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MAY 2011

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Begg’s warning toEuropean chiefs

2 THE UNION POST � May 2011

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CWU launches major membership drive

Bay of Pigs veteran comes to Dublin

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Amnesty backing for‘the Arab spring’

VIEWPOINT: Incomeequality does matter

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May Day picturesNorth and South 12

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UNION POST

CONGRESS has described theIrish government’s Jobs Initia-tive as a “promising first step”but cautioned that it needed tobe the start of a concertedcampaign to create good jobsand restore economic well-being.

Assistant general secretarySally Anne Kinahan said: “Thereare some promising measuresoutlined in these proposals.

“But this has to be seen as abeginning – the opening shot ina coherent, concerted drive tocreate jobs and get people backto work.

“We would hope that thelabour intensive projects out-lined by government should be-came operational as soon aspossible to deliver immediate

gains for families and the econ-omy.” However, Ms Kinahan ex-pressed concern about theimpact of a levy on pensionfunds as many were already inconsiderable difficulty. Sheclaimed that a small levy on topearners would have been a“better prescription” instead.

Ms Kinahan, above, called onthe government to deploy theskills and expertise of largesemi-states on bigger infra-structure projects, such as thenational retrofitting pro-gramme. She added that therealso needed to be greater em-phasis placed on skills trainingand education to target thelong-term unemployed.

“We need to tailor a skillsprogramme specifically for peo-

ple in this situation and givethem some hope of a return tothe workplace.”

Ms Kinahan emphasised thatCongress supported workplacetraining “where there is a gen-uine benefit for the trainee,where real work experience isgained” but that its success re-lied on “voluntary participation,good monitoring and clearoversight”.

She added: “It must ensurethat existing jobs are not un-dermined, key services dimin-ished or young workers treatedas a source of cheap labour.

“Interns and trainees haverights and we must ensure theyare upheld, when the full detailsof these schemes are finallyagreed.”

Jobs Initiative promisingbut more must be doneto boost employment

STARTS

CONGRESS general secretaryDavid Begg has warned amajor EU economic gatheringthat “Ireland is being pushedtowards default” because ofpolicies governing theEU/IMF/ECB bailout.

Mr Begg made his com-ments at the Brussels Eco-nomic Forum on May 18.

The Forum is an annualevent, billed as “the EU’s pre-mier platform for debate oneconomic issues”.

The 2011 Forum was alsoaddressed by EU commis-sioner Olli Rehn, commissionpresident Jose Manuel Barroso

and German finance ministerWolfgang Schäuble.

Speaking on the theme of‘Sharing the Burden of Adjust-ment’, Mr Begg told theForum an insistence on repay-ing all private bank debt cou-pled with a programme ofausterity would inevitably leadto Ireland defaulting.

“It makes no sense to per-sist with a policy that is push-ing the country towardsdefault in circumstanceswhich, if they could be sepa-rated from (private bank)debt, are manageable.”

Pointing out that the auster-

ity programme was undermin-ing any chance of economicgrowth and longer-term re-covery, Mr Begg told dele-gates:“To deal with public debtwe need to generate a suffi-cient level of primary surplus.This depends on growth butthere is no growth becausedeflationary budgetary policyhas collapsed domestic de-mand.”

While acknowledging thatdomestic policy failures playeda key role in the crash, MrBegg claimed the EU and Eu-ropean Central Bank alsoshared a responsibility.

Commissioner Rehn

President Barroso

DEFAULT WARNING ON BAILOUT POLICY

CONGRESS GENERAL SECRETARY DAVID BEGG’S SPEECH IN FULL AT:

Begg tells Brussels Finance Forum EU’s current approach make ‘no sense’

3May 2011 � THE UNION POST

CONGRESS has called for the na-tional skills and training system tobe overhauled and for investmentin key infrastructural projects tohelp boost job creation and eco-nomic growth.

The proposals, submitted to theIrish government before itlaunched its Jobs Initiative earlierthis month, also called for the har-nessing of the semi-state sector inany drive to boost employment.

In a letter to Taoiseach EndaKenny, general secretary DavidBegg said: “Growth in domestic de-mand is essential to job creation. Toget growth, we need investment.”

Congress wants to see a newtraining agency set up that wouldfocus on work-based training andidentify where future skills deficitsmight emerge.

The new fund, financed throughdiverting part of the existing Na-tional Training Fund, was described

by Mr Begg as “one of the surestforms of insurance against unem-ployment”.

The skills proposals are con-tained in a new Congress report,‘A New Skills Policy for a NewEconomy’.

Making use of semi-states’ re-sources and skills on “big ticket” in-frastructure projects would,according to Mr Begg, be “the bestway of getting early results on em-ployment”.

This is because semi-states al-ready have the “financial strength,management capacity, geographicspread, administrative infrastruc-ture and the procurement capabil-ity” to make a real difference.

Mr Begg suggested that makinguse of labour and social clauses inall public contracts, to maximise“employment and skills impact” ofthe projects would also ensure abetter “social return”.

Skills and training is inneed of major overhaul

IMPACT has warned thatwidespread unpaid graduateinternships in the healthservice could introduce un-necessary risk to patientswhile exploiting vulnerableyoung workers.It could also close off grad-

uate careers to young peoplefrom poorer backgrounds. Instead the union is press-

ing for a balanced approachproviding graduates with ex-perience through “genuinestructured internships”.The call was made at IM-

PACT’s health conference inTralee on May 12.Social worker Adrienne

Byrne, a member of theunion’s health executive,told delegates: “The line be-tween meaningful supervisedinternship and wholesale ex-

ploitation of free labour iseasily crossed.”She warned “blanket oppo-

sition” to all internshipsrisked putting unions “off-side” with young peopleseeking experience.“At the same time, unions

have to offer protection tothe same workers, who areotherwise ripe for exploita-tion, and stop employersfrom displacing real paid jobswith unpaid internships.”The conference also heard

how unpaid internships couldperpetuate inequality.Ms Byrne added: “It effec-

tively excludes graduatesfrom less well-off back-grounds from access to theseprofessions. People not sup-ported by the bank of mumand dad are excluded.”

IMPACT call for balancedapproach on internships

TRAINING

Pictures: Europ

ean Union

DEFAULT WARNING ON BAILOUT POLICY“I make this point because

the people from the EU and theECB who are dictating theterms of our existence are notwithout responsibility for thecrisis in Ireland, nor are theydisinterested actors in deter-mining who bears the burden ofausterity.

“Economic and monetaryunion was based on the idea ofan optimal currency area.

“Monetary policy dominatedand the ECB operated an inter-est rate policy that suitedFrance and Germany but waspro-cyclical for Ireland and un-suitable. Moreover, deregulation

of financial markets combinedwith low interest rates was irre-sistible to the Irish banks and atleast facilitated the orgy oflending.”

Mr Begg also contrasted thedisastrous impact on people’slives and livelihoods with thefact that the European financialsystem that gave rise to the cri-sis remained entirely unre-formed.

“Despite the hardship theyare enduring, they see little byway of real reform of the Euro-pean financial system.

“The hedge funds remain un-regulated, there has been no re-

instatement of the equivalent ofthe Glass-Steagall Act toseparate retail and invest-ment banking and, of course,the bonus culture operatesas it always did.”

Mr Begg said Congress sup-ported the plan for the creationof a European Bond Market, asput forward by Professor PaulDeGrauwe of Leuven Univer-sity, pointing out that thiswould create a “huge incentive”for countries to reduce theirdebt and lead to the develop-ment of a European Bond Mar-ket that would make “ampleliquidity” available.

http://www.ictu.ie/download/pdf/sharing_the_burden_of_adjustment_to_the_crisis.pdf

Begg tells Brussels Finance Forum EU’s current approach make ‘no sense’

THE UNION POST � May 20114

THE Irish Postmasters’ Union has warned hun-dreds of post offices will close if An Post loses thecontract for making social welfare payments.

Speaking at the union’s annual conference inLetterkenny earlier this month, IPU general secre-tary Brian McGann predicted the network wouldbe “decimated” if the Department of Social Pro-tection pushes ahead with plans to put welfarepayments contracts out to tender.

Claiming that post offices were “open for busi-ness”, Mr McGann called on Minister for SocialProtection Joan Burton to give a greater role topost offices in delivering welfare services.

He said: "All our offices are automated, openfive-and-a-half days each week and we are an ac-cessible part of every community throughout thecountry.

“However, we won't be open for business if thedepartment pulls the plug on the welfare pay-ments contract.

“The last thing that communities across thecountry need is a decision that will force the clo-sure of hundreds of post offices."

THE Communication Workers Union has warnedplans by the Conservative/Lib Dem governmentto sell off the Royal Mail, ending the inter-businessagreement with the Post Office, could lead to theclosure of 9,000 post offices across the UK.

The warning comes after a poll of sub-postmas-ters commissioned by the union found that morethan nine in every 10 – 92% – thought that theycould not continue trading without Royal Mailbusiness.

Currently, the Post Services Bill does not in-clude this vital link.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: “Thesefigures clearly demonstrate the fears of sub-post-masters and mistresses about the fate of ourcherished post office network.

“Based on these projections, the post officenetwork faces a greater threat than anyone previ-ously dared believe.

“Through the privatisation of Royal Mail, refusalto guarantee business and the removal of govern-ment contracts, the government is failing post of-fices.

“It must listen to the opinions of those whowork in the Post Office and decide whether thethreat of mass closures is something it wants onits hands.”

POSTAL SERVICE

9,000 UK post offices could gofollowing sell-off

Hundreds of IrishPOs could close

INMO general secretary Liam Doran has called for new leg-islation to ensure there is a safe ratio of nurses to patients.

And he warned that the safe care of patients was beingcompromised by the HSE recruitment embargo.

Mr Doran, left, made his comments earlier this month asnurses gathered for the INMO’s annual conference inKilkenny. He told delegates the union had proposed to theHSE that the 1,600 nurses due to graduate in the autumnshould be employed for two years under the government’sJobs Initiative.

Speaking before the conference, Mr Doran pointed outthat members were “delivering change every day in all areasof the health service” despite having their wages cut by an av-erage of 25% over the last two years.

IMPACT has said it will work “con-structively” with the Irish govern-ment and health service managersin setting up a single-tier healthservice free at the point of deliv-ery, but warned it needed to beproperly resourced and managed.

Delegates at the union’s healthand welfare divisional conferencein Tralee backed a motion callingfor a single-tier system based pri-marily on “accountable publicservices” rather than the “failedagenda” of outsourcing and pri-

vatisation pushed by the last ad-ministration.

Health and welfare executivemember Martin Bridgeman toldthe conference he was wary of“easy answers” and “off-the-shelfsolutions” to complex issues suchas health delivery and reform.

He said: “Our bodies are com-plex, our needs are complex, andmany of the health conditions thatwe will encounter are complextoo. That’s where the privatisationmodel falls down.”

‘Constructive’ on health Care ‘compromised’http://www.cwu.ie/Activists/Organising-Month-May-2011.964.1.aspx

THE Communication Workers Union haslaunched a month-long recruiting drive and isasking members to invite at least one othernon-union colleague to join the union.

The initiative, dubbed ‘Organising Month –For a Stronger, Better Union’, is based on re-search that suggests that one of the primaryreasons workers do not join a trade union issimply because they were never asked.

According to the CWU, the logic is simple –as more people join, more will follow, and thestronger the union becomes in the workplace.

It has organised a series of events to pro-mote Organising Month and it is hoped that itwill encourage members to take on a morepro-active role within the union.

A CWU source said: “We all know peoplewho work in non-union companies and whowould benefit from the advice, guidance andrepresentation that we can give them.

“The main reason that people don’t join isthat they haven’t been asked – it’s often thatsimple! We are asking our members to tell non-

unionised workers of the benefits of tradeunion membership.

“We want to let them know that by joining atrade union they are giving themselves a voicein their workplace and are arming themselveswith the information and support that theyneed to navigate these difficult times.”

Currently, the CWU represents 17,000 mem-bers working in the postal and telecommunica-tions industry in the Republic.

The source added: “It is crucial to a union’ssuccess to understand that organising and re-cruitment are essential for the future.

“Only by building a strong, stable membershipbase can the union use its influence to repre-sent all its members.

“This is why we are asking everyone to re-cruit a new member this month.”

As part of the drive, the CWU commissioneda short cartoon about Liam, a down-in-the-dumps call centre worker, whose mood liftswhen he discovers the benefits of joining atrade union...

CWU LAUNCHESRECRUIT DRIVE

May 2011 � THE UNION POST 5

Picture: UCU

Home helps stage demo at the DailPicture: Cuba Support Group Ireland

THE UCU has blasted the “breedingrather than brains” suggestion thatstudents from wealthy families couldpay for extra places at top UK univer-sities thereby freeing up more sub-sidised places for undergrads frompoorer households.

Universities Minister David Willettslater clarifed the reports and insistedthere was “no question” wealthy stu-dents would be able to buy a place inthird level education.

However, sources at Number 10did not rule out a limited version ofthe idea appearing in the forthcominguniversity white paper but stressedthat no proposal would be backed if itreduced social mobility. UCU generalsecretary Sally Hunt said she was

“amazed” such plans were under con-sideration.

She added: “We have seen consid-erable changes made to government

policy recently and it is clear theseplans need an urgent rethink.

“Far from increasing social mobility,it is hard to see how this is anythingother than the government entrench-ing privilege for the wealthy in re-sponse to its failing university feespolicy.

“We risk turning the clock back toa time when breeding rather thanbrains were required to get on inlife.”

Shadow business secretary JohnDenham, who held the universitiesbrief under the last Labour govern-ment, claimed Mr Willetts had per-formed the “fastest U-turn in thehistory of this discredited govern-ment”.

‘U-TURN’ DAVE’S UNIIDEA IS SHOT DOWN

Sally Hunt David Willetts

THE best chance for a newly-graduated teacher to get a jobis to go overseas, ASTI’s annualconference was told last month.

Aoife Ní Mháille, a studentteacher from Trinity CollegeDublin, claimed teaching postsat home were “as hot as Adeletickets for the Olympia lastmonth”.

She told 450 delegates gath-ered at the Sliversprings MoranHotel, Cork, that emigrationwas the “new permanency” forgraduates.

“As graduate teachers strug-gle to become part of theschool community throughpart-time teaching hours, it isbecoming apparent that ourbest chance of finding securework is to find it abroad.

“Emigration is the new per-manency.”

A recent ASTI survey found12% of graduating teachers donot plan to seek teaching workin Ireland because of the lack ofsecure jobs.

More than half believe thatthey will not have a secureteaching job in five years time.

General secretary Pat Kingpointed out new entrants tothe teaching profession are at amost vulnerable stage in theircareers.

He said: “These teachers facepoor job prospects, a severepay cut and a pension schemewhich will see them pay morein contributions than they willever receive in benefits.

“Instead of helping us to re-build our society and economy,our highly educated and moti-vated young teachers are beingforced to emigrate.

“We are investing in their ed-ucation, only to export them atthe end of it.”

Emigrationbest optionfor teachergraduates

HOME helps from acrossDublin staged a demo outsidethe Dail on May 14 in protestat threats to privatise theirjobs.SIPTU Health Division or-

ganiser Louise O’Reilly toldprotestors: “The HSE knowsthat we are watching themand that we will not allowthem to hive off our jobs and

our services to line the pock-ets of people who seek tomake a fast buck off the backof hard working people likeyourselves. “We are having our hours

cut while money is spent onprivate contractors.”

Check out full report onTrade Union TV at:

Bay of Pigs veteran Victor Dreke with Congress president Jack O’Connor after a wreath-lay-ing ceremony at the James Connolly statue outside Liberty Hall in Dublin on April 16. Earlierthey had taken part in a special symposium marking the 50th anniversary of the infamousCIA-led invasion. Victor, a former commander in the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces,commanded two companies of the 117th Battalion during the abortive attack. He waswounded in the action. He told SIPTU’s Liberty newpaper: “In 50 years’ time, the 100th an-niversary of the Bay of Pigs, I will not be here – but my grandchildren will be. And they willbe living in a socialist Cuba.”

Bay of Pigs veteran visits Ireland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFq9JImUkiE

Screen

grab: TU

TV

Aoife Ní Mháille: Jobs hunt

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MANDATE has called onthe owners of Connolly’sShoes to pay thousands ofeuro owed to four work-ers on strike for over ayear.It follows a series of

awards made to them bythe Rights Commission-ers.The four, who worked

at the firm’s DunLaoghaire branch, are saidto be in good form de-spite the length of thedispute.Divisonal organiser Joe

Donnelly said: “Unfortu-nately, Connolly’s Shoeshave refused to pay overany of these awards. “In addition, they have

not attended hearingswith either the LabourRelations Commission orthe Rights Commission-ers. “However, despite this,

the four strikers’ spiritsremain remarkably high.”Damian Keegan, one of

the strikers, added: “Thefour of us, collectively,gave 110 years of loyalservice to Connolly’sShoes. We have been sodisappointed by how wehave been treated by thecompany over the lastyear.”

Mandatecalls onConnolly’sto foot bill

Striker: Damian KeeganPicture: Man

date

Picture: Man

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A REVIEW has backed the continueduse of wage-setting mechanisms as away of protecting decent employ-ment standards for vulnerable work-ers.

However, the review’s authors,Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffyand UCD economics prof FrankWalsh, also underlined the need for asubstantial reform of the system.

It is thought the pay and conditionsof 240,000 workers in the Republicare set through Joint Labour Com-mittees and Registered EmploymentAgreements.

About 100,000 of these work inthe retail grocery sector and earlierthis month, Mandate general secre-tary John Douglas warned that thereview should not be used to attackexisting pay rates of low-paid work-ers.

Business groups had claimed thecurrent set up was not affordable andthat it hampered job creation.

Accusing these groups of deploy-ing a double standard, Mr Douglassaid: “During periods of economicboom, employers are quite happy to

accept the wage rates set by the JLCsbecause they act as an effective ceil-ing on wages in sectors such as retailand restaurants.

“However, during recessionarytimes they are not prepared to ac-cept the same wage levels despitethe fact that they provide a very ef-fective protective floor to ensurethat low paid workers don’t fall intopoverty or are not exploited.”

IMF/EU/ECB delegations to Ireland

had also recently raised “competi-tiveness” concerns about JLCs andREAs.

The review’s authors called for thecurrent set-up to be overhauled tomake it more responsive to changesin the economy.

Business interests had argued thatthe JLC structure was no longerneeded because of the statutoryminimum wage.

But the authors found existing em-ployment rights law did not covermatters dealt with by JLCs and REAs.

They claimed that lowering thebasic JLC rates to the national mini-mum wage would be unlikely toboost employment.

However, they added that if mini-mum wage rates were cut in future,JLCs should consider revising theirrates.

Mr Duffy and Prof Walsh also rec-ommended the Labour Court shouldreport every five years into thescope of JLCs.

They also said the JLC systemcould only operate where collectivebargaining did not take place.

Double standard: John Douglas

Review finds REAs& JLCs should stay

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HUNDREDS ofAmnesty Internationalactivists have sent aclear message of sup-port from Belfast tothose campaigning forhuman rights in NorthAfrica and the MiddleEast. The activists, gath-

ered for the group’sAGM at Queen’s Uni-versity on May 7, eachheld a placard aloft thattogether spelled outthe word ‘freedom’ inArabic. Amnesty’s Northern

Ireland director PatrickCorrigan said: “In the

50 years since it wasformed, Amnesty hasalways been aboutstanding up for free-dom. “Our supporters have

been transfixed by thechanges sweepingacross North Africa andthe Middle East, and in-spired by the coura-geous people who havefaced down batons andbullets to demand theirfreedom. “We want those

brave people to knowthat we support theirstruggle.”

Pictures: M

arie-Ann

e Ven

toura/Am

nesty Internationa

l

Picture: IN

MO

Spelling out supportfor the Arab spring...

Fears for Bahraini medics

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NOV24 NOV 6 RALLIES

Public service workers

unite in 24hr stoppage

ETUC DAY OF ACTION

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THE

►PROTESTS NORTH, SOUTH AND ACROSS EUROPEDUBLIN

BELFAST

L’DERRY

Meet 12.30pm outside Anglo Irish Bank, Stephen’s Green.March to rally outside Dail @ 1pm

Assemble outside City Hall @ 12.30pm

Assemble outside Guildhall @ 12.30pm GENERAL STRIKE IN SPAIN. DEMOS IN POLAND, PORTUGAL, ITALY, LATVIA, UK,LITHUANIA, BELGIUM, CZECH REPUBLIC, CYPRUS, SERBIA, ROMANIA & FRANCE

►

WEDNESDAYSEPTEMBER

29

U►FIGHT CUTS►SAVE JOBS► PROTECT SERVICES

RALLY1pm - 2pm

RALLY1pm - 2pm

PEOPLEPOWERNEWS YOU CAN USENION POST

OCTOBER 2010


THE

U►NORTH SHOCK CUTS IN SPENDING REVIEW

►SOUTH FOURTH ‘HAIR SHIRT’ BUDGET LOOMS

UNDERATTACKBUT WE’RE FIGHTING BACK ...

SEPT 29 DAY OF ACTION PICTURES & REPORTS PAGES 14-17

More cuts: Lenihan

Axe man: Osborne

Pict

ure:

© K

evin

Coo

per

Phot

olin

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REPORT & PICTURES: P2/3

RISE LIKE LIONS! Eamonn McCann concludes October 23 rally against the cuts in Belfast with a rousing quote from radical poet Shelley

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SHAMEFULNOV 27 NATIONAL DEMO PICTURES & REPORT PAGES 6-11

Axe man: Lenihan

Pict

ure:

MAN

DAT

E

CONGRESS general secretary DavidBegg has called the December 10 Dailvote to cut the minimum wage “a day ofshame”.It follows a week of shame as the FiannaFail-led government effectively ceded financial sovereignty to the IMF and the

European Central Bank, agreeing to a humiliating €85bn bailout.Describing it as a “contemptible” move,Mr Begg said the wage cut took €40 aweek from the working poor “in the fullknowledge that there is no economic, po-litical, social or moral justification for it”.

And what’s worse, IMF delegation chiefAjaj Chopra confirmed the cut was NOTtied in with the loan agreement. Rather, Mr Begg claimed it was an “earlyChristmas present” for the “worstgombeen elements” in Irish business andbrought only “misery” to the low paid.FULL BUDGET REACTION: Pages 2&3

NEWS YOU CAN USENION POSTJANUARY 2011

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S OF TRADE UNIONS

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UPicture: Paula Geraghty

FULL STORY PAGE 3

HANDSOFFOUR PAY

European Commission warned over alleged

‘interference’ in Ireland’s labour market

people’scongressFEB 5Octagon Room, King

’s Hall, Belfast

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CONFERENCE

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TRADE UNION NEWS NORTH AND SOUTH

INMO VOWSACTION ONNURSING STUDENTSPAY CUTS P4

THE European Trade Union

Confederation will met

European Commission chief

Olli Rehn over reports the

EU is "intervening" in

national collective bargaining

rights.Under existing a

greements,

the Commission has no

powers to determine wage

levels in individual states.

In a letter to Mr Rehn,

ETUC general secretary John

Monks, pictured, slammed

the use of "diktat pressure"

to cut minimum wages and

pensions in countries strug-

gling to escape the economic

crisis, claiming this amounted

to "an attack on Social

Europe".Mr Monks told a

meeting in

Dublin on January 19 that

what Europe needed most

was a “a spirit of generosity”

to help hard-hit countries,

“not the kind of penalty

regimes and punishment

squads imposed at present”.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

NION POSTAPRIL 2011


THE

U

CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ DAY• WEEK OF EVENTS NORTH AND SOUTH • DETAILS AND LINKS PAGE 5

DON’TBANKON IT!

Think the EU/ECB have your interests at heart?THE primary objective of the EU and ECB is to protect the European banking system, Congress general secretary DavidBegg has claimed.He told delegates at the PSEU confer-ence in Galway on April 15 that thosevoices from Brussels calling for greaterausterity were not “distinterested actors”in determining who shouldered the burden for the financial crisis.Rather, he suggested, they were “notwithout responsibility” themselves.French and German banks had a €900bnexposure to “peripheral” EU economiesbut this amount was now being reduced.This meant that bondholder exposureto Irish banks had declined at the sametime as ECB emergency funding to the Republic had risen.They were, Mr Begg told delegates,“getting out under covering fire providedby the ECB”. FULL STORY PAGE 3

MARCH 26 DEMOS PICTURE SPECIAL P12-15

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We’vekept youPosted...

THE Irish Nurses and MidwivesOrganisation has backed a call bythe International Council ofNurses for an external investiga-tion into the arrest of healthcareworkers in Bahrain.

It follows the arrest of 24nurses and 23 doctors – severalof whom are Irish-trained – byauthorities in the strife-torn Gulfstate.

Police entered several hospitalsin February and arrested healthworkers who had provided treat-ment to injured pro-democracyprotestors.

They have been charged with“anti-state activity” because theytreated these wounded civilians.

INMO president Sheila Dick-son, left, said: “It is appalling thatnurses and physicians can becharged with a criminal offencewhile fulfilling their professionalduty.

“Human rights entitlements,medical neutrality and the ethicalresponsibility of healthcare pro-fessionals must take precedenceover political issues in times ofconflict.”

Corrigan: Activists inspiredby events in Middle East


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CONGRESS has under-lined the “huge contrac-tion” in the Economic &Social Research Institute’srecent backing for deeperspending cuts.

Warning that such amove would push the Re-public deeper into reces-sion, general secretaryDavid Begg pointed outthe ESRI cuts call was acomplete reversal of aposition it took in au-tumn last year.

He said: “Just a fewmonths ago, the ESRI waswarning that planned gov-

ernment spending cutswere too big and couldtip the country into pro-longed recession.

“That was in October2010, when governmentplanned to cut just €4billion – but it went on tocut over €6 billion in thebudget.

“And we are living withthe negative conse-quences of this austerity,with suppressed demandand bigger job losses.

“Previously, the ESRIwarned that we were

going too far and too fastin terms of cuts.

“They said we shouldslow the cuts and extendthe period of deficit re-duction to 2016 – a pro-posal first made byCongress.

“Now they’ve reversedthat and say we need togo much further andmuch faster. Which is it?”

Mr Begg added: “Leav-ing aside the serious in-consistency in theirposition, the ESRI’s latestrecommendations would

tip the economy intodeep recession and couldhave terrible social con-sequences for very manypeople who are alreadystruggling with debt andreduced incomes.

“The Institute cannotdivorce itself from theconsequences of what itrecommends and the po-tential damage to peo-ples’ lives.

“And ultimately, that iswhat this is all about –the quality of peoples’lives. It is not just an ac-counting exercise.”

Congress flags up ESRI cuts contradiction

David Begg: Damaging report

Picture: Co

ngrtess

THE PCS staged a ‘Fair Pay for RoyalCleaners’ protest outside BuckinghamPalace on April 28 – just 24 hours beforePrince William tied the knot with KateMiddleton at Westminster Abbey.

Cleaners at Buckingham Palace, StJames's Palace and Clarence House – whoare paid just £6.45 an hour – are campaign-ing for an increase to the 'London livingwage' of £7.85 an hour.

The living wage, introduced by previousmayor Ken Livingstone and endorsed bycurrent office-holder Boris Johnson, is paidto cleaners in the Houses of Parliament.

Speaking before the royal wedding, gen-eral secretary Mark Serwotka said: "As theroyals prepare for the prince's lavish wed-ding, our members are being treated likepaupers.The royal family is seen as a majorcontributor to the tourist industry andmany people visit London specifically tosee the palaces.

“We'll be asking them to show their sup-port for the people on poverty pay whokeep these palaces clean."

The cleaners are employed by privatecontractors but the PCS claims ultimateresponsibility rests with the Royal House-hold.

Picture: Jess H

urd/PC

S

‘Don’t treat uslike paupers’


AN EXTRA €1 billion a year could be raised byslapping a levy on incomes of more than €100,000to invest in job creation through a State InvestmentBank.

Congress president Jack O’Connor made theclaim in an address at the Jim Connell festival inCrossakiel, Co Meath, on April 31. He suggested that high earners would receive a div-idend on the performance of the funds “and couldultimately hope to get their money back”.

Mr O’Connor, who is also SIPTU general presi-dent, warned growth was the only way the Repub-lic could avoid default.

But he also cautioned against those who saw de-fault as a quick fix for the economy. “It is tactically

and strategically wrong for the left to assert thatwe do not have options within the, admittedly re-strictive, troika agreement with the IMF, ECB andEU.

“Those on the right do not think so. They hadno sooner secured the recent further commitmentof €24 billion for the banks when they returned totheir favourite target – emasculating public serv-ices.

“The left must seize the initiative, suspend con-sideration of default and concentrate on the onlyquestion that matters – how to grow the economy,providing jobs and hope for our people.”

Mr O’Connor pointed out that a residue of €4billion to €5 billion remained in the Pension Re-

serve Fund and said that this “should be immedi-ately transferred to set up the SIB”.

A further billion euro a year could be raised bya tiered levy on all incomes over €100K.

He added: “The bottom line is that there is noway out of the current mess without jobs and therewill be no jobs without growth, and there will be nogrowth without investment.”

“We can follow the pied pipers down the spiralof austerity and deflation condemning thousands ofour people to on-going unemployment, emigration,misery and despair. On the other hand, we can beinnovative and co-operate generating jobs, growthand hope. One is the social solidarity route, theother entails recourse to social cannibalism.”

‘Billion could be raised in jobs levy’

ITUC general secretary Sha-ran Burrow has warned anyattempt to weaken health andsafety protection for workersworldwide will cost lives.Speaking on April 27 – Inter-

national Workers’ MemorialDay – she instead underlinedthe need for strong regulationand effective enforcement to

secure safer workplaces.Ms Burrow, right, said:

“Business groups and compa-nies in a succession of coun-tries, including some of theworld’s largest economies, arepushing to reduce protectionfrom hazards at work.“If they succeed, more lives

will be lost and the toll of

work-related injury and ill-ness will increase.” She added: “Trade unions

are challenging the rigged sta-tistics and bogus argumentsthat are being put forward bybusiness interests that caremore about profit than thelives of the people who workfor them.”

No paring back on safety laws

THE brother of a man killed ina workplace accident has calledon unions to campaign forstronger health and safety legis-lation.

Ken Layland was speaking at aspecial meeting of health andsafety representatives at theUnite offices in Belfast on May 5to mark International Workers’Memorial Day.

GMB member David Laylanddied, aged 22, at his place ofwork at the Biffa waste centrein Mallusk in 2008.

In a moving tribute to hisbrother, Ken spoke of how

close he was to David and ofhis brother’s dedication both tohis job and to the health andsafety of his fellow workers.

He also talked of the terribleimpact the loss has had on hisfamily and of the need for tradeunions to redouble their effortsto campaign for beefed-up legis-lation on the issue.

Barbara Martin, who chairsthe NIC-ICTU health and safetycommittee, called on politiciansto ensure that measures pro-tecting workers – such as unan-nounced inspections – are notaffected by public sector cuts.

She said: “In this time of sav-age spending cuts, the tragicstory of the Layland family re-minds us that reducing spendon health and safety at workand relaxing health and safetylegislation puts workers lives atrisk.

“Every person has a right tohave their health and welfare atwork protected.”

Ms Martin added: “On thissad day, the thoughts of thetrade union movement are withthe Layland family as they re-member David.”

Congress President Jack O’Connor joined fellow trade unionists and others representing churches as well as faith-based and civil society or-ganisations in remembering Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28. The group stood in silence outside the Irish Labour History Museum inDublin. This year’s commemoration underlined the need for stronger regulation and enforcement in making workplaces safer Picture: Paula Geraghty

Moving tribute: Ken Layland Picture: Unite

Safety at work cutsput lives on the line

WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY

Picture: ITUC


INTO general secretary SheilaNunan has contrasted the plight ofnewly-qualified teachers facing thedole queue with bankers headinginto retirement on massive pensionpots.

She made her comments at theunion’s congress in Sligo on April 25.

Ms Nunan pointed out that the“class of 2011” shared the history ofthe banking crisis.

She told delegates: “They wentinto college in September 2008 –the very month that the disastrousblanket bank guarantee was given bythe then government.

“They were not to know thenhow their futures were being deter-mined on that fateful night.”

Ms Nunan claimed that adminis-tration had gambled the futures ofthese young people to save Irishbanks that had gambled their way tothe brink of disaster.

She said: “Now as these youngteachers exit colleges with hard-earned and well-deserved teacherqualifications, they see those in thebanks who caused or contributed tothe crisis exiting the banks with ob-scene retirement packages.”

This was in contrast to youngteachers facing pay cuts of up to15%, a much reduced pensionscheme and very slim employmentopportunities.

Ms Nunan added: “This is unfair,unjust and unwarranted. No one hasyet adequately answered the reasonfor this unfair treatment.”

Kelly blasts ‘state sponsored burglary’

SSIIMMPPLLEE.. EEmmaaiill bbrraazziieerrmmeeddiiaa@@bbttiinntteerrnneett..ccoomm

HOW DO IADVERTISE IN

UNION POST?

INTO president Jim Hig-gins has predicted theIMF/EU deal will crippleprimary schools in the Re-public.

He told delegates at theunion’s annual congress inSligo last month that thesystem could not copewith fewer teachers havingto deal with rising enrol-ments of 10,000 each year.

“The pupil populationwill increase by more than10% in the next five years.The employment controlframework agreed underthe EU/IMF deal takes no

account of this.” Pointingout that other countriescould restructure educa-tion budgets because offalling school rolls, Irelandcould not do this as thebirth rate is at an all-timehigh.

Mr Higgins told dele-gates that Ireland couldnot afford to have pupils in primary schools pay theprice of economic restruc-turing, adding,“Such ashort-sighted approachwill impair economic re-covery and damage socialcohesion.”

UNITE has likened the idea of a levyon private pensions to “state spon-sored burglary” and a “blunt hammer-ing of regular people”.

The union attacked the portrayal ofthe levy as a “harmless tax” that didnot take money of people’s pocketstoday as “easily seen through”.

Regional secretary Jimmy Kellyclaimed the idea should have been re-jected “when first mooted”.

He said: “This will put extra strainon households when they have madetheir financial contribution to society.Retirement should allow some relax-ation and reward. This would raisefear and anxiety and in that sense isakin to state sponsored burglary.”

Mr Kelly noted that there was nomention of a threshold targetingthose who had benefitted most fromtax relief.

“Instead, as ever, it will be thosewho have the least to give that will beasked to give the greatest proportion.That is wrong.

“We have been sold throughoutthat austerity was a short sharp shockto restore the public finances.

“This is a levy which people couldbe paying the price for in 50 years.That makes it a long blunt hammeringof regular people.”

INTO CONFERENCE

PRIMARY teachers in the Republic haverejected calls for industrial action againsteducation cuts, despite blasting the gov-ernment over its decision to slash teachingposts.Delegates at the union’s annual confer-

ence in Sligo condemned the governmentmove to cut 700 primary teaching postsfrom this September. They also slammed the proposal to abol-

ish 500 English language posts within four

years. But the conference rejected a call onthe executive to launch an immediatecampaign to restore these positions, up toand including the use of industrial action.The proposal in favour of taking indus-

trial action was opposed by the Executive.Speaking against the proposal, Noreen

Flynn – incoming president of the union –said delegates had to consider the CrokePark Agreement which precludes industrialaction.

Future of theClass of 2011gambled bythe last govt

‘Unfair & unjust’: Sheila Nunan

Pictures: INTO

Short-sighted IMF/EUdeal set to cripple us

‘Fear & anxiety’: Kelly

INTO president Jim Higgins presents a long service pinto northern secretary Frank Bunting at last month’sINTO northern conference in Newry Picture: Kevin Cooper Photoline

Industrial action call rejected


MAY DAY BELFAST

UNISON’s Pamela Dooley, Grahame Smith, STUC,and Congress president Jack O’Connor spoke at rally


CONCERNED parents of children with specialneeds have called on the government to lift thecap on special needs assistants in schools.

They staged a May 4 protest outside the Dail asEducation Minister Ruairi Quinn took questionson the issue.

SNAs give one-to-one assistance to a child witha learning or physical disability and are seen asproviding essential support in the classroom.

One mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome,speaking to Trade Union TV at the demo, claimedthe restriction had placed “an additional struggle”on her family.

She said: “We want our daughter to go to main-stream school – to participate in education. Andwe can’t send her to school unless she has a spe-cial needs assistant.”

The child’s grandmother added: “When the chil-dren have this education, it’s marvellous how theycome on in life.

“If it’s taken away, it’s like going back to the1800s. They probably want the children lockedaway, kept quiet and out of the way.”

She added: “Children with special needs are en-titled to an education, to live their lives to theirfull potential. They’re entitled to the best.”

Trade Union TV coverage of demo at:

PICTURES: KEVIN COOPER/PHOTOLINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO7-NYEoXHs

Parents’ Dail demoover cap on SNAs

Screen

grab: TU

TV

THE Fire Brigades Union has warned governmentcuts of 25% over the next four years will pushthe UK’s fire and rescue service to breakingpoint.

It claimed ministers had not factored in the im-pact climate change will have on the frontlineservice and came weeks after hundreds of firecrews and appliances were deployed across partsof the UK and Ireland to contain numerous wild-fires.

According to the FBU, these large-scale andprolonged emergencies are, by their nature, enor-mously labour intensive. FBU general secretaryMatt Wrack said: “In the last few years we havefaced huge numbers of incidents caused by cli-mate changes.

“In 2003, we had 152,700 grassland fires, whichwas a near record and officially attributed towarm weather. There was major flooding in early2004 and serious flash flooding in 2005.

“There were 93,500 wildfires in 2006 – an-other spate year – when fire crews werestretched to breaking point dealing with largenumbers of major fires and then flooding acrossthe UK. In recent winters serious weather con-ditions also have stretched fire crews for weeks.

“The impact on the fire service of climatechange is established, sustained and on-going.

“Frontline fire crews are demanding to knowhow the government expects them to cope withlarge-scale and prolonged labour intensive inci-dents with far fewer frontline fire crews.

“We’re over-stretched now, and frontline crewsare making it clear we’ll be at breaking pointwhen the cuts bite.”

Cuts of 25%will push UKfire serviceto the edge


Experienced photographer specialises in campaigning photography

for trade unionsand NGOs.

For conferences,campaign launches,

street demos, May Day parades,magazine and PRphotography.

Shared commissionrates for ICTU conferences.

Kevin Cooper

PHOTOLINE

CONTACT

E: [email protected]: 028 90777299 M: 07712044751

MAY DAY DUBLIN

MORE than 250,000 UKcivil and public servantsare to be balloted ontaking strike action overcuts to pensions, jobsand pay.It follows an over-

whelming vote in favourof the move at the Publicand Commercial Servicesunion annual conferencein Brighton on May 18.The ballot will close in

mid-June, with the firstaction possible later thatmonth. It is understood the

union will work closelywith education unionscurrently balloting overpensions.PCS general secretary

Mark Serwotka told del-egates: "Everything wehave ever worked for isunder threat – but weknow there is an alterna-tive and we are commit-ted to fighting for it and,if necessary, striking forit."The economic crisis

was not caused by ourmembers' jobs, pensionsor pay and it is shamefuland wrong that the coali-tion government is at-tempting to scapegoatthem in its bid to slashand burn the welfarestate."

UK civil & publicservantsballotedover cuts


PICTURES: PAULA GERAGHTY

Lucia Fay, Sam Nolan, People Before Profit TD Joan Collins and Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Fein spoke at May Day rally

TRADE UNIONS - ARE YOU GETTING A FAIR HEARING IN THE MEDIA?WORKERS - ARE YOU FED UP WITH

TAKING A BATTERING IN THE PRESS?FIGHT BACK with TRADE UNION TVCreate media content that showcases members’ issues for your union website.

Let trade union members know what their union is doing for them Check out previous Trade Union TV shows

http://www.youtube.com/user/TradeUnionTVIrelandContact [email protected] call +0353 (0) 876101340to discuss your media needsTV

Trade Union�

�

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/50

REPORT


Pictures: Amnesty International

AMNESTY International, the world’slargest human rights organisation, iscelebrating 50 years of work on May28. Like trade unions, we have always re-

lied on people power and the collectiveaction of individuals to change theworld.Amnesty was started in London, in

1961, when barrister Peter Benensonread an article about two Portuguesestudents who had been arrested forraising a “toast to freedom”. Benenson wrote an article entitled

‘The Forgotten Prisoners’, in which hehighlighted the plight of similar prison-ers who had been jailed around theworld for peacefully expressing theirviews. In an impassioned plea, he coined the

term ‘prisoner of conscience’ andcalled for like-minded people acrossthe world to unite in an appeal foramnesty on their behalf.The response was immense, and

within weeks Amnesty Internationalhad been born.

Today Amnesty has more than threemillion supporters, members and ac-tivists working at the forefront ofhuman rights issues across the globe.In 1977, Amnesty International was

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize forcontributing to "securing the groundfor freedom, for justice, and therebyalso for peace in the world".In Peter Benenson’s 1961 article, one

of the cases he raised was that of TonyAmbelitos, a trade unionist who hadbeen imprisoned by the Greek juntasolely for the exercise of his unionrights. Today, wherever labour rights are

under attack – whether it is in Greeceor Gambia, in the United States orTurkey – Amnesty International con-tinues to stand up and be counted, be-cause labour rights are human rightsand we will be defending them in an-other 50 years from now. If the bad news is the world still

needs Amnesty, the good news isAmnesty is going strong.

Peter Benenson coined phrase ‘prisoner ofconscience’ back in 1961

50 years fighting injustice


THE TUC has lashed UK governmentproposals to move the holiday nowallotted to May Day to October.

It has called instead for an EXTRAday’s holiday in October and claimedmessing around with the establishedbank holiday in May “makes nosense”.

General secretary Brendan Barbersaid: "Rather than shifting the deckchairs, the government should insteadend the UK's embarrassing honour ofhaving the fewest public holidays inEurope.

"A new bank holiday in late Octo-ber – focused on community workand volunteering – would give thecountry a huge boost and help breakthe four month slog between the Au-gust and Christmas breaks."

SIPTU holds open day forunemployedmembers

TUC lashesMay Day plan

SIPTU’s Manufacturing Division heldits first open day for unemployedmembers last month.

More than 20 unemployed mem-bers attended the April 14 event atLiberty Hall in Dublin which saw theelection of a representative commit-tee. Further meetings will be heldand it is understood other SIPTU di-visions are looking at following theinitiative.

Ray Stanley, of the ManufacturingDivision, told the union’s newspaperLiberty: “Our division has been hithard by the return of mass unem-ployment with numerous factory clo-sures. In light of this it was decidedto organise our unemployed mem-bers so they can better have their in-terest represented and to keep unionpolicy informed of the difficultiesthey face.

“The idea is to keep members ac-tive within the union and playing theirpart as many want to do.”

Pictures: C

laim

ing Our Future

INCOME equality is good for almost everyone in so-ciety. Societies with greater income equality achievehigher levels of educational attainment, longer lifeexpectancy and greater social mobility.

Why then is there so little concern about incomeinequality?

We do get angry about the high earnings ofbankers that led their institutions into ruin and oureconomy with it.

We are concerned at the attack on welfare ratesand the mechanisms established to protect the earn-ings of low paid workers. But we seem to hold backin the demand for greater income equality.

The politics of income equality will be the focusfor the next Claiming our Future event.

This is to be held in Galway on May 28. Registra-tion is through www.claimingourfuture.ie.

The event will debate tackling high incomes and in-equality and tackling low incomes and poverty.

It is a deliberative event where all participants geta chance to discuss their views.

There will be no keynote speeches, panels orworkshops – just 50 tables with 10 people each allengaged in the debate.

Work done by the Fabian Society in Britain givesus some insights into the barriers to progressing in-come equality.

They found a strong commitment there to theidea of “deserved inequality”.

High incomes were seen as justified on the basis ofability, effort, performance or social contribution.

They found an emerging tendency to questionwhether high salaries were really deserved.

They also found strong judgemental attitudes to-wards people on out-of-work benefits based on awidespread belief that opportunity was readily avail-able and on a lack of belief in the ability of people onthese benefits to contribute to society.

There is no such research in the Republic but it ispossible that such attitudes are embedded in ourculture too.

They present real barriers to making incomeequality an issue. Yet income inequality, with all its at-tendant health and social problems, is very much anIrish issue.

Figures presented by Social Justice Ireland showthat the top 10% of households in Ireland earnnearly a quarter of all income.

They earn 11 times the income earned by the bot-tom 10% of households.

It is getting worse. Poverty is increasing. Adultpoverty grew from 4.2% to 5.5%, and child povertyfrom 6.3% to 8.7%, in 2008/9. The rich are gettingricher.

The World Wealth Report found that the numberof high net worth individuals (people with investableassets of more than $1m) in Ireland grew by 10% in2009.

Claiming our Future hopes that this event will sup-port debate and action on income equality as well asidentifying initiatives that would progress these is-sues.

VIEWPOINT NIALL CROWLEY ON INCOME EQUALITY

http://www.claimingourfuture.ie/claiming-our-future-ideas-reducing-income-equality/

WHY INCOMEEQUALITY ISGOOD FOR ALL

NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooleyhas welcomed the Irish government’scommitment to reform freedom ofinformation legislation and to intro-duce a Whistle Blowers Act.

In a statement issued on WorldPress Freedom Day on May 3, MrDooley said any reformed legislationshould be extended to includeNAMA.

"Irish citizens deserve to knowhow NAMA makes decisions, whyNAMA makes decisions and the costof these decisions.”

He called for an end to what hetermed “the culture of secrecy”within the Department of Finance.

“While confidentiality may be ap-propriate in limited circumstances,the shroud of secrecy around NAMAis unacceptable.

“Transparent governance is an es-sential component of regulation andall agencies associated with the finan-cial sector must be open to ongoingscrutiny."

Dooley backsFoI reforms

Every wipeof his eyestakes Tallacloser toblindness

©Jenny Matthews/Sightsavers

Talla is just five. He has trachoma, a painful eye disease whichcan lead to a lifetime of blindness. Repeated infections causethe eyelashes to turn inwards and slowly and painfully everyblink damages the eye and leads to blindness.Trachoma canbe treated effectively in its early stages with a courseof ointment costing just 50p –but for millions of peoplethis is still too much.

If, like Sightsavers, you believe that nobody should go blindneedlessly from trachoma, river blindness or cataract,please make a donation today to support our eye care workin some of the most deprived communities in the world.

Euro donations, please call 1850 50 20 20 or visit www.sightsavers.ieSterling donations, please call 0800 089 20 20 or visit www.sightsavers.orgPlease quote ICTU. Thank you!

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