage in strike action by over 1,500 drivers fol- lows a refusal by the management of both companies to meet with workers to discuss their major concerns over plans to privatise 10% of bus routes during 2016. Announcing the major escalation of the SIPTU members cam- paign to defend the public transport system, SIPTU Construction and Utilities Division Organiser, Owen Reidy, said: “The privatisa- tion plan being promoted by the National Transport Authority (NTA) is driven by ideological concerns rather than a focus on im- Banner being displayed on Liberty Hall for the SIPTU Campaign to defend proving services. Privatisation of these routes will be a bad deal for Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann public transport services Photo: William Hederman Anonymous the citizen and tax payer, the travelling public and indeed the work- union ers who provide these services.” 5 6 3 4 1 2 8 He added: “SIPTU has engaged in Labour Relations Commission 7 membership facilitated talks with all the relevant stakeholders for the last nine 10 Equity Crossword 9 Page 20 months. These talks collapsed during April when the bus compa- 13 11 12 14 nies and NTA refused to answer a number of serious concerns Page 31 16 15 win 17 about job security raised by SIPTU members.” 19 The four days of strike action, during which drivers will mount 18 Page 19 21 20 Continued on page 2 WORKERS RIGHTS CENTRE EW!! N 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Monday - Friday News 2 Liberty In this month’sLiberty APRIL 2015 ssistants Health Care A Dunnes workers on strike Picture: Mandate Sector launched on 2nd April Page 4 Dunnes protest march for allegeddecent the management work of an escalation. The 2nd April ac- Dunnes Stores had taken action A major protest march in sup- tion saw over 5,000 striking Man- against staff who participated in Battle for Britain port of the Dunnes Stores’ date members receive support the strike. Page 10 workers struggle for decent from across the trade union move- SIPTU Services Division Organ- working conditions will take ment. Many SIPTU members and iser, John King, said: “These work- place in Dublin on Saturday, organisers visited picket lines to ers have been treated with 6th June. show their solidarity with the complete disregard by their em- The decision to hold a protest striking workers. ployer. Therefore, they have been march to the Dunnes Stores Head He said the workers were forced left with no option but to take ac- Office in Dublin was agreed at a to take strike action due to the tion in order that their demand Gene Mealy interview meeting of over 100 Mandate company’s system of low-hour for fair treatment be heard. All shop stewards who represent Page 11 contracts which only guarantee workers in Ireland should stand workers in the retailer on Sunday, full time staff 15 hours of work a shoulder to shoulder in solidarity 26th April. The march will be pre- week with shifts sometimes only with these workers in their prin- ceded by a series of local protests being confirmed days in advance. cipled stand in defence of what is and actions around the country. Mandate claim such precarious right and fair.” Mandate assistant general secre- working conditions can result in SIPTU represents over 300 tary, Gerry Light, said that while many Dunnes Stores workers re- Dunnes Stores workers who are the 100 shop stewards who met New equality law lying on State income support also in dispute with the company on Sunday had opted for the mo- schemes and being unable to plan concerning the imposition of low Page 14 ment not to stage further strikes, for the future. hour contracts. SIPTU members they were reserving the right to The management of Dunnes are awaiting a Labour Court rec- undertake industrial action in the Stores has also refused to recog- ommendation in relation to their future if there was no progress in nise the workers’ right to union dispute with the company follow- the dispute. representation or to engage with ing a hearing on 9th April which He said any further industrial the State’s industrial relations management representatives re- action may not be identical to the mechanisms. fused to attend. Liberty one-day stoppage held on Thurs- Following the action, Mandate Liberty View day, 2nd April, and could involve Page 15 View MAYMAAYY IN ERS DAYDAAYY ORK ITY W DAR OLI SS S CRO Decision time for 22015015 A OPE EUR ADE UNIONS Catalonia? BLIN COUNCIL OF TR DDUBLINU COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS LIN 1 Page 25 A RAN DUB MB RE, and ME UA union RE SQ trade ELL here rally. RN Hall w dress PA berty ill ad to Li kers w arch spea M unity comm Organised by the SIPTU Dublin District Council Festival of workers social night Sporting comebacks Fri 1st May - 8.00 p.m. till late and chokes Liberty Hall Theatre Bar All are welcome to enjoy Page 30 e urged to attend AllAll SIPTU members arare urged to attendtant cultur al refreshments, ‘ceoil agus craic’! thesethese eventseventsts on this most imporimportant cultural orkers’ momovement. andand political dayday fforoorr the wworkers’ movement. s – Save our bus service Continued from page 1 improved, services. The reality is pany puts back into the service for a proper integrated public picket lines outside bus depots will be gone in private profits.” transport system to operate and across the country, will be finan- The NTA privatisation proposals cater for the needs of society and cially hard hitting for the workers would see 10% of Dublin Bus the economy it requires state sup- Editor: Frank Connolly, SIPTU Head of Communications involved but they state that they Journalist: Scott Millar routes and nearly all Bus Éireann port, not privatisation.” have been left with no option. services in Waterford transferred McCamley added: “SIPTU driv- Design: Sonia Slevin (SIPTU), Joe Mitchell (Brazier Media) & William Hederman SIPTU activist and Dublin Bus to private companies. Publications Assistant: Deirdre Price ers are clear that the privatisation worker director, Bill McCamley, SIPTU Sector Organiser, Willie agenda is really about reducing Administrative Assistant: Karen Hackett Liberty:, “In the 40 years I told Noone, said: “Despite claims by workers terms and conditions of Produced, designed, edited and printed by trade union labour. have worked on the buses I’ve the pro-privatisation lobby that employment and breaking up a Printed by The Irish Times, City West, Dublin. seen nothing comparable to the there is a legal requirement from Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. successful public service so that threat that the service currently the EU for this privatisation plan profits can be generated for the If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: faces. that has been shown not to be the [email protected] private sector. These are moves “Privatisation is billed as some- case. that SIPTU members will Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, thing that will benefit the com- Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 “State support for bus services resolutely oppose.” munity but it won’t. The State has been significantly reduced in See page 16-17. SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Patricia King • subventions will end up being recent years, while workers have General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn higher and the service less. That Production: SIPTU Communications Department, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, maintained, and in many cases Tel: 01 8588217 • Email: [email protected] is because what a public bus com- Liberty 3 News APRIL 2015 Expert advice from new Workers Rights Centre AYDAY will be fittingly cele- brated by SIPTU this year with Mthe official launch of the Workers Rights Centre, Ire- land’s first specialist employ- ment rights ‘one stop shop’ which will provide empa- thetic and professional ad- vice and representation for individual SIPTU members. SIPTU General This is part of SIPTU’s continu- Secretary ing campaign to bring decency Joe O’Flynn back into the workplace. The Union’s main work is organising groups of workers so that terms and conditions of employment manifestation of our readiness to are improved as well as protected progress and meet the many chal- when they come under attack. lenges facing workers.” This collective mission continues “The by-line to accompany the Some of SIPTU’s apace as workers organised in Workers Rights new name on letterheads and groups get the best results. But Centre team promotional material will be when the issue only affects one Picture: William Hederman Larkin’s slogan of ‘An injury to worker it doesn’t mean that one is the concern of all’. This sig- SIPTU members are left alone to nifies our approach when taking face the employer. The available business demands that workers cluded unfair dismissal, bullying, The development of the Workers cases on behalf of Union mem- resources of the Union are always will need even greater support equality, payment of wages, fixed Rights Centre website in the near bers.