shopfloormandate trade union winter 2011

ENOUGH ISENOUGH

There’s somethinghappening here...

Pictures: John Chaney

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Irish supporters of the worldwide Occupy movementtake to the streets of Dublin on November 12. Ordinary citizens sick to their back teeth of corporate greed and political mismanagementmarched from the Garden of Remembrance to the seatof Ireland’s finance sector at Dame Street.

THE GovERnMEnT must act in the in-terests of its citizens in the nextBudget – not on behalf of the foreignbankers and speculators who havewreaked havoc on Irish society.

Mandate General Secretary John Dou-glas said: “To date, the government hasslavishly taken the EU/IMF/ECB Troikamedicine.

“Budget 2012 on the face of it lookslike more of the same as the govern-ment is committed to reducing servicesand increasing taxes to the tune of €3.8billion, but the devil will be in the detail.

“The democratically elected govern-ment has the opportunity in this Budgetto draw a line in the sand and sayenough is enough, to say that we are notgoing to impoverish ordinary lower andmiddle income families to satisfy Ger-man and French banks.

“We will write no more billion dollarcheques to unsecured bond holders.”

Mr Douglas pointed out that 400,000Irish citizens were now without a joband that another 50,000 were leavingthe country each year in search of a bet-ter future.

“Thousands more are in fear of losingtheir homes – a price which we cannot

and should not pay. This governmentwas elected by the Irish people to pro-tect and provide for the best interests ofits citizens, not the interests of foreignbankers and speculators.”

‘Struggling workers’He claimed Mandate members did

“not expect much” from Fine Gael, butdid expect the Labour Party “to protectstruggling workers and their families”.

“We expect that the Budget targets thewealthy and those with assets. Thecheap one-liners about welfare rates andwelfare fraud must not act as coveringfire for an attack on those on the lowestincomes.”

Mr Douglas insisted that the Budget

must be about setting “a strong founda-tion” for “a new Republic”.

He added: “A Republic built on solidar-ity and social justice, if not there is veryreal danger that those who destroyedthis country will resurface and it will bebusiness as usual for them and theircronies.

“I would urge all Mandate membersand their families to contact their localTDs before the December Budget andtell them that we will not suffer in si-lence. It’s not business as usual – you ex-pect your local TD to act in your and theIrish people’s interests by creating jobsand protecting the most vulnerable insociety.”

shopfloormandate trade union • view from the

MAnDATE has given its backing to a Sinn Fein Bill to re-instate Joint Labour Committees.

The High Court struck down JLCs on constitutionalgrounds earlier this year, following a legal move by theQuick Service Food Alliance, a group comprising of themajor fast food chains in Ireland.

Since then Mandate has lobbied the government tobring in legislation that would underpin a new system ofprotections for workers in service sectors such as retail,hotels, cleaners and security.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation RichardBruton has promised to bring the legislation forward butnothing has happened as yet.

This delay means that workers in sectors covered bythe JLCS have been exposed to attack from unscrupulousemployers.

one Mandate source said: “Maybe the reason MinisterBruton is in no hurry is because he himself offered the‘gutting’ of the JLC system to the Troika as part of the‘bail out deal’ – it’s just that the Quick Service Food Al-liance beat him to the punch.”

Sinn Fein introduced its Bill to re-establish and pro-tect a new JLC system to the Dáil on october 7.

The source added: “While the Bill is not perfect, SinnFein is to be commended for taking the initiative and itsBill should form a good foundation on which other par-ties with an interest in protecting workers’ rights canbuild on at committee stage.”

Earlier on october 7, Mandate General Secretary JohnDouglas spoke on the importance of protecting workers– in particular their earnings such as Sunday premiumand unsocial hours pay – at an open meeting in the Dáilof Deputies drawn from Sinn Fein, United Left Allianceand Labour.

Later, Mandate activists joined a protest with workers,other unions and community groups demanding an endto the race to the bottom.

CONGRESS has emphasised theimportance of stimulating eco-nomic growth as the only wayout of the recession.

Speaking at the launch ofICTU’s pre-budget submission,Growth is the Key, general secre-tary David Begg said: “The mostimportant deficit facing Irelandis the deficit in the demand forlabour.

“The most effective way totackle our financial deficit iswith policies that create jobsand develop innovative newproducts and services. Austerity

is self-defeating and is suffocat-ing the economy. Growth is thekey to recovery.”

Pointing to the example ofDenmark where a new govern-ment has embarked on an ambi-tious programme of publicinvestment to boost growth,Growth is the Key outlines anumber of proposals to reversethe downward spiral of the Irisheconomy.

Check out the full Growth isthe Key pre-budget submissionat www.ictu.ie

A GRoUP of Mandate officials have been assigned to lookinto the possibility of organising and recruiting in the in-dependent grocery sector – a sector that employs about90,000 workers.

A union source said: “obviously such an exercise istimely given the dramatic demise of the EmploymentRegulation order which up to recently offered basic

statutory protection to workers in the sector. our abilityto respond to potential opportunities that might arisewill in no doubt be heavily influenced by what resourcesare available to us once we have discharged our obliga-tions to our current members.”

one meeting of the group has already taken place andanother is scheduled for the near future.

A MANDATE official has claimed clued-in shopworkers at the Alexon Group in Galway joinedMandate “in the nick of time” so they couldhave their union application forms processedbefore the fashion company was bought overby private equity firm Sun European Partnerson September 29.

Divisional organiser John Carty said: “Asthese workers joined Mandate in a group as op-posed to individuals, Mandate were able tofast-track their applications so that they be-came full benefit members before the transferof ownership of their company.

“Therefore, as union members they will havethe assurance that their rights as workers sub-ject to an ownership transfer will be monitoredby Mandate.”

He emphasised that if the Sun European Part-ners breached the legal entitlement of the newMandate members “for any reason”, the unionwould be able to “make representations and, ifnecessary, prosecute cases on their behalf”.

Mr Carty added: “Additionally, as these em-ployees are now members of a union, theseworkers will have the legal entitlement to en-gage in a strike or other form of industrial ac-tion should they decide collectively such acourse of action is required.

“Obviously, it is hoped that such a course ofaction will not be required. Mandate has metwith the company and it is expected that fur-ther meetings may be necessary.”

€2k compo award for Penneys employee

Independent Grocery Sector group set up

POLITICIANS have no right to close emergency services in hospitals, orclose schools, they have no right to remove the services of special needsassistants and they have no right to fill the airport departure lounges withour brothers, sisters and friends.

The hospitals, schools and other services belong to the Irish people.They are not the property of the political elite either here or in Eu-rope.

There is no justification for these cuts, Ireland is awash with money andwealth, but our politicians elected here and in Brussels have decided togive the money to the banks, bondholders and speculators. They have de-cided that the wellbeing of bankers, bondholders and speculators takespriority over the wellbeing of its own citizens.

Government is about policy priorities – it’s about prioritising those onwelfare, or those facing eviction or those unable to pay bills or put foodon the table, it should never be about balancing the books regardless ofthe consequences and pain for citizens.

This new government needs to prove that it understands the hurtand pain of the Irish people, it needs to stand up for workers and forjobs, it needs to tell the Troika that their austerity agreement is unac-ceptable and that the Irish government is going to put Irish citizensfirst.

The Irish trade union movement also needs to reinvent itself, it needs toget back to basics, it needs to reconnect with members and their commu-nities and it needs to give a voice to those suffering in silence.

The trade union movement needs to smash the myth that “We are all inthis together” because clearly we are not all in this together, the wealthyand those with assets are not being asked to pay.

What is needed is a redistribution of wealth through a progressivetaxation system which targets those on high incomes and those withassets.

As we approach the centenary of the 1913 Lockout, when union-bust-ing bosses locked out and starved thousands of Irish workers, we mustask ourselves, has much really changed? Today, we have 450,000 workerslocked out of employment, denied respect and a decent income. Workersstill do not have a right to have their unions collectively bargain on theirbehalf.

Jim Larkin’s words in 1913 are equally appropriate today: “Thegreat only appear great because we are on our knees ... let us arise”

Govern for us notfor the bankers...

Shopfloor is published quarterly by Mandate Trade Union. Mandate Head Office, O'Lehane House, 9 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1

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industrial news

THE Rights Commissioner hasawarded compensation of morethan €2,000 to a Penneys employeeafter the company removed unsocialhours she regularly worked as partof her roster.

Mandate stepped in when one ofits members Lisa Wallace, fromSligo, had the hours – which weresubject to a premium payment – re-moved unilaterally.

The hours were described as

being of “considerable importanceto the member”. Mandate acceptedthat Ms Wallace was no longer re-quired to work the hours due to arevamp in Penneys’ delivery opera-tion, but argued that her employerwas responsible “either to protectour member’s earnings or offset theobvious loss in some form”.

Mandate was unable to persuadePenneys of its obligations on theissue through the normal com-

pany/union grievance process andhad no alternative but to refer thematter to the Rights Commissioner.

At a subsequent hearing, theRights Commissioner found thatPenneys had a responsibility to off-set Ms Wallace’s loss of earnings asa result of its actions, upholdingMandate’s arguments.

Ms Wallace received a total of€2,106 in compensation which hasbeen paid by her employer.

Fashion staff‘collectively’join Mandate

ICTU: Growthkey to unlockthe economy

Mandate backsSinn Fein bill toreinstate JLCs

FOLLOWING a national ballot, Man-date members at Bootshave agreed to a payfreeze until July 2012.However, in an appar-ent attempt to lessenits impact, manage-ment have made a one-off payment,equivalent to 0.75% ofannual earnings.

Boots ballotFoLLoWInG the failure of local talks between unions and management atEason and Son over the issue of significant annual payroll savings sought bythe company, the matter has now been referred to the Labour Relations Com-mission.

A number of voluntary redundancies are also being sought and both Man-date and SIPTU are currently in consultation before all sides meet at the LRCon november 23.

It is understood Mazars and Farrell Grant Sparks carried out comprehensivefinancial analyses of the company.

Both consultancy firms have since issued reports flagging up the need tomake savings, but have stopped well short of recommending the amountsought by Eason and Son.

LRC date for Easons talks

MAnDATE has reported a wel-come boost in membership atBrown Thomas following a suc-cessful unfreezing of pay incre-ments at the store chain.

The union’s success came dur-ing recent negotiations with man-agement.

For the past two years, Man-date members have been affected

by cost-saving measures agreedwith the firm primarily resultingin a pay freeze.

A Mandate source explained:“Pay levels are normally ad-vanced in two ways – the firstbeing through the application ofgeneral annual percentageawards to compensate for in-creases in cost of living and the

second by way of incremental payprogression which is normally ac-tivated on the anniversary date ofjoining the company.”

Importantly all losses enduredby members over the period willbe paid in full along with appro-priate credit for service accrued.

It is understood Mandate hasalso pushed for the introduction

of a new national proceduralagreement, intended to deepenconstructive engagement withBrown Thomas.

The source added: “not sur-prisingly as a result of our recentachievements we have experi-enced a discernable increase inmembership in this employ-ment.”

Membership boost after Brown Thomas success

in Brief

M&S committo 2012 rise

Union surveysbar workers

Dunnes talksteam meets

FOLLOWING recent talks withMandate, Marks and Spencermanagement have indicatedthey are prepared to offer a payrise to members in April 2012.

A union source said: “Theexact level of the increase onoffer and what, if anything, thecompany is seeking in return isunclear at the moment as thesedetails will emerge from furthernegotiations over the comingmonths.

MAnDATE officials working alongwith the Licensed Trade Councilhave started a representative surveyof bar workers to gauge the scale ofnon-compliance with collectiveagreements and statutory entitle-ments in the sector.

It is planned that data collectedwill be used to support effective in-dustrial and public relations cam-paigns.

Meanwhile, the final stages of thewind-up process of the LvA pensionscheme have started.

Members will be contacted overthe coming weeks to inform them oftheir entitlements.

oFFICIALS assigned to the newly-created Dunnes national negotiat-ing team have held their firstmeeting at which “ongoing difficul-ties” with the employer were dis-cussed.

A union source said: “obviously ifthe solution to deal with Dunneswas easy, we would have imple-mented it a long time ago.”

It is understood the team hasidentified a number of areas forconsideration.

The source added: “There is aclear determination that we willnot continue to allow Dunnes man-agement to sideline the union andthe many thousands of our mem-bers employed in business.

“For far too long they have ap-plied a meaningless approach totheir obligations contained in thenational procedural agreement ne-gotiated following the nationalstrikes in the early 90s. “

Mandate slams Israeliattack on the SaoirseMANDATE has joined other tradeunions in condemning the Israeliassault on the Irish-owned MVSaoirse in international waters.

During the November 4 boardingof the vessel – part of the block-ade-breaking Freedom Waves toGaza initiative – it was claimedthat passengers and crew werehosed down under gun-point byIDF commandos before beingtaken into custody.

The 14 activists initially held atthe Israeli port of Ashdod werelater released.

According to activists’ accounts,the Saoirse was “corralled to suchan extent” during the operationthat it collided with sister ship theTahrir, damaging both vessels.

Slamming the strong-arm Israeliresponse, Mandate National Co-or-dinator Brian Forbes said: “It beg-gars belief that a foreign

government can deploy this levelof force against Irish citizens tak-ing part in a humanitarian mis-sion. “This is appalling and shockingbehaviour. Our governmentshould make the strongest repre-sentations possible to the Israeligovernment.”

‘Act with impunity’An Irish Ship to Gaza spokesper-

son said: “This latest of 11 at-tempts to break the blockade ofGaza via the sea demonstratesonce again that Israel is able to actwith impunity when it comes tothe welfare of the Palestinian peo-ple and anyone trying to helpthem.

“It is because of the continuinginaction of governments aroundthe world, including the Irish gov-ernment, that ordinary people feelcompelled to act.” Gaza blockcade runner: The good ship Saoirse before Israeli assault

MoRE than 400 actions were heldacross 80 countries to mark WorldDay for Decent Work on october 7.

This aim of this year’s protestswas to highlight the deepeningtrend towards casual, temporaryand insecure jobs – defined as “pre-carious work”.

The latest figures reveal that thereare more than 200 million peopleunemployed across the world, withhundreds of millions more lackingdecent, sure employment.

ITUC general secretary SharanBurrow, who addressed a specialconference in Amsterdam to markthe day, said: “People’s rights atwork are under attack as never be-fore, and governments lack the vi-sion and commitment to fix a globaleconomy which is failing workingpeople

“Decent work – rights at work, jobcreation policies, social protectionand social dialogue involving unionsand employers – is crucial to turningthe global economy around and gen-erating the tax revenues for govern-ments to tackle the fiscal situation.”

Sharan Burrow: Rights under attack Pic: ITUC

UnIonS representing millions ofworkers across Europe have sent aclear message to EU and IMF chiefs– the austerity measures being im-posed on Ireland, Greece, Portugaland Spain are not working but areinstead driving tens of thousands onto the dole queues and penalisingthe most vulnerable in society.

More than 700 delegates drawnfrom retail and services tradeunions attended the Union networkInternational Europa Conference inToulouse, France, in early october.

Delegates heard speakers fromGreece outline how the destructionof jobs and terms and conditions ofemployment had impacted on ordi-nary Greek workers.

They were told how the mediahad made a concerted attempt tobrand all Greek workers “lazy” andas “tax avoiders”.

But the reality could not be fur-ther from the truth. Just as in Ire-

land, the Greek bailout agreementwas heaping pain on workers andcommunities who had no role toplay in creating the economic mess.

There was surprise expressed bysome delegates at why Irish workersand their families had not taken tothe streets to protest against havingto pick up the bill for the corruptionand mismanagement of the Irisheconomy.

In their contributions, Spanish

trade unionists painted an all too fa-miliar picture to that of Ireland – aproperty bubble fuelled by cheapmoney and low banking standards –with predictable results.

Situation in IrelandAs a result, more than 20% of

Spanish workers were now withoutjobs. Mandate general secretaryJohn Douglas and president JoanGaffney spoke about the situation inIreland.

Delegates were told how the Irishbailout agreement with theEU/ECB/IMF Troika had committedevery Irish citizen to repay in fullthe gambling debts of seniorbankers, property developers andspeculators, resulting in the “slowsuffocation of the Irish economy”.

They also explained how the Irisheconomy will be forced to shrink bymore than 20% between 2008 and2015 leading to mass unemploy-

ment and emigration. Conference heard how over half of

the 450,000 unemployed workers inIreland were now classed as long-term unemployed – with more than12 months on the dole – and thateach year 50,000 workers wereleaving the country in search ofwork.

Added to this, tens of thousands ofIrish households are unable to meettheir mortgage payments and were“living in fear of losing their homes”.

Delegates were also told how ofhow funding for schools and hospi-tals had been slashed resulting inthousands of sick people waiting fortreatment on trollies.

Mr Douglas said: “The recent offi-cial media claims that we are ontrack and that we in Ireland are seenas the ‘good guys of Europe’ for tak-ing our medicine conveniently ig-nores the pain and suffering beingimposed on ordinary workers and

Workersrightscrucial inrecovery

Austerity policies given red card

Card vote in Toulouse. Delegates heard how austerity policies were impacting on workers and families across Europe Picture: UNI Global Union

oRGAnISInG a union among retailworkers can be notoriously difficultanywhere in the world.

A typical retail store can have alot of part-time workers who don’tsee the work as a central compo-nent of their life and a lot of casualemployees who see themselves asjust passing through and hence notcommitted to changing their worklife for the better as they won’t bethere for a long period.

In addition, there are usually avery high percentage of youngworkers to whom, speaking frankly,unions have had a problem demon-strating our relevance.

Canada is no different in this re-gard, and it was against this back-ground that workers in Torontodecided to vote to have the UnitedFood and Commercial Workers’Union (UFCW) represent them.

Hard workingH&M’s Square one in Toronto is

one of the company’s most success-ful stores in Canada. When cus-tomers enter the store, they aregreeted by hard working, knowl-edgeable sales associates who careabout customers and their shop-ping experience.

The demographics of the storeare primarily younger, which pro-motes a vibrant and energetic at-mosphere for workers andcustomers alike.

Without contradiction to theabove, workers of course had is-sues in the workplace, which isusually the case in any job. In addi-tion, north America is caught in thewider grasp of an economic down-turn which, while worse in the US,

is also a concern for those inCanada.

An interesting dynamic was evi-dent in the Square one store, how-ever, which went beyond a simpleconcern for one’s security of em-ployment tenure or the next paypacket.

Young workers generally, but inthis store in particular, spoke abouttheir concern for the wider envi-ronment and of their awareness ofthe issues being raised by the oc-cupy movements from Wall Streetto Dame Street to, yes, evenToronto.

In fact, one of the workers,Jerome Arguelles, told the TorontoStar in a videoed interview: “I wantto be part of the union because Ibelieve it’s a great opportunity tocombat this concept of corporategreed…”

Jerome was not referring to H&Mspecifically, but rather to the gen-

eral environment and how he sawunions as a key part in the solutionto this problem.

It is fair to say that H&M initiallystrongly resisted the efforts of theworkers to unionise.

Canadian management held one-on-one meetings with workers toinform them of their preferenceand intention to remain union free.

Had UFCW Canada simply foughtthe company on that turf, whoknows what the outcome may havebeen?

AssistanceInstead, recognising that H&M is

a global company and that, cru-cially, it had signed a global agree-ment with UnI Global Union onlabour rights, UFCW took the be-haviour of the company to seniormanagement in Sweden, with UnI’sassistance and that of Handelstrade union of Sweden, which or-ganises H&M in its home country.

UnI Global Union is a worldwidelabour federation representingservice sector unions and workers,of which Mandate is also a member.

Using UnI’s good offices andthose of the H&M union in Sweden,UFCW persuaded H&M to intervenein Canada to curtail the worst prac-tices of Canadian management.

UFCW Canada’s national Presi-dent Wayne Hanley said: “The in-tervention of UnI at a global levelwas the perfect complement to thestrength and solidarity displayedby workers on the shop floor andcontributed in no small way to thevictory that the H&M workers se-cured.”

Indeed, on october 6, the work-ers at H&M Square one, Toronto,voted for the union.

Showing that the issues that needto be addressed include those atstore level, nabeela Irfan, a salesassociate, said: “our store, H&MSquare one, just got certified andwe’re really excited as a group tobegin the bargaining process andsee some real changes happen inthe store.”

The events of September and oc-tober 2011 in Toronto is a great ex-ample of the connection betweenretail workers who make a stand on

OrganisingUsing global union linkswon victory in Toronto

By Michael T Bride

‘Canada’s no different... there is ahigh percentage of young workersto whom unions have a problemdemonstrating our relevance’

UNI Global Union has formed a Walmart Workers Alliance as a trans-na-tional forum so that unions can forge a common agenda in dealing withthe US-based retail giant.

Walmart has 8,500 retail units in 15 countries and employs more than2.1 million worldwide.

Unions representing Walmart workers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile,Canada and the US have joined the alliance.

A UNI Global Union spokesperson said: “No one personifies globalisa-tion better than Walmart – the largest company in the world by rev-enue, with sales in fiscal year 2010 of $405bn.

“The term ‘globalisation’ is well understood by workers the worldover as they see companies move jobs to other countries at a whim.

“Vast supply chains mean raw materials can come from one country,be assembled in another and shipped to yet another to be marketedand sold.

“A company of the size and scale of Walmart requires an internationalresponse from the labour movement.”

A nEW CD is being released to high-light the case of Mohammed, ayoung Palestinian sentenced to 10years in prison by an Israeli militarycourt when he was only 15.

The release, titled Lost Youth –Songs of Solidarity, features tradi-tional Irish and Basque tracks along-side political folk and Palestinianhip-hop songs.

Each year roughly 700 Palestinianchildren, some as young as 12, aredetained and prosecuted in Israeli military courts.

The overwhelming majority aredetained in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Con-vention.

Mohammed was a performer inA’edoon, a youth theatre group fromBalata refuge camp on the WestBank, when he was arrested in2005.

He had been due to visit Irelandwith his colleagues to perform‘dabke’ dance and drama at festivalshere.

Mohammed was taken away by Is-raeli soldiers as the group crossedthe border between the West Bankand Jordan.

Mohammed: 10 year sentence

General secretary John Douglas claimed media reports about Irish ‘good guys’ taking austerity medicine ignored the painful truth

He was kept in jail under interro-gation for more than two monthsbefore being sentenced to 10 yearsin jail by a military court.

The organisers of the original tourin Ireland are behind the benefit CDfor Mohammed, who is due for re-lease next year.

And a portion of the proceedsfrom the sale will also go towardshighlighting the child prisoner issue.

Walmart workersforge new alliance

Benefit CD for teenPalestinian detainee

their families.” He went on to tell delegates that

what was required in Ireland was an“investment agreement” wherefunds rather than being pumpedinto a “zombie bank” like Anglo Irishwould be invested instead in infra-

structure and services such as hos-pitals, rail, broadband and specialneeds assistants – investment whichwill create growth and jobs andspending in the domestic economy.

“Ireland does not need a ‘bailout’,we need a social agenda, a vision of

how we can get our sons and daugh-ters back working again. The Troikaand the austerity economists mustnot win, the vision has to be morethan dole or airport. We must cre-ate a society, values and opportuni-ties for all.”

Walmart workers hope the retail giant’s management gets the message... Picture: UFCW

Organising them young: UFCW protest. Poster produced for H&M drive, right Pictures: UFCW

Lost Youth – Songs of Solidarity is available from various outlets, including direct at lostyouth2011@live.ie or www.facebook.com/

pages/Lost-Youth-Songs-of-Solidarity/301722723176853.

the shop floor in one country, sup-ported by the union there, workersin the company’s “home” countryand their union, and a global labourfederation all working together tosecure a positive outcome for work-ing people.

As the world becomes ever moreglobal, these connections betweengrassroots activism and global net-

working can only become ever morevital as we strive to improve condi-tions for workers everywhere.

Michael T Bride is DeputyOrganising Director for GlobalStrategies at the Organising Department of leading retail sector UFCW

Thursday, October 610:00AM to 10:30AM2:00PM to 2:30PM6:30PM to 7:00PMDeco/Visual Prep Room

Thank you for your support. We apologize for not getting everyone’s photo, due to time constraints.

MANDATE has welcomed assur-ances by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmorethat the government is “at longlast” moving towards reformingcurrent legislation on collectivebargaining.

Mr Gilmore, who was speakingat SIPTU’s biennial delegate con-ference in Ennis on October 5, alsosaid that the administration wasgoing to put back in place as a“matter of priority” a “functioningsystem” of JLCs.

The Labour Party leader told 500delegates gathered at the WestCounty hotel: “There is a commit-ment in the Programme for Gov-ernment to reform the current lawon employee rights to engage incollective bargaining so as to en-sure compliance with recent judg-ments of the European Court ofHuman Rights.

“The Department of Jobs, Enter-prise and Innovation is currentlyengaged in a review of the collec-tive bargaining machinery, to re-form and streamline it. I expectthat the legislation to give effect tothose changes will also give effectto the commitment on collectivebargaining.”

He added that the governmentwas also working to put “back to-gether” a functioning JLC system.

Mr Gilmore continued: “The re-cent court ruling means that thesystem cannot continue as it was,and there are some who argue thatit should be abolished entirely. Thegovernment does not intend to godown that route.

“We want to see a reformed andmodernised JLC system, and theminister is working on the legisla-tion as a matter of priority.”

Reacting to the comments, Man-date general secretary John Dou-glas said: “Ireland lags far behindmost other EU nations in basic pro-tections for workers. At long last,we’re seeing some movement. It’s ashame what is seen elsewhere inthe civilised world as the most fun-damental of rights has taken solong to deliver here.”

Union-busting activities fromblacklisting to court injunctionshave become more widespreadand are putting at risk rights suchas freedom of association and theright to organise in unions.

This is happening despite thefact that Ireland has signed up tosix human rights treaties and rati-fied all the core ILO conventions.Congress is taking Irish govern-ment’s record on union rights be-fore the ILO’s Committee onFreedom of Association Rightslater this year. It is also pursuingits case through the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights in Stras-bourg.

Mr Douglas added: “The tradeunion movement will proceed withthese cases until robust legisla-tion is enacted guaranteeing work-ers the right to have their tradeunion negotiate on their behalf.”

Gilmore:Labour lawreform is apriority

National Coordinator Brian Forbes outlines to GS champions Mandate’s commitment to supporting textile workers in the developing world Picture: John Chaney

GloBal solidaritY

JUSTICE for Colombia (JFC) was setup in solidarity with trade unionistsin Colombia, because it is the mostdangerous country in the world tobe a trade unionist.

Research carried out by AmnestyInternational indicates co-ordi-nated strategies exist, between theColombian military and paramili-tary death squads, to make thework of trade unionists impossible,through assassination and intimida-tion.

More than 2,500 trade unionistshave been killed in Colombia in thelast 15 years while trying to defendthe right to collective bargainingand freedom of speech. It’s an inter-

national trade union issue. In early2010, a new government came intopower under President Santos. Un-fortunately, trade unionists inColombia saw no improvement intheir situation.

The number of trade union lead-ers assassinated remained high –49 – while many trade union ac-tivists faced death threats and as-sassination attempts.

The legal system continues to beineffective in solving these murdersand bringing those responsible tojustice.

While the new governmentclaims to take workers’ rights seri-ously, anti-union attitudes among

employers remain strong. numer-ous violations of collective agree-ments have been reported.

The Irish branch of the tradeunion network Justice for Colombiawas set up in December 2008 and ischaired by SIPTU’s Mick Dowling.The aims and activities of JFC are:

l To support and promote linkswith trade unions and other civilsociety organisations in Colombiain their struggle for human andtrade union rights, democracy,peace and social justice,

l To campaign for the freedom ofthe trade unionists, held in prison,simply for carrying out normaltrade union activities,

l To support and promote apeaceful, politically negotiated set-tlement to the conflict in Colombia,and

l To lobby the Irish governmentand Irish MEPs in the campaignagainst the EU/Colombian FreeTrade Agreement.

Recently, JFC Ireland hosted thevisit of Ms Aida Avella, formerColombian senator and president ofthe popular opposition party UniónPatriótica. Ms Abella was forcedinto exile after a series of assassina-tion attempts and the murder of anumber of her colleagues and lead-ers of the party who had contestedColombian presidential elections

Fighting for justice in Colombia

ConGRESS-trained Global Solidar-ity Champions in Ireland have akey role to play in empoweringcrassly-exploited textile workers inthe developing world.

Mandate national CoordinatorBrian Forbes made the commentsas he spoke to GS Champions aboutthe Clean Clothes Campaign Ire-land and his union’s involvementin the initiative at a meeting held inthe organising and Training Centrein Dublin on november 4.

The CCCI is the newest branch ofthe wider Clean Clothes Campaignnetwork that currently spans 15European countries.

The network is dedicated to im-proving working conditions andsupporting the empowerment ofworkers in the global garment andsportswear industries.

Mr Forbes pointed out thatpoverty wages, lack of rights andpoor working conditions were the

norm for millions of garmentworkers across the world.

He said: “Mandate members areat the end of a very long supplychain, in many cases stretchingfrom the tills in our retail outlets tothe villages of Bangladesh and fur-ther afield and subsumed in amaze of dodgy sub-contractors andunscrupulous factory owners.”

Building a coalitionA key aim of CCCI is to build a

strong coalition of organisations inIreland that will work to improveworking conditions in the globalgarment industry.

Mandate, Comhlamh, Redressand the Global Solidarity arm ofICTU have emerged as partner or-ganisations driving CCCI towardsthis aim.

Commenting on Mandate’s rolein the initiative, Mr Forbes said:“our vice-President, Margaret

o‘Dwyer, attended a Global CCCIconference in Istanbul recently andmet with CCC delegates from allover the world.

“This shows the level of commit-ment and activism members suchas Margaret have for the importantissue of global human rights.”

on the issue of globalisation, headded: “The global economystands at a crossroads. The casinofree market capitalism fuelled byderegulation, cheap credit, finan-cial greed, unsustainable con-sumerism and world productionlevels which pushed the planet tothe brink of environmental crashhas now imploded.

“The time is right now for thecreation of a new world economicorder based on sustainability, notonly economic sustainability butalso environmental and social sus-tainability.

“The global trade union move-

ment and civil society have a keyrole to play in this development atmany levels.

“one such level is Global Solidar-ity in support of decent work anddecent standards for all workersboth nationally and internationally.

“GS Champions can and willmake a real difference by helpingCCCI to educate and mobilise con-sumers, lobby companies and gov-ernments and offer directsolidarity support to workerseverywhere as they fight for theirhuman rights.”

CCCI will be initiating urgent ap-peals on human rights injustices inthe global garment industry overthe coming months and yearsahead. To find out more about theCCCI or to get involved in the cam-paign check out www.clean

clothescampaignireland.org Aninjury to one is an injury to all.

GS Champions can spearhead thefight for textile workers’ rights

ETUC demoagainst austerityearlier this yearin LuxembourgPicture: ETUC

Aida Avella Rosalba Gaviria Toro

THE WHoLE concept of a Social Eu-rope is being killed off “to balancethe books” general secretary JohnDouglas has warned.

He made the comments in aspeech to a special conference or-ganised by Belfast and DistrictTrades Council on october 15.

A large number of trade unionistsgathered at UnISon headquarters tohear a range of speakers debate thetheme ‘Building Resistance and De-veloping Alternatives’.

Mr Douglas gave the northern au-dience a run-down of how a series of grim austerity budgets hadimpacted on workers in the Repub-lic.

TroikaHe told them that a team from the

EU/IMF/ECB troika was in Dublin torubberstamp yet another attack onjobs, services and living standards ofworkers in the next budget – taking€3.6bn out of the economy.

In marked contrast, he notedthere did not seem to be “any appetite” to “tax the wealthy”.

Acknowledging a general sense of“fear and hopelessness” in theSouth, Mr Douglas added: “We’refaced with another budget – an aus-terity budget – which is being dic-tated to and has to be signed off bythe troika. our ability to even frameour own budget has been removed.

“The troika medicine they’re pre-scribing is killing the patient. It willdo permanent damage, not just tothe economy but to the very fabricof Irish society.”

Dubbing it “the invasion of thetroika”, he predicted the current

EU/IMF/ECB strategy would “turnIreland, Portugal, Spain and Greeceinto an economic and social waste-land for decades”.

“It is true to say that Ireland is fac-

ing its greatest crisis in living mem-ory. The origin of the crisis is wellknown – fuelled by cheap money,low standards and a financial dis-ease that had infected the banking

system across the world.”Financial institutions had in-

vented and sold junk bonds “as ifthey had some financial worth”.

“They made vast amounts for

many institutions but, just like a bal-loon, if you keep putting more airinto it, it will burst – and that is ex-actly what happened.”

The deflationary policies beingpursued by governments to dealwith the consequences of this crisiswere exactly the wrong course of ac-tion, he added, and risked a Japan-ese-style “lost decade”.

What was needed instead was astrategy to promote growth andwhich would “invest in jobs, essen-tial services, infrastructure andboost economic activity”.

He said: “Growth is the only thingthat is going to reduce the deficit.You can’t keep pruning your treeand keep pruning and pruning it andexpect it to live.

‘Pruned to bone’“It has to be watered and fer-

tilised. At this point in time, the Irisheconomy has been pruned to thebone.”

Mr Douglas also remarked on theattempt to “demonise” workers andtrade unions over the last few years,labelling them “as part of the prob-lem not part of the solution” andsaid he was in no doubt this waspart of a “class war” between“labour and capital”.

Concluding, he said at a timewhen people were “suffering in si-lence” on the dole queues or “await-ing the final demand comingthrough the letterbox”, it was vitalthat the trade union movement stepforward to engage with communi-ties and “mobilise with solidarity” torebuild Irish society.

Austerity threat to Social Europe

‘Troika strategy will turn Ireland,Portugal, Spain and Greeceinto an economic and social

wasteland for decades’

MANDATE NEWSIssue 8, February 2011ary 2011

THE TIME IS NOW!MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT

OVER 400,000 WORKERS ARE WITHOUT JOBS

50,000 FORCED TO LEAVE IRELAND

EACH YEAR

MINIMUM WAGE

& SOCIAL WELFARE

RATES ARE SLASHED

MANDI s e 8, uI s e 8,

400 0000 5500,00000 0 FFOORCRCRCRCEEEED D TTO O

E TIME V

VER 400WWOORRKKEERRS S AARRE WITHOUT JOOBS L

EAC

MINIMMUUMM WWAAAAAAGGGE E

& SOCIAL WELFAREE

RATTES ARE SLASHED

OVER 4

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MANDATE NEWSIssue 3, Winter 2009

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MANDATE BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, GALWAY 2010

MANDATE NEWSIssue 5, Spring 2010

A Nightmare

Before Christmas

Minimum Wage

Cut

Child Benefit

Cut

Universal Social Charge

Tax on lower

pay

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MANDATE NEWSIssue 7, Winter 2010

HOME CAMPAIGNSABOUT DIVISIONS NEWS TRAINING EVENTS LEAFLETS JOIN CONTACT

Mandate site revampedMANDATE is set to launch a revamp ofits website.

Brian Forbes, Mandate national co-ordinator of organising, campaigningand recruitment, said: “We want thesite to reflect the vibrancy and activismof our union as well as improve theease of the flow of information to ourmembers.

“It’s hoped that members find it ismore clearly signposted and easier forthem to use.”

David Joyce, of Dublin-based creativecompany Language, was given the re-design brief.

He told Shopfloor: “Even though thebrand has performed well in the past,Mandate's identity is considered too‘middle of the road’.

‘Encourage activism’“So we want to use the design as a

spur to mobilise people and encourageactivism and to outline more clearlywhat Mandate stands for.

“It is clear that the trade union move-ment in general and Mandate in partic-ular has never been more relevant sowe wanted to evolve the brand to re-flect a more radical position.”

In THE coming weeks JFC (Ireland) will host anotherColombian visitor, Rosalba Gaviria Toro.

Rosalba is a trade unionist and former political prisonerwho was held for two years, without charge, by Colombianauthorities, for her trade union activities. She was releasedearlier this year following a concerted campaign in Irelandand UK to secure her freedom. She will be in Cork & Dublinfrom December 4 to December 6, and her visit will con-clude with a public meeting in Dublin on the 6th. venue tobe decided.

To join Justice for Colombia Ireland, go to the Colombia page under www.ictu.ie/globalsolidarity

or email John o’Brien, JFC Secretary, at jobrien@into.ie

Scaffolding boss fined First meetingfor Left ForumA ConSTRUCTIon company boss has been fined for failing

to pass on employee pension contributions to the Construc-tion Worker Pension Scheme.

John J Dolan, of Liskey, Ballinadrait, Lifford, Co Donegal,was fined €1,500 at Letterkenny District Court on october24. He is a director of John J Dolan Scaffolding Ltd, whichwent into liquidation in September 2010. Mr Dolan’s firmwas also fined €3,000 for the same offences.

The court heard the firm had deducted pension contribu-tions from wages in october 2008 and in May, September,october and December 2009 but had failed to remit thecontributions within the time frame. This meant employ-ees working were not covered for pension benefits, sick paybenefits or death in service benefits for those months.

ARISInG out of the CPI publicationThe Challenge for Trade Unionism,launched earlier this year, the TradeUnion Left Forum recently held itsfirst meeting at the TEEU offices inDublin.

The Forum’s purpose is to encour-age serious examination and debatefrom a Left/class perspective of themajor questions facing the labourmovement in Ireland.

Margaret Thatcher once infa-mously declared, “There is no suchthing as society” and the Forumhopes to outline through debate thefact that real alternatives do exist tothat sterile vision.

Austerity and debt have beenfoisted upon our once-sovereign na-tion but alternatives do exist to thepolitical and economic agendaspushing privatisation and the neo-liberalism.

Mandate is committed to playingits part in working with all like-minded unions through the Forumin promoting that old – but vitallyrelevant – trade union slogan “Edu-cate, Agitate, organise” to help cre-ate mechanisms for real andmeaningful change in society.

A source added: “This will bringtrade unions back to basics so theycan operate as a ‘Sword of Justice’for workers once again.”

Further details will be posted asthe Forum develops.

www.mandate.ie

platform

AT THE end of october the govern-ment handed over to foreign banks(or maybe even to Irish specula-tors—as we don’t know, and thegovernment won’t tell us who theyare) $1 billion, or €730,000,000, tounsecured bond-holders.

This is almost the same figure thegovernment announced in cuts tospending and the shelving of suchimportant projects as Metronorth—an amount that could builddozens of schools, refit some of ourrun-down schools, re-employteaching assistants to help childrenwith learning difficulties, or pro-vide more assistance to the elderly.

But this government chose to putbankers and speculators first andyou and your family and commu-nity last.

This is not the first time this hashappened but has been going onsince the government guarantee ofthe banks’ losses. Billions havebeen handed over, and billionsmore will be taken from yourpocket, your colleagues’ pockets,from old people’s pensions, fromthe sick, from children. This moneyis coming from what you have paidand will pay in taxes and levies andin cuts in health, education, and so-cial welfare.

Between now and Christmas,

while we are all trying to make sav-ings, skimping on what we mightspend on our families, the govern-ment will hand over anothertranche of money to foreignbankers.

Clearly those bankers must feelthat they have won a massive jack-pot in the lottery, and we are payingfor it. Between now and December31, 15 more bonds will fall due –smaller bonds, admittedly, but that

will add up to a further €787 mil-lion; and this government is hell-bent on paying them, no matterwhat.

Just think of what our countrycould do with such large amountsof money for our schools, hospitals,or public transport!

What could you do with€40,000? Take a look around you.

The person working across at thenext till, or the colleague stacking

the shelves, or, if you are sitting athome and there may be two, threeor four others in your home – theyall owe close to €40,000 each be-cause of this debt—a debt that isnot yours, nor that of your family orfriends.

If there are three others in yourfamily, that comes to about€160,000, What could your familydo with that sum?

our lives and that of our familiesand neighbours have been throwninto a state of flux, not knowingwhat tomorrow will bring.

Odious debtWill our children emigrate, or

will my family have to leave? Canwe meet the mortgage repayments?Can I squeeze a few more dinnersout of reduced wages? Can I get afew more hours’ part-time work tokeep things going?

This odious debt is simply notpayable, nor should we pay it. It isnot our debt in the first place. Thisis the debt of the big high-fliers,those who wined and dined in theplush restaurants, swanned aroundthe Fianna Fáil tent at the GalwayRaces, who lived lavish life-styles,bought yachts, villas, racehorses,and valuable paintings; the direc-tors of Irish banks who believedthat the money in the banks was fortheir own use and that they werenot accountable to anyone, and cer-

tainly not to you or me.our lives are now controlled by

the external troika of the EU, ECB,and IMF, and their decisions arecarried out by an internal troika ofFine Gael, the Labour Party and Fi-anna Fáil in what they call an aus-terity pact. They tell us we owe€140 billion to foreign banks,mainly German, French, Dutch andBritish banks. They are all agreedthat we, the citizens of this state,must pay this debt.

Well, some of us do not acceptthis to be the case. We believe thatthe people should not pay this debt,as it is not our debt in the firstplace. We believe that this debtshould be repudiated – that is, weshould not pay it but disown it –and the foreign banks should betold to go to hell. We think weshould put our people first.

At the end of november therewill be a general strike by millionsof workers in Portugal. Their sloganis “Reject the aggression pact—rob-bery of the people and the country.”

on December 6, we will be hold-ing a lunchtime action outside theDáil to highlight this robbery of ourpeople and our country. We will bedemanding that the bonds due upto the end of December should notbe paid for a start.

visit www.nodebt.ie orwww.facebook.com/repudiate

of Mandate can be happy with the splendidteam in their office.

The management crew made a lot of time forme. I’d like to say thanks to all the officials andadmin staff in the head office and the organisingand training centre.

I would like to express my gratitude to LindaTanham who showed me all about the LabourCourt, Aileen Morrissey, who invited me homeand who showed me all about Mandate trainingcourses, Brian Forbes, who made my placementpossible, and, of course, General Secretary JohnDouglas who spent a weekend showing mearound Dublin.

I want to thank all the other Mandate peoplewho spent a lot of time showing me the Irishunion and labour system.

MY nAME is Mike Huber, I’m aged 27 and an offi-cial in an Austrian trade union – to be precise, inthe GPA-djp (Union of Private Sector Employees,Graphical Workers and Journalists).

I attended the “Sozialakademie” – a school fortrade unionists and shop stewards – on a 10-month course. The last month of the course in-volves a placement in a European country.

My dream came true, when Mandate informedme that I was to go to Ireland. My union in Aus-tria represents retail workers as Mandate does inIreland.

My first day at Mandate in Dublin was on May30. I was very excited to see how another unionin another country carries out its work and I wasglad to meet other trade unionists.

It was a big surprise how many experiences Igot there. Everyone was very nice and I met thefriendliest people I’ve ever seen.

General Secretary John Douglas took a lot of hispersonal time to show me Mandate and someareas around Dublin.

I’m fascinated about the hospitality of all thepeople at Mandate. I noted many differences be-tween Irish and Austrian unions and I’ve learnedabout the Labour Court system, the difficult workin the shops and quite a few things about organ-ising.

To compare the two countries – in Austria, wehave a good labour law. It is legal to vote on workcouncils.

Council members enjoy a good level of protec-tion against employers, so they carry out theirduties without fearing adverse consequences.

I think in Ireland it is a little bit different. Theworkers need to embrace solidarity to be strongagainst the employers.

Shop stewards in Ireland haven’t got as manyprotections as shop stewards in my country. I’vegreat respect for the work and the courage of allshop stewards representing Irish retail workers.

FrontlineIn my opinion, one of the most important

things at Mandate is the organising work. I’mvery glad that I got the opportunity to go alongwith a professional organiser to some shops towatch him work on the frontline. I think the or-ganising is the future of the work of unions.

Another interest of mine is Irish history. I’vevisited loads of historical places to learn moreabout Jim Larkin, Patrick Pearse and James Con-nolly – he is one of my favourites. I’ve seen Kil-mainham Gaol, sites dealing with the GreatFamine and many other sights.

There were many different things I’ve seen butthe most important thing is that all the members

In deep solidarity. your brother in Austria,

Mike Huber

Austrian trade unionist Mike Huber reflects on a placement he spent with Mandate during the summer

Organising is vital tothe future of all unions

The bankers win theLotto,we pay for it...By Eugene McCartanRepudiate The Debt Campaign

Concern raised over DAA request

Mandate gives backingto Superquinn takeover

SITUATIONCRITICAL

Fears grow over refuges shortfall

industrial newsCampaiGns

MAnDATE has welcomed the Com-petition Authority’s decision to ap-prove the Musgrave Group’stakeover of Superquinn and claimedit brought “a degree of long-awaitedcertainty” for employees.

ownership of Superquinn wastransferred to Musgrave operatingPartners Ireland – a wholly ownedsubsidiary of The Musgrave Group –on october 11.

About 2,800 staff – most of whomare Mandate members – work at Su-perquinn which has 24 stores na-tionwide.

It is understood staff had beenconcerned for some time about thelong-term viability of the supermar-ket chain.

ReceivershipThe business was acquired

through a receivership process be-fore it was cleared by the Competi-tion Authority last month.

In August, a High Court challengewas mounted by some members ofthe Select Retail Holdings consor-tium in a bid to block the sale. It ulti-mately proved unsuccessful.

At the time of the legal challenge,the union made a judgement call tosupport the bid by Musgrave, whichalready owns Supervalu, Centra andDaybreak.

This was based on informationavailable to the union and waslargely influenced by the trackrecords of both the prospective andprevious owners.

l Family-run business estab-lished 135 years ago with headoffice based in Corkl Operations in Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, UK and Spainl Owner of leading brands suchas, SuperValu, Centra, Budgensand Dialprixl Weekly brands serve morethan 20 million customersl Combined annual turnover of€6.5 billionl 50,000 employed either di-rectly or in stores associated withbrands

FACTBOX MusgraveGroup

According to the union, the newowners have a level of expertise andfinancial clout that did not exist overthe last number of years.

Crucially the new owners havealso undertaken to maintain em-ployment levels, continuity of serv-ice along with all established termsand conditions of employment, in-cluding pensions.

Speaking after a meeting of thenational Company Forum on octo-ber 14, Assistant General SecretaryGerry Light said: “Initial signs ap-pear good in that the all terms andconditions have been protected andthe new management team havegiven a clear indication that they are

prepared to work in a constructivemanner with the trade unions inorder to secure and grow the busi-ness into the future.

“By and large, the Superquinnbusiness has in recent years beenstarved of relevant expertise andmeaningful financial investment.

‘Potentially fatal’“This coming as it did during the

most severe economic recession tohit the country created a real andpotentially fatal challenge whichcould have easily resulted in the en-tire collapse of the business. Thank-fully, this has been averted.”

Mr Light added: “However, it isnot a time for complacency as manydifficult issues remain to be con-fronted and these will be subject toformal negotiations between theunion and management over thecoming weeks.”

Gerry Light: ’Intial signs appear good’

MAnDATE has received correspondence from manage-ment at Dublin Airport Authority seeking a meeting todiscuss the future operation of the Distribution Centreand Pier B in Terminal 1.

A union source described the development as “a mat-ter of considerable concern” considering restructuringonly took place in 2009 as part of the Cost Recovery Pro-gramme Agreement.

“There is real concern that the company’s intentionsare to introduce further redundancies and to outsourcethe distribution operation.”

Talks are continuing over a procedural agreement, pay

progression and rosters that will apply to members em-ployed by Airport Consolidated Services Limited, a sub-sidiary of the DAA.

A meeting is scheduled for november 22 in a final bidto broker a deal.

A series of conciliation conferences have also beenscheduled in an attempt to address the IASS pensionscheme, which currently shows a deficit of €600 million.

The source added: “These are difficult negotiations asthere are three employers involved – DAA, Aer Lingusand SR Technics.”

THE last 15 years has seen invest-ment of some €100m by the tax-payer in developing ConnollyHospital into a multi-specialty ac-ademic medical centre in a newstate-of-the-art building.

It caters for a catchment area of330,000 people with 33,000 EDattendances last year, has a Level3 ICU and CCU and receives moreambulance emergencies than StColumcille's Hospital, Loughlin-stown, St vincent's and StMichael's hospitals combined.

Connolly's location with re-cently-opened direct access on toDublin's M50 and its large area ofavailable land makes it uniquelywell suited for further develop-ment as a major trauma centre.

Connolly Hospital is one of onlyfour hospitals in the country to re-ceive four 'green lights' in a recentHSE assessment of performanceand efficiency of hospitals nation-wide

Recent cutbacks in the HSE haveresulted in a reduction in the hos-pital's annual budget from €104min 2009 to €84m in 2011.

This has led to the closure ofone of six acute wards and closureof clinics for four weeks of theyear against the expressed wishesof the physicians.

Critical hospital infrastructuredevelopments, such as clinical ITsystems and an MRI scanner, havealso been postponed annually forseveral years.

Connolly Hospital because of itsrich and hard-earned reputationin clinical teaching and researchhas never had a problem in at-tracting high-quality staff and fill-ing nCHD posts.

As a result, there has neverbeen a significant requirement forlocum nCHD staff here. Since July2011, and for the first time ever atConnolly, thanks to the failure ofthe newly-centralised nationalHSE nCHD recruitment process,our hospital has a significant num-ber of vacant nCHD posts – espe-cially and crucially in theEmergency Department.

The repeated refusal of the HSEto allow Connolly to advertise andinterview for these posts and theinsistence that the vacant nCHDposts could only be filled by theprolonged and as yet incompleteHSE nCHD overseas recruitmentdrive in India and Pakistan hasforced our hospital to employlocum nCHD staff as an interimmeasure.

We have just now been in-structed by the HSE that our hos-pital cannot employ any locumnCHD staff from August 15 on-wards.

This in addition to the proposedclosure of an additional wardamounts to HSE management-sanctioned reduction of hospitalservices to a level that is no longersafe.

Most tellingly, the HSE askedmanagement at Connolly Hospitalto come up with costings for an8am-8pm A&E Service as opposedto the current 24 hours.

If this happens, lives would beendangered with patients havingto travel to hospitals further awaywhich are already overcrowded.

Authorities have repeated themantra that there are “no plans”to cut the A&E. But this has beensaid by politicians and the HSE inevery single area, including justthis month to Portlaoise Hospitalwhich just had its A&E down-graded.

Lower tier hospitalSo what would a 12-hour A&E

would mean to our hospital?l It would make Connolly a

lower “tier” hospital with reducedjustification for an ICU, 24-houranaesthetic cover and so on.

l Unrecognised higher special-ist training for doctors. Less at-tractive for high calibre doctors.Lower quality of service, with re-cruitment becoming impossible.

l For patients, of course, itmeans longer queues in crowdedA&Es at the Mater, Beaumont andTallaght, with more dangerousoutcomes likely for many.

We can’t let this happen. Blan-chardstown Hospital is a highlysuccessful and respected hospital,in the top six nationally for effi-ciency and performance.

It is needed by the population itserves in west and north-westDublin, Meath and beyond.

Money was put in for a newA&E building, a new bridge andramp to facilitate access from theM50/n3. Why squander this in-vestment by the taxpayer?

These cuts and the cost tohealth and lives is for what – tobail out speculators and verywealthy people who gambled inthe banks.

nothing more can be skimmed, enough is enough. The communitywho depend on Connolly Hospitaland the staff have to act to defendthe hospital.

A campaign has recently been launched to safeguardservices and secure adequate funding for ConnollyHospital in Blanchardstown. Mick Dowling reports onan initative that has the support of doctors, nurses,admin, catering and transport staff at the hospital aswell as concerned local residents

WoMEn and children looking forsafety could not be accommodated onmore than 3,000 occasions last yearbecause domestic violence refugeswere either full or were unavailablein a particular area.

According to Safe Ireland – this rep-resents a massive 38% hike on fig-ures for 2009.

Safe Ireland – a national organisa-tion for 39 frontline domestic vio-lence services – also revealed that ithad helped 7,235 women last year.

Women who felt under threat madea total of 38,629 calls to helplinesduring the same period.

Referring to the figures containedin Safe Ireland’s 2010 National Statis-

tics on Domestic Violence report, di-rector Sharon o’Halloran said: “Whena woman leaves her house with herchildren, often in the middle of thenight, she should expect to be accom-modated safely behind the first doorshe knocks on.

“While accommodation is found forall women who come to a refuge, if itis not immediately available, it onlyprolongs stress and anxiety.”

Ireland has just a third of the refugecapacity recommended by the Coun-cil of Europe.

Mandate has added its voice to thecall for better provision for womenand children who are victims of do-mestic violence. Aileen Morrisey, the

union’s co-ordinator for training anddevelopment, said: “As a union, Man-date has a high proportion of womenas members – and officials of theunion have, on occasion, had to helpand advise members when issues re-garding domestic violence impactedin the workplace.

“The role of Mandate's officials isone of support and, given the com-plexities of the situation, would directmembers to contact organisationswhich assist victims of domestic vio-lence.

“Mandate calls for resources to bemade available in order to ensure thatrefuges are available to victims of do-mestic violence.”

BoB Dylan could have been writingabout these times when he com-posed the lyrics ‘the times they area changing’ This was never so ap-parent than on a recent trip to theUS to connect with social and eco-nomic justice organisations.

Most striking was the shift in theparameters of the public debateabout wealth, income inequalityand social mobility, all in the spaceof a few months.

Mainstream print media and Tvnetworks are now regularly carry-ing stories and editorials question-ing how much inequality can betolerated and if wealth redistribu-tion is necessary to save the coun-try from the abyss.

Underpinning much of the debateis the realisation that the land ofopportunity or the so-called ‘Amer-ica Dream’ is more a myth than re-ality.

Up and down the country or intruth the east and west coasts, thefailure of the economic model to de-liver a meaningful and sustainablelife for so many people who callAmerica home is being discussedand debated.

The realisation that children arefacing a poorer and less secure fu-ture than their parents is a verypainful reality that is slowly dawn-ing on many Americans.

The aspiration of social mobilityhas in many respects underpinnedthe reasons why social and eco-

nomic inequality has been toleratedfor so long.

In the ensuing vacuum there is abattle royal between the ideologi-cally left and right to claim thespace that has emerged.

The rise of the Tea Party is a clearexample of the search for a vehicleto harness the views of the conser-vative value base within Americansociety. The occupy Movement pro-vides a much needed counter force.

Interestingly the similarities to befound in the manner with whichthey organise, cannot be over-looked or undermined.

GovernanceHorizontal governance and lead-

ership, grass roots mobilisation, anemphasis on values, flexibility anduse of online advocacy are provingto be powerful features of this newform of movement building on allsides of the ideological divide andin many respects are leaving thetraditional institutions standing intheir wake.

The occupy Movement in thespace of a few months has gener-ated more space for the progressiveleft than any other development indecades. Recent opinion polls showwidespread support for the idealsof the movement.

Many activists involved in social,economic and labour rights workall echo the sentiment that key is-sues especially income inequalityhave gone from being a marginal toa mainstream concern.

There is a growing consensusthat the occupy Movement is pro-viding the vital oxygen for progres-sive ideas and campaigns. Thedebate about what demands it has

and exactly what it stands for arelargely seen as irrelevant.

What matters is that it has an en-ergy that is resonating with themainstream and social organisa-

tions, trade unions and others. It isrealised that the key is not to at-tempt to coordinate, structure ormanage this phenomenon but to getbehind it practically and publically.

The overriding sense is that ‘busi-ness as usual’ is no longer goodenough and the challenge this pres-ents to traditional methods and or-ganisations is immense.

The attack on immigrant rights,trade unions and social justice workhas gained significant ground in re-cent years.

ProgressiveThis attack received a boost in

the past year as the Republicanstook control of the majority of statelegislators. Socially progressivelaws have been flipped or regres-sive ones passed. Anti immigrantlaws have been introduced in anumber of states. Undocumentedchildren in Alabama are to be re-ported by teachers and police pow-ers extended.

The political climate is such thatthe wildly supported Dream Act,which would enable children bornand educated in the US to be regu-larised, cannot be passed into lawat national level because of the po-litical stalemate on Capital Hill.

In a number of states, anti unionlaws have been introduced includ-ing the limitation of negotiatingrights in the public sector and mak-ing the collection of dues very diffi-cult. Alongside this concertedeffort is the reality that union den-

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For times they are By Siobhan O’Donoghue

Say it loud: US union National Nurses United march on Wall Street earlier this year

thinKinG outloud...

THE Irish retail sector could be ex-tremely important to the futurewell being of the Irish economy,both in terms of employmentnumbers and economic activity.

The sector comprises a diversenumber of employers rangingfrom the local independent storeto the multinational retailer. Thesector is also vitally important forthe employment of young workersand women.

But, behind the facade of a thriv-ing, flexible trading industry liesthe sad reality for tens of thou-sands of retail workers, the sectordoes not provide decent contracts,contracts which provide a decentliving wage on which workers cansurvive.

Compounding systemic low re-tail pay rates are the even poorerquality of contracts of employ-ment driven by employers’ greedto maximise profits and controlstaff.

The uncontrolled casualisationof the retail sector by employershas created a sector which gener-ates billions in turnover and prof-its but fails to deliver decentincomes for workers.

Employers urged by a desire toopen longer hours pushed outstore opening times and pulledback on quality in employee con-tracts, in many cases the contractsoffered by employers are little bet-ter than “zero hour” or “stand bythe phone” contracts offering nosecurity of earnings or times ofwork.

These pervasive contracts areoften used by employers to controlthe behaviour of workers or tolimit protest. For example, if youprotest against your treatment,then your hours of work and yourearnings are vulnerable to reduc-tion.

This is just one step away frombonded labour, where employers’decisions on your hours of workimpacts on your ability to put foodon the table, pay rent or make pro-vision for children. A tool of fearin the hands of unscrupulous em-ployers!

The vast majority of retail work-ers are now part-time, the major-ity of whom are “underemployed”,which means that they want morehours, more earnings, but the em-ployer won’t give them extrahours, preferring instead to fur-

ther casualise employment andoffer additional hours to an everincreasing number of part-timestaff who in turn cannot earn a de-cent living wage.

The Irish State and the Irish taxpayer also picks up the bill for thegreed of these profitable employ-ers through income support pay-ments such as Family IncomeSupplement (FIS), back to schoolallowances, welfare payments etc.

In effect this is a State subsidy, areward to retail employers to be-have badly.

Added to the misery beingcaused by insufficient contracts ofemployment is the drive by em-ployers to reduce unsocial hours’payments such as Sunday and outof hours’ payments.

This was clear during the em-ployers’ campaign to dismantlethe Joint Labour Committeeswhich set basic terms and condi-tions for workers in retail, restau-rants, hotels, cleaning and security.

The vast majority of Irish retail-ers through their membership ofIBEC and its sub committee, RetailIreland, applauded and supportedthe attack on lower paid workers.

Mandate will vigorously cam-paign to force retail companies toact responsibility and show com-mitment to their employees by of-fering new contracts ofemployment which give a decentliving wage.

Mandate will raise this issue atevery negotiating table with em-ployers, particularly those who arenow in bad times seeking the sup-port of their employees in turningaround the business.

We say, you show your employ-ees some respect and decent con-tracts and then and only then canyou expect the loyalty/support ofyour employees.

Mandate intends to expose thepoor behaviour of major retailersin not providing a decent livingwage for their workers.

We intend to name and shame –to expose the worst practices ofmajor retailers to consumers.

The message is simple: major re-tailers who do not support a de-cent living wage for their workersdo not deserve the support of con-sumers – many of whom are work-ers and trade union members.

Is a decentliving wagetoo much to expect?

sity is at its all time lowest.The light in the tunnel is the new

forms of organising and and al-liance building taking place acrosscivil society. Politicalisation ofunion members and sharing of re-sources and priorities are justsome of the ways in which unionsare fighting back.

In many cities unions have be-come active in supporting the localoccupy movement. Initatives likethe Working Families Party, an ini-tiative of several unions in newYork State demonstrates reallyinnovative ways of exerting po-litical pressure through the fu-sion voting system there.

It is impossible to avoid thedominant role of the media inUS politics. The 24/7 newscycle is relentless. Social changeorganisations require 24-hourtactics to keep up, never mindget ahead. Like in Ireland, theframing of public debate is cru-cial to gaining public support forsocially and economic just policies.

The role of Tv networks in shap-ing pubic opinion is very signifi-cant and many civil societyorganisations spend much of theirtime participating in debateswhere the terms of the discussionguarantee that they can notprogress their goals i.e. debatesabout budget cuts rather than fo-cusing on jobs.

The refreshing counter move-ment is the re-energised effort torebuild from the bottom up. Grass

roots mobilisation of union mem-bers, community members – geo-graphical and interest based,students, faith communities, pro-gressive thinkers are now consid-ering the most powerful andsuccessful approach to sustainablesocial change.

organisations and unions arepooling their energy, are sharingtheir resources and skills and join-ing forces to hold the line of de-cency at a state and national level.

The level of cooperation evidentin the social justice struggle is re-markable. Key issues like incomeequality, bank foreclosures, jobs,racist immigration laws, anti-unionattacks are dominant themes.There has been a noticeable shiftaway from formal coalitions to amore nimble, alliance-building ap-proach capable of a speedy andflexible reaction.

The interdependence of civil so-ciety actors who share mutual val-ues and goals has become thedriving force for moving campaigns

forward. The risks are obvious butin general the feeling is one thatthey ultimately have more to gainfrom cooperating than competingfor space, funding and recognition.

The obstacles are immense butthe possibilities for change arecrystalising in a way never knownbefore.

The energy generated throughthe occupy movement has real po-tential to be turned into transfor-mational power. This requires

decisive goals that match thescale of the problems faced onboth sides of the Atlantic.

Decisive leadership less con-cerned with holding power butbuilding grass roots ownershipwill be key as will be the capac-ity to stretch the boundaries ofour respective sectors, organi-sations and organising meth-ods.

There is no doubt that thebelief system that has held so-

cieties together is no longeraligned with the realities of peo-ple’s lives.

The winner takes all approachhas failed. The question is can weharness the anger and sense ofpossibility to break with the pastand realise a new tomorrow.

Siobhan O’Donoghue is Director of Mi-grant Rights Centre Ireland and an activemember of Claiming Our Future. She re-cently spend some time on the east coast ofUSA meeting with social and economic jus-tice, labour, immigrant rights organisations.

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http://inequality.org/http://www.faireconomy.org/http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/http://www.ips-dc.org/inequalityhttp://www.communitychange.org/http://www.seiu.org/

FACTBOX Useful websites

There’s somethinghappening here:Protest placardsfrom Occupy WallStreet

Growing andworking ourway out ofthe crisis

Youth-Connect Champion Laura Dooley: ‘Fascinating work that is very rewarding’

analYsis

Trade unionismThe next generation

By Michael TaftACCoRDInG to the Government,2012 is set to be a grim year. Con-sumer spending, investment, realwages, employment – all are ex-pected to fall. The domestic re-cession is expected to continue foranother year. And now the EUCommission has warned that Eu-rope is in danger of falling backinto recession.

For low-paid workers, thingslook grimmer still. Average wagesafter inflation are expected to fallwhile Minister Bruton has tar-geted wage cuts in the retail andhospitality sectors. With con-sumer spending falling, manybusinesses will cut back on theircosts – and that means wage cuts,shorter working hours and evenlay-offs.

In this appalling scenario theGovernment announced it will betaking nearly €4 billion out of theeconomy in the next budget.What can we expect? The Minis-ter for Finance is already lookingat increasing vAT and carbontaxes, in addition to the €100 flat-rate tax for households. Thesetaxes, taken together, are highlyregressive – they will impact onlow-income earners much morethan high-income groups. Thelow-paid are being forced to carrythe burden for the economic cri-sis.

The spending cuts will also hitthe low-paid. Child Benefit couldbe one target. Cuts in educationand health services will meanmore crowded classroom and lessteaching supports; fewer andmore crowded hospital wards. Inshort, the living standards will fallfor all workers.

The Government and theirmedia cheer-leaders will claimthese cuts are necessary to reducethe deficit. What the Governmentand their allies won’t admit is thatthe strategy is not working.Spending cuts do not reduce thedeficit (if they did, we wouldn’t bein a crisis or in a bail-out).

The growth which drives up un-employment (and all the costs as-sociated with that) while at thesame time driving down tax rev-enue. This is the hole that Gov-ernment has dug for all of us. Butinstead of trying to climb its wayout, the Government believes that

it only has to dig harder andfaster.

So how can we get out of thehole? ICTU has put forward athree-part strategy in its pre-bud-get submission, ‘Growth is theKey’. First is to substantially in-crease investment which will putmore people back to work andmore money back into the econ-omy.

Second, ICTU proposes new andhigher taxes be introduced forhigh-income groups. This doesless harm because those on high-incomes don’t reduce their spend-ing if faced with higher taxes –they just save less (unlike thoseon low incomes who have to cuttheir spending).

Third is to end overall spendingcuts which have the effect of driv-ing down employment in theeconomy while reducing thespending power of people on so-cial welfare. ICTU wants savingsachieved through public sector re-form, to be reinvested back intocurrent spending – back into pub-lic services and social protection.This will increase employmentand spending at no extra cost tothe taxpayer.

There is an alternative. ICTU’sprogramme will not solve every-thing. There will still be a longways to go to get out of this crisis.But, at least, we will finally beheading into the right direction.We can turn 2012 from being agrim year into a year of hope –hope that we can grow and workourselves out of this crisis.

Michael Taft is a political and economic researcher for Unite

By Fiona DunneInEvITABLY these days talk aboutthe economy swings around to theburdens left to future generations,the fatal blows of high unemploy-ment and mass emigration on theyoung and the perception that allyoung people are disenfranchised,disengaged and disinterested.

But this isn’t and doesn’t have tobe the case.

Walk into any school and youmeet a buzz of energy and enthusi-asm. For many students, there is akeen interest in the world of workand what rights they have in it, al-though, unfortunately, most of them

know next tonothing about therealities of theworkplace or therole of the tradeunion movement.

YouthConnect

seeks to address this. Since Septem-ber our team has been visitingschools from Dublin to Doneraile,Sligo to Skerries and Kilkenny to Kil-laloe.

We have met many students, someof whom are getting ready to leavethe cosy world of the classroom. Forthese and hundreds of other stu-dents, it is crucial that they aremade aware of all their rights andwhat they may face in the work-place.

TransitionIt is imperative that we help them

make as easy a transition as possiblefrom the school yard to the work-place.

But long before students everleave school it is important that theydevelop a set of skills which willstand to them throughout their lives.This is one of the reasons why wehave teamed up with the Irish Sec-ond-Level Students’ Union [ISSU].

We want to encourage students toestablish and participate in demo-cratic student-led school councils. Itis here that they will learn how toset an agenda, chair a meeting,analyse and assess issues, developand negotiate positions, somethingsimilar to what we do in the tradeunion movement. It will, hopefully,lead students to develop their ownvoice and participate in decisions af-fecting them, perhaps leading themto question the conditions in whichthey find themselves later on.

our ultimate aim is to connectstudents with the world of work andempower them to engage in deci-sion making, be it at school, collegeor work.

So how is this done? our Youth-Connect champions, recently gradu-ated teachers, are now visitingschools around the country andhave been getting a great receptionfrom teachers and students...

WHEn I first heard about YouthCon-nect, I was finishing my Postgradu-ate Diploma in Education in UCDand was very interested in gettinginvolved. I got in touch immediatelyand by the end of the summer, my-self and a few other graduates, hadjoined with Fiona to deliver talks di-rectly to students.

I have a dual role which is toschedule and visit schools, so itkeeps things interesting and busy.

Working in this project puts me indirect contact with hundreds of stu-dents and gives me the opportunityto visit numerous schools through-out the Dublin area.

The work is fascinating because Iget to see how each school operates,the different approaches taken andthe variety of questions studentsask. Each visit and class is differentwhich keeps the material fresh andme on my toes.

With an ambition to reach all sec-ond-level schools in the country,scheduling can be a logistical chal-lenge, but all in all things haveworked out very well since westarted. We have been warmly wel-comed by teachers and the studentsappear to have enjoyed the classes,particularly those who have earneda couple of freebies by answeringquestions.

A typical visit involves an early ar-rival at the school to meet the Prin-cipal or vice-principal and maybe aquick cuppa. I then set up and greetthe students. The presentation fo-cuses on the 5 modules of the teach-ing resource pack including workingrights and the role of trade unions. Iaim to keep it as interactive and dy-namic as possible which is helped byplaying the video, shot especially forthe project, getting the students in-

volved in discussions, pair work andsome project giveaways.

It’s a very rewarding role as thestudents are always enthusiastic andfind the topics, particularly workers’rights, relevant to their own lives.

The best part of the double class Ihave with them is always when theyshare their own experiences andstories. A lot of them are surprisedto find out that they are entitled torights and a minimum wage likeother workers.

I also highlight various injusticesthat are happening in the worldtoday in the hope that students willbecome more aware of their role insociety and their responsibility toothers. on a small scale this could

mean that students pay more atten-tion to where their clothes comefrom and the conditions those work-ers have, and on a larger scale couldlead to students deciding to becomeactive in their own campaigns toraise awareness and lend support toissues they feel are important.

Generally, the students are veryreceptive to these ideas and are in-terested in finding out more abouthow they can become involved andlend support.

We are hoping that we can en-courage students to get involved inour campaigns through our new,soon to be live, website, check outwww.youth-connect.ie over thecoming weeks for more information.

Day in the life...By Laura DooleyYouth-Connect Champion

BEInG proved right gives us no

pleasure. Media headlines in 2011

about European Union austerity and

threatened default of Euro zone

economies mask a grim reality.

Draconian public spending cuts in

the EU27 is causing economic stag-

nation leading to global recession as

trade unions long predicted.

UK unemployment rates rocketed

by 114,000 between June and Au-

gust 2011 to 2.57 million (8.1%) a

17-year high, according to official

figures (widely regarded as an un-

derestimate).

Some parts of Birmingham now

have official unemployment rates of

over 10% in the city where in the

1980s, local band UB40 sang: “I am

the one in ten. A number on a list. I

am the one in ten. Even though I

don’t exist. Nobody knows me. But

I’m always there. A statistical re-

minder. Of a world that doesn`t care.”

UK unemployment for 16-24 year

olds hit a record of 991,000 (21.3%)

last quarter. A new UK Chartered

Institute of Personal Development

poll of 1,000 firms predicts further

“slow and painful” contraction in the

recruitment market, which could

worsen if the Euro zone crisis thrust

the world back into recession.

This rising tide of joblessness is a

pattern familiar across Britain, Ire-

land and Europe.

Yet, profits for many private com-

panies are booming in this environ-

ment. Public spending cuts in

Britain are driving local authorities

and public service providers in edu-

cation, health, transport and hous-

ing more and more into the arms of

sub-contractors operating under avariety of euphemisms as ‘outsourc-ing specialists’, ‘facility manage-ment’ companies, labour-onlysupply agencies, etc.

Recently two of the world’slargest such firms G4S (which man-ages Britain first privatised jail,Birmingham Prison) and ISS (Dan-ish cleaning and catering company)narrowly missed out on a £5.2bnmerger, which would have createdthe biggest security and cleaningservices company and the second-largest private employer in theworld, with 1.2m employees inmore than 130 countries.

Firms like ISS, Carlisle Group(owned by Tory Party sugar daddy,Lord Ashcroft), Mitie plc, and othershave targeted public sector con-tracts in Britain to provide ancillaryservices and increasingly specialistengineering and consulting roles, aspublic authorities try to cut expen-diture by outsourcing employees to

firms that rely on a minimum wagebusiness model.

In this way contracts to publicservice agencies (universities, thenHS and local councils) and leadingprivate sector brands (such as vir-gin) have become a growth area in astagnating economy, where low payand abusive management practicesincluding racial and sexual harass-ment are often institutionalised andendemic.

Strategy

RMT as an industrial union organ-ising workers throughout publictransport has tried to develop astrategy in recent years targetingsub-contracting companies in thesector.

In the past few years some suc-cesses have been achieved throughrecruiting and organising sub-con-tracted cleaning workers and takingindustrial action to raise pay ratestowards a ‘London Living Wage’ fig-ure, the problems of low pay in the

sector extend nation-wide. This autumn, RMT targetted two

cleaning contract companies. RMTmembers employed by Churchills, acompany with a contract to cleanstations for the Tyne and WearMetro, a local authority-run publictransport system, ran a successfuland highly-public campaign in new-castle for trade union recognition.

Carlisle Cleaning Services, ownedby Impellam Group – part of thebusiness empire of top Tory taxexile Lord Ashcroft – has increasedits profits by almost 30% to £16.2million in the past year off the backsof its low paid workforce, yet offeredthe workforce a real-terms pay cutand moved to de-recognise RMT inan attempt to undermine the collec-tive strength of cleaners.

More than 350 RMT cleaners em-ployed by Carlisle on the virginWest Coast Mainline targeted SirRichard Branson’s virgin brand in afight to end poverty pay on the pres-

tige train route. RMT members took72 hours of strike action in octoberand refused to empty train effluenttanks or refill fresh water tanks forthe weekend 4-6 november.

Last week, Carlisle Group agreed a10% pay increase along with furtherimprovements in benefits, al-lowances and working conditions.

In the run up to the dispute RMTrecruited hundreds of new mem-bers. The deal means that sinceJune 2010 RMT has moved thecleaners’ rate of pay from £5.80 to£7.12 per hour by September 2013,so as a result of more than threeyears of campaigning and buildingthe union we have achieved a 23%increase in members’ pay.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crowsaid: “It is solely down to thestrength, solidarity and sheercourage of the virgin West CoastCleaners that we have been able tonegotiate this 10% pay deal. Wehave moved the cleaning contrac-tors, Carlisle, from a 1% offer to a10% settlement and in the currentclimate that is a fantastic achieve-ment.

“This 10% pay deal sends out amessage to low paid workers every-where that if you organise in a tradeunion, and are prepared to put up afight that you can win.

“RMT is now stepping up cam-paigns for a fair deal for cleanersand catering staff across the trans-port industry and the model cam-paign on the West Coast Main Linecleaners will be rolled out to othercompanies with the clear messagethat we can win.”

Alex Gordon is RMT National President

FREE the Miami Five activists in Ire-land have lashed as “vindictive” a UScourt ruling that prevents one of thedetainees René Gonzalez from re-turning to Cuba.

Gonzalez – the first of the five tobe freed – left Marianna prison onOctober 7 but under the terms of therelease must remain on US soil for athree-year probationary period.

Four others – Gerardo Hernández,Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañinoand Fernando González – remain inprison.

Upon his release and as he em-braced and kissed his daughters,Ivette and Irmita, Gonzalez said: “Iam to continue fighting until I die.”

The five were convicted of espi-onage activities against the US in2001 but claimed at their trial thatthey were only monitoring Miami-based anti-Castro terrorist groups.

They insisted their actions were

never directed against the US.Since then a massive international

campaign, supported by Mandate,has been launched to secure their

release. Simon McGuinness, CubaSupport Group Ireland’s national co-ordinator, told Shopfloor: "René maybe out of jail, but he will only be freewhen he arrives back on Cuban soil.

“There, a hero's welcome awaitshim and the arms of his wife, OlgaSalanueva, who is still banned fromvisiting him by the US authoritiesfor reasons it cares not to explain,let alone justify to the internationalcommunity.”

‘Legal limbo’Mr McGuinness claimed that Gon-

zalez was now placed in “a kind oflegal limbo” by the court move.

“He is no longer in jail yet he mustremain within the jurisdiction of theMiami court and daily run the gaunt-let of the very Miami-based terror-ists groups he had infiltrated.”

He added that forcing the proba-tion on Gonzalez was “vindicative”and a “new low for US justice”.

SENT to work undercover inMiami, their mission was togather information on Florida-based right-wing terroristgroups. Nearly 3,500 peoplehave died in terrorist attacks car-ried out against Cuba in over 50years. After their arrest, the fivewere accused of espionage andconspiracy offences and sen-tenced to varying lengthy termsin 2001. Amnesty Internationalhas described their treatment as“contrary both to standards forthe human treatment of prison-ers and to a state’s obligation toprotect family life”.

Newly-freed Miami Five René now in ‘legal limbo’

Reneé Gonzalez rings home after his release last month

FACTBOX Miami 5

platform

If we fight, we can winBy Alex Gordon Hands off

our union!RMT membersat CarlisleCleaning Services make theirfeelings clearPicture:RMT

CORK’S Millennium Hall hostedthe most recent Claiming our Fu-ture national discussion. Theevent debated the building of aneconomy for society. It was organ-ized in association with PlanBet-ter and over two hundred andfifty people participated.

The event was a response toconcerns that the current eco-nomic structure serves neither theenvironment nor society. It is builton resource misuse, high levels ofunemployment and diminishedpublic services.

The current economic structureis based on false accounting. Pros-perity needs to be re-defined interms of health, participation,

wellbeing and community ratherthan just money and possessions.New ways must be found of meas-uring progress in terms of socialinclusion and environmental sus-tainability rather than the narrowfocus of GDP.

The unrelenting and unsuccess-ful search for economic growth asa resolution to the current crisiswas critiqued by participants. Thisapproach will do no more thanlead us into the next crisis – theenvironmental crisis. Growthmust be robustly regulated to en-sure environmental sustainabilityand to achieve social cohesion.

Participants at the event ex-plored a range of elements thatcould contribute to an alternativeeconomic structure. Three ele-ments were identified as holdingparticular potential:

l A new value base is neededwhere the values of equality, envi-ronmental sustainability and par-

ticipation underpin economic pol-icy. Civil society organizationshave a key contribution to makein building and demonstratingsupport for these values

l A new localism is neededthat empowers communities withcontrol over their own wellbeing.Initiatives are required to maxi-mize the level of food, energy andwell-being services generated bylocal networks.

l A steady state economyneeds to be pursued. This is char-acterized by a stable populationand by consumption patterns ator below the carry capacity of theenvironment. It constrains currentand future use of non-renewable

physical resources but allows non-physical stocks, such as knowl-edge, to grow indefinitely.

The state was identified as hav-ing a key role to play in advancingchange. The state should enhancelocal economies, further developthe public services it provides,and regulate the national econ-omy to stop it damaging the envi-ronment and society

A consensus was articulatedthat change in our approach todevelopment was not possiblewithout political reform. Newforms of democracy are needed toenable a wider participation inthe decision making that is shap-ing our future.

CLAIMInG our Future has called on the gov-ernment to tax wealth in Budget 2012.

The national movement, which is endorsedby Mandate and campaigns for an “equal, sus-tainable and thriving Ireland”, claims Ireland’shigher income earners and wealthy can shoul-der more of the burden of budget austerity ad-justments which, up to now, have been mainlyborne by low and middle-income earners.

CoF is calling for the introduction of a seriesof ‘solidarity’ taxation measures on wealththat would avoid further cuts to welfare andpublic services and, provide additional fund-ing for job creation initiatives.

And it’s clear that there’s still plenty ofmoney left in the economy in the hands of thetop earners and wealthy.

According to the Sunday Independent Rich

List 2010, the 300 richest people in Ireland areworth close to €50bn.

And Ireland has the second highest propor-tion of millionaire households in the EU withan estimated 19,000 “high net worth individu-als”.

CoF states that the government could intro-duce a series of taxation measures on wealth.These could include, for example, high networth Irish citizens paying their dues here sothat the number of tax exiles decreases andeliminating tax breaks for those with high in-comes so that they pay their fair share.

Research reveals that tax increases are lessdamaging than spending cuts, less deflation-ary and are more effective in reducing thedeficit.

Furthermore, analysis of the impact of taxand welfare changes introduced in last year’sbudget shows that those on lower incomeslost a greater proportion of their incomes thanpeople on higher incomes.

But this masks further inequality, becausecuts to direct public services have a bigger im-pact on lower income households who aremore reliant on them.

Spokesperson Dr Rory Hearne said: “one ofthe most effective ways of enabling those with

the most to contribute a fairamount, a much greater amountthan they currently pay, isthrough taxation.

“Introducing such taxationmeasures on wealth is a politi-cal decision that can be made ir-respective of the confines of theIMF/EU agreement.”

Solidarity taxation measureswould involve putting in place“a progressive rather than a re-gressive taxation system” aswell as applying a levy on assetsand property worth over €1million; a levy on financialtransactions (Tobin Tax) and ahigher tax rate on incomes over €100,000.

“Low paid workers spend almost all of theirincome. High income earners on the otherhand don’t have to spend all their money, in-stead choosing to save it, invest in stocks andshares or investing it overseas.”

The idea of solidarity taxation on wealth is

not new, and indeed is growingin popularity across the world.

other countries – includingGermany, France and Canada –have various forms of taxationon wealth in place.

In August, American billion-aire Warren Buffett called onUS Congress to make him – andhis “mega-rich friends” – paymore income tax.

The legendary investor –known as “the Sage of omaha”– said the US governmentshould “stop coddling thesuper-rich”, and revealed thathe paid an effective tax rate of

17.4%, less than the 33% to 41% paid by em-ployees in his office.

The CoF warned that savage cuts to publicservices are being signalled for the comingbudget but underlined that the governmentcould, if it wanted, forge an alternative eco-nomic strategy instead.

Dr Hearne said: “The government has realchoices and if it chooses it can take some ofthe pressure off those suffering the most byensuring those with the most pay more.

“The austerity approach is clearly not work-ing. As consumption falls, unemploymentclimbs, essential services are cut, businessesclose, government revenue from taxation fallsand the cost of managing growing levels ofpoverty increases.

“Solidarity taxation on wealth is a real op-tion for the government to generate revenuewhich can go towards maintaining essentialpublic services and the incomes of the lowpaid and welfare dependent.

“Generating revenue by targeting the assetsof the wealthy and high incomes makes eco-nomic sense.

‘Patriotic Duty’“By failing to take this approach the govern-

ment is reneging on its commitments to fair-ness, inclusion and social protection. Those onlower and middle incomes have sufferedenough already and are being forced, in thename of ‘patriotic duty’ to pay the most for theeconomic survival of Ireland.

“It is time that the wealthy demonstratedtheir solidarity and patriotic duty.”

You can play a part in getting the govern-ment to tax wealth rather than cutting serv-ices and hitting the lower paid in the comingbudget by signing the petition that calls onTDs to vote for Budget 2012 ONLY if it in-cludes increasing taxation on wealth.

CoF aims to get 10,000 signatures and pres-ent these to TDs before the Budget. This willdemonstrate to the government the publicsupport for these measures.

You can play your part by:l Signing the petition on

www.claimingourfuture.ie

l Email your local TD asking them to sup-port the campaign. Let Claiming our Futureknow how they respond.

l Ask your friends, family, work col-leagues to sign the petition.

The enormous burden on families living on low and middle incomes is unfair, unjust, unwise and unsustainable. Ireland still has the 2nd highest proportion of millionaire households in the EU. Responsible wealthy people want to play their fair part. Increasing taxation on those who can well afford it will be less damaging than spending cuts, less deflationary and more successful in building recovery. Do what’s fair. Do what works. claimingourfuture.ie

Tax wealth - don't cut - for the common good.

Claiming OurFuture saysgovernment hasreal choicesabout raisingrevenuePicture: RMT

Solidarity Forever!TAxClaiming Our Future argue for new levy on wealth

Building an economy for Irish society

By Niall Crowley

Dr Rory Hearne: Time Ireland’srich did their ‘patriotic duty’

Ireland’s trans-union online monthlyProduced in association with Congresswww.ictu.ie/publications/fulllist/category/unionpost/NION POST

THE

U

news

ABoUT 120 Tesco shop stewardsfrom both Mandate and SIPTU havemet to decide a set of priorities indealing with management over thenext 12 months.

The subject of a pay rise was one ofmany issues discussed at the novem-ber 8 strategy meeting in Dublin.

There was a clear demand arisingout of discussions for management tore-enter meaningful pay talks early in2012. Correspondence was then sentto management seeking a commit-ment on talks.

A number of shop stewards wereelected to serve on the national nego-tiation Team. They are: Denise Cur-ran (Sligo), Dolores McKenna(Tullamore), Cliona Moore (Roxboro),Declan Murphy (omni Park), MartinMyles (Clondalkin), and PeterKennedy (Clearwater).

Speaking after the meeting. Assis-tant General Secretary Gerry Lightsaid: “It is vitally important that ourshop stewards, not only in Tesco butacross all employments, are given theopportunity on a regular basis tocome together to prioritise issueswhich require to be raised with theiremployers.

“This ensures that the union’sagenda remains relevant and drivenby the general membership.

“It is also vital that we retain the ca-pacity and confidence to remainproactive in our ability to bring issuesto employers rather than waiting torespond to their various agendaswhich have been filled with manynegative and regressive issues overthe course of the current economicrecession.

“What we do now will no doubtshape the nature of industrial rela-tions and employment relationshipafter the recession and possibly formany years to come.

“It is crucial that we face into themany challenges that lie ahead with asense of unity, confidence and a de-termination to achieve the best wepossibly can for all our members.”

Tesco shopstewardsmeet to settalks agenda

Tuning in to ideals ofConnolly Down UnderHUnDREDS of thousands of youngpeople have left Ireland in search ofjobs since the economic collapsethree years ago. Many have madetheir way to Australia, including sev-eral thousand who have settled inMelbourne.

According to the most recent cen-sus, from 2006, the Australian Stateof victoria had over 450,000 peopleof Irish ancestry and more than11,000 residents born in Ireland.There’s no doubt that has increasedhugely since.

With such a strong Irish heritage,it’s not surprising that Melbournehas a very active Irish community.The Connolly Association is a hugepart of that community having beenestablished back in the mid 1950s.

Irish Australian Molly neilson setup this group literally in the frontroom of her house. At first it pub-lished a magazine called The Harp,which gave political commentary onIreland. At the time, the meat indus-try and the construction industryhad a lot of Irish trade union offi-cials so it was distributed throughthe trade union movement and inIrish pubs as well as through regularsubscribers.

The magazine was publishedright up until the mid 1970s whenthe Connolly Association got a sloton the 3CR Community Radio Sta-tion and it was felt that it would becheaper and easier to get informa-tion out through this medium.

The Connolly Association firstbroadcast in 1975 under the guid-ance of Seamus McGettigan, a Done-gal native who was also mad aboutthe ideals of James Connolly.

Seamus was the face of the Con-nolly’s for many years and strangelypassed away on the same date asJames Connolly himself – May 11.

Since it first broadcast over 35years ago, the show has had a regu-lar stream of contributors.

Jim Cusack, one of today’s presen-ters, said: “Since I joined the showmore than 15 years ago, we’ve hadabout 10 presenters in total keepinga regular broadcast going everyweek.

“The show plays a big part in the

lives of some of the Irish who movedhere decades ago and perhaps donot have access to the internet tofind out what’s going on at home.They rely on the wireless and ourslot every Saturday morning to up-date them on developments.”

3CR is the perfect platform forThe Connolly Association accordingto David Gibney, one of the show’snew presenters.

It broadcasts daily and weeklyshows concentrating on a range ofissues including Aboriginal rights,women’s rights and workers’ rights.Set up in 1976 by members of theAustralian trade union movement togive an alternative voice to the peo-ple of Melbourne, 3CR has been a“voice of dissent” on issues such asthe Iraq war and the anti-apartheidmovement in the 1980s.

It was even attacked by other ele-ments of the media in 1978 and said

to be “the voice of terrorism” whenit supported the Palestinian strug-gle.

The radio station has strong linkswith the political left and includesshows such as the Solidarity Break-fast Show, Keep Left and Stick To-gether – all deriving influence fromthe Australian trade union move-ment.

Mr Gibney, who joined the Con-nolly Association earlier this yearhaving left Ireland in 2010, said:“The show is a great way for Irishemigrants to follow what’s reallybeen happening in Ireland.

“We have strong links with unionslike Mandate so we don’t just regur-gitate what other media outlets inIreland are saying. We’re close to thepeople who are on the ground andknow what the real issues are.

“We had in-depth coverage of theminimum wage cuts that took place

in Ireland earlier this year andwe’ve also covered the hugely im-portant issue of the abolition of theJoint Labour Committees (JLC).These issues, along with the crimi-nal bailout by Irish politicians of de-funct banks and propertydevelopers are just some of the sto-ries we try to focus on. Stories thatare perhaps not sexy but have realrelevance to millions of Irish people,at home and abroad,” said Mr Gib-ney.

“The Irish community in Mel-bourne is growing every day. Wehave thousands of Irish arriving,again, as a result of bad politicalpolicies implemented by Fianna Failand now other political parties.

“others will arrive from the sixcounties in the north as a direct re-sult of cuts by David Cameron’s gov-ernment. Many of the people whoarrive will go home at some stage,sadly others will settle down and behere for good.

‘Equality and justice’“For those that do go home, my

hope is they will be more engaged inwhat has happened and is still hap-pening in Ireland and will go hometo demand a better, fairer countrywhich is based around principles ofequality and justice for all its peo-ple.”

Mr Gibney concluded: “The suc-cess and longevity of the ConnollyAssociation is testament to the pridethe Irish diaspora have in theircountry. To paraphrase BrendanBehan, ‘other people have a nation-ality, the Irish have a psychosis.’

“We’ve had seven decades of vol-unteers sacrificing their time andenergy to keep the Irish spirit alivein Australia. Long may it continue.”

With developments in technology,you can now listen to the show on-line and it has listeners not only inMelbourne, but in Ireland, Swedenand as far afield as Japan.

If you’d like to listen to the Connolly Association, you can get listen in live at 10.30pm (Irish time) every Friday nighton www.3CR.org.au. You can alsocontact Connolly Association at theconnollyassociation@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

By David Gibney

Barry Goughand Jim Cusack, presenters on the ConnollyAssociationradio show inMelbourne

David Gibney – a former Mandate member who worked in Communications with theunion – outside 3CR radio station in Melbourne

SEnIoR management at the AlexonGroup admitted – like many retailersin Ireland during these difficult eco-nomic times – that business has suf-fered across all brands.

The admission, in a meeting withMandate officials, came as it wasalso revealed the fashion retailerhad been bought over by venturecapitalist firm Sun European Part-ners.

A review of the business is nowunder way and management willmeet the union again once this hasbeen completed. It is understood allestablished terms and conditions ofemployment have been protectedfollowing the transfer of the busi-ness.

Alexon Groupbought over

Course Title Dates Duration of Course Course Location

Union Representative Introductory January 16, 17, 18 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced Boots Specific TBC January 23, 24, 25 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced January 30, 31, Feb 1 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Introductory Tesco Specific TBC February 6, 7, 8 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced M&S Specific TBC February 20, 21, 22 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced March 5, 6, 7 3 days Galway

Union Representative Introductory March 26, 27, 28 3 days Limerick

Union Representative Introductory Superquinn Specific TBC May 14, 15, 16 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced May 21, 22, 23 3 days OTC Dublin

Health and Safety Elected Representatives Fetac 5 May 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 5 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Introductory May 28, 29, 30 3 days Cork

Union Representative Introductory June 11, 12, 13 3 days Galway

Union Representative Introductory June 18, 19, 20 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Introductory June 25, 26, 27 3 days Waterford

Equality and Integration July 10 1 day OTC Dublin

Tesco Forum Training TBC September TBC 3 days TBC

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced September 3, 4, 5 3 days Cork

Union Rep Introductory Boots Specific TBC September 10, 11, 12 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced Tesco Specific TBC September 17, 18, 19 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced September 24, 25, 26 3 days OTC Dublin

Marks and Spencer Forum Training TBC October TBC TBC

Union Representative Introductory M&S Specific TBC October 1, 2, 3 3 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced October 8, 9, 10 3 days Limerick

Health and Safety Elected Representatives Fetac 5 October 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 5 days OTC Dublin

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced October 22, 23, 24 3 days Waterford

Superquinn Forum Training TBC November TBC TBC

Union Representative Fetac 5 Advanced November 12, 13, 14 3 days OTC Dublin

Boots Forum Training TBC TBC TBC

*OTC = Mandate Organising and Training Centre / *TBC = To be confirmed. Course venues, dates and times may vary.

If you are interested in attending any of these courses, please contact your Mandate Official or the Mandate Organising and Training Centre at 01 836 9699.

MAnDATE members are very skilful.Working in retail and the bar tradesthey have developed a wealth of ex-perience and expertise which is anuntapped resource.

This resource is valuable to Man-date as it is our members who arethe union and are active throughoutthe organisation in various roles.

Unfortunately this resource isoften not recognised by employers.

We would regularly hear mem-bers question as to why their em-ployers do not accept that theyknow the business that they workin.

The changes that Ireland experi-enced over the last 10 years havebeen reflected in the changing na-ture of Mandate’s membership.

Some of our members are earlyschool leavers with others educatedto Leaving Cert standard. We alsohave members from a wide range ofnationalities, many don’t speak Eng-lish as their first language.

In 2009, Mandate undertook a na-tional Training needs Analysis(TnA) to identify the training re-quirements of members.

This TnA highlighted the need forwell-trained shop stewards andhouse committees to ensure thatthey could represent members intheir workplaces.

Along with this training the TnAhighlighted a requirement for IT,communication skills and personaldevelopment courses as well as

business English. The TnA uncovered a huge ap-

petite for training from within ourgeneral membership.

Courses based on the needs iden-tified by the TnA have been de-signed and are currently beingdelivered on a national basis.

Along with Mandate funding,

other funds have been securedthrough Skillnets and the vEC Skillsfor Work programmes. This fundingallows for courses to be free ofcharge for our members.

Some courses are so popular thatwe have members on a waiting list.

Members recognise that they cando a FETAC-accredited course anddevelop transferrable skills. Indeed,it is the development of trans-ferrable skills, not just company spe-cific skills that is a priority forMandate.

This is even more important nowin this current economic climate.Mandate is helping to equip mem-bers with the necessary skills tohelp maintain and develop their ca-reers.

There is the ongoing difficulty ofpaid release for training duringworking hours.

However, our members’ commit-ment to training has meant that theywill come to a night class after along day at work and apply them-selves to the training needed toachieve a FETAC award.

The experience has been highlyrewarding for those taking part andhas helped them discover their own

potential, their value to their unionand also their value in their work-place.

This is investing in the person,members have welcomed this andare really energised by it.

Members say that they thoughtthey were obsolete before trainingbut now that they have upskilled, forexample how to use a computer,they feel happier and more confi-dent.

Many members did not identifythe skill sets they already had butthe training has helped them recog-nise their potential.

They can identify their skills andare more confident in using them.Many are now going on to furthertraining courses with some pro-gressing to third level studies. oth-ers are becoming more activelyinvolved in their union.

Mandate helps members gain anappetite for training and personaldevelopment and helps membersadvance into a world of learning.

Aileen Morrissey is Mandate’s National Coordinator of Training

mandate shop stewards training programme 2012

Setting course for success!By Aileen Morrissey

‘Once I startedlearning, I found Iwas spending a lotof my spare timepractising my newskills and wantedto learn more’

‘I enjoyed the IT course very much and hopeto do an advancedcourse next year’

‘The course hasopened up a lot ofnew and creativeideas that I did not know werepossible’

Sarah Egan, Boots, TallaghtKay Morrin, Tesco, Rathmines

Verona Murphy,Boots, Tallaght

Members receive FETAC Level 3 awards at a presentation at Mandate OTC in September

FAMILY Income Supplement (FIS) is a top uppayment from the Department of Social Pro-tection for families on low wages. But mostpeople who would qualify don’t apply for thepayment – it’s been estimated that as few asfour in 10 of those who are eligible actuallyclaim their entitlement.

There are many reasons why take up is solow, for example, some think you can’t get so-cial welfare when you’re in work and othersworry that they’ll have to pay more tax if theyget FIS. none of this is true, and with so manyemployees under pressure trying to makeends meet, this is one payment you shouldcheck out if you’re entitled to.

Do I qualify for FIS?

FIS is for low paid families, so there arethree basic requirements to qualify:

1. You are employed: for at least 19 hoursa week (or 38 per fortnight).

If you’re part of a couple (married, civilpartner or cohabiting), you can combine yourworking hours;

2. You are living with at least one child: achild is under age 18, or under 22 if still in fulltime education.

3. You have a low income: your totalhousehold income, after tax, must be belowthe level set by the Department for your fam-ily size; in 2011 the levels for different familysizes are:

A nEW report has claimed retailers will needto hire larger numbers of older workers tocope with predicted labour shortages in thesector.

It is estimated that by 2050 two billion peo-ple will be aged 60 or over.

This “greying” of a sector that has tradition-ally attracted a large percentage of youngerworkers was the subject of an ILo Global Dia-logue Forum held in Geneva in September.

The conference, attended by government,employer and union delegates from 25 coun-tries, heard there was a need to adapt workprocesses and working environments to copewith this generational change.

According to the report’s authors, this wasessential as the retail sector was known cur-

rently for its “high labour-intensity and above-average labour turnover” and this reality hadto change to attract and retain workers whowere over 50.

John Sendanyoye, a commerce sector spe-

cialist with the ILo, claimed the commercesector had in the past focussed on attractinglarge numbers of workers who were under 30.

He said: “Traditionally, the retail workforcehas included a very high proportion of young

Benefits

Are you claiming what you are entitled to?

FAMILY INCOME SUPPLEMENT

workers. In the UK, for example, the 16-24 agegroup constituted nearly a third of the indus-try’s workforce in 2009. In the US, that agegroup constituted 29% of all retail workers.

“However, subtle changes in the age struc-ture of the industry are already taking place.

“While 16-24 year-old employees still domi-nate the retail profile in the UK, the number ofretail workers aged 55 or over increased bymore than 50,000 between 2002 and 2009,even as overall employment in the sector de-clined.

“This means that older workers now repre-sent one in seven of the industry’s workforcein the UK.”

ChangesHe said that retailers had to examine their

“employment practices, work processes andworking environment” in the light of thesechanges.

“Measures to make the sector more attrac-tive to such older workers need to be devel-oped and implemented by the social partnersin the retail sector, in cooperation with policy-makers.

“Such measures could draw on good prac-tices that already exist in both public and pri-vate sector organisations, covering such areasas training, development and promotion, flexi-ble working practices, ergonomics and job de-sign.”

Mr Sendanyoye added that these demo-graphic changes will create fewer problemsfor the industry only “if the right policy meas-ures are put in place”.

ILO reporton ‘greying’of retailworkforce

Demographic changes mean that the retail sector will increasingly need to recruit older workers Picture:Age NI

Family sizeWeekly household

income limit

1 child €506

2 children €602

5 children €703

4 children €824

5 children €950

6 children €1,066

7 children €1,202

8 or more

children€1,298

What’s it worth?

The amount of FIS you get depends on yourhousehold income and the number of children youhave.

The FIS payment is 60% of the difference be-tween your income, and the income level for yourfamily size.

The example below shows how FIS paymentsare calculated.

FIS income

limit€602

Take home

pay€450

Subtract

net income

from limit

€602 –

€450 =€152

FIS payment

is 60% of

payment

€152 x

60% =€92

Kevin and Susan are bothworking, but their hours havebeen cut. Between them theywork 30 hours a week. Theircombined weekly take homepay is €450, and they have noother income coming in. Theyhave two children.

Useful things to know and Family Income Supplement:

• FIS is a tax free payment.• only employees are eligible – hours

worked in self-employment cannot be used toqualify, but any income from self-employmentwill be included in your total household in-come.

• Both lone parent and couple families areeligible, and the income limits are the samefor both.

• once you qualify, the minimum FIS pay-ment is €20 per week.

• FIS is paid directly into your bank account.• FIS is paid for one year, after that, you

have to re-apply.• You can’t claim FIS if you’re getting a Job-

seeker payment, but if your partner is work-ing, they may be able to. You should checkwith the Department which payment is betterfor you.

• People who are separated and not livingwith their children, but who are “wholly sup-porting” their ex-partner (i.e. they have noother source of income), may also qualify forFIS.

How do I apply?

The application form can be downloadedfrom the Department of Social Protection’swebsite www.welfare.ie, or you can request aform to be sent to you.

Forms are also available from local socialwelfare offices.

You also have to provide evidence of yourearnings: your two most recent payslips, P60and Statement of Tax Credits.

If you don’t have these documents to hand,you should complete the form as fully as pos-sible and send it to the Department. You cansend on the tax documents as soon as you getthem.

The form includes a section that must becompleted by your employer.

Remember do keep a copy of the form, wageslips and tax documents – applications can gomissing!

If this happens, it will be a big help to have arecord of your application.

More than half of those eligible to claim FIS don’t do so. Camille Loftus does thesums and shows how it can make a realdifference to hard-pressed households

shopfloormandate trade union Got a

story?email our newsdesk at news@mandate.ie

and finallY...

THE TRADE union movement in Ire-land and across the EU must becomemore radical or risk becoming re-dundant.

Brian Forbes, Mandate nationalco-ordinator of organising, cam-paigning and recruitment, made thewarning at a special conference ofthe Independent Workers Party[Parti ouvrier Indépendant] in Parison october 2.

He outlined to delegates the im-pact of the EU/ECB/IMF troika-im-posed austerity programme onIreland and claimed an “internaltroika” – consisting of Fine Gael,Labour Party and Fianna Fail – wasintent on pushing through the meas-ures.

‘Orgy of speculation’Mr Forbes blasted the Irish banks

for fuelling “an orgy of speculation”not just in Ireland but across the EU.

He told delegates: “Ireland be-came the fifth-largest lender in theworld to Italy, Greece and Portugaland seventh largest lender in theworld to Spain, exposing Irish banks– and now the Irish people – todebts of €5.1bn to Portugal,€25.3bn to Spain, €40.9bn to Italy,and €7.8bn to Greece.”

Mr Forbes pointed out that cur-rent round of austerity measureswere doomed to failure.

“The much-heralded recoveryfrom the 2007/08 economic crisishas proved short-lived, and the poli-

cies pursued by the obama adminis-tration of quantitative easing andthe EU’s continuing attempts toprop up a collapsing financial sys-tem have been shown not to provideany long-term solution.

“The deepening crisis is exposingas never before that monopoly capi-talism has long passed its sell-bydate and is in deep, possibly termi-nal, decline.”

He said the political establish-ments had “neither answers or solu-tions” other than continuing the

assault on workers’ rights, wages,and working conditions.

“The political cliques have clearlylost touch with the daily realityfaced by tens of millions of people,whose lives and very existence havebeen turned into a nightmare inorder to pay off private corporatedebts assumed by their govern-ments without the consent of theirpeople.”

How the trade union movement inIreland and Europe reponded to thecurrent crisis was crucial.

He warned: “This will either re-sult in the movement becomingmore radical or redundant. There isno other way forward.

‘More partisan’“Trade unions must become more

partisan and clearly identify firstlywith their members and secondly tobecome the rallying point for themillions of unorganised workers.”

Mr Forbes added that in Ireland’scase, this meant breaking with thevery idea of Social Partnership “notjust organisationally... but more im-portantly with the ideology or politi-cal values that underpin it.”

Across the EU, it was also neces-sary to break the grip of the “exter-nal troika” of EU/ECB/IMF “over thelives of working people” as well aschallenging “the internal troika” of“the political establishment, bossesorganisations and the mass media”.

Unions risk being sidelined ifthey don’t take radical path

Brian Forbes at IWP conference in Paris

letters to the editor

I WOULD appreciate the oppor-tunity to highlight a very impor-tant campaign which Mandate isinvolved in and which I feel verypassionate about.

The Irish branch of the CleanClothes Campaign has been es-tablished and needs supportfrom retail workers across thecountry. I would urge membersto log on to www.cleanclothescampaignire-land.org and join us helping to

protect workers in the globalsupply chain.

Workers globally fromshopfloor to factory need tostand united and fight backagainst injustices everywhere.That's what CCCI is all about.Join us now.

Margaret O’Dwyer.Mandate Vice PresidentMarks & Spencer, Grafton Street

FOR the last six years I have worked for a multinational retailer inone of their Dublin stores. Recently my employer advised all staffthat they are seeking a 10% pay cut and if we don’t concede therewill be job losses.

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t afford a 10% paycut. My family and I are finding it very difficult to survive on thewages I earn each week.

While I accept that the retail sector is not trading well at the mo-ment, I do not see why my fellow workers or I should have to pay forthe mistakes of bankers and property tycoons and the retail bosseswho signed up to upwardly only rents.

During the so-called good times, my employer did not lavish mewith pay increases or other benefits. In fact, even during the goodtimes my wages were such that we barely got by.

Well, enough is enough! My workmates, with the help of ourMandate shop steward are organising our shop and contactingother shops. We are not going to lie down, we are going to fightback.

The members are the union, it is our responsibility to mobiliseour workmates and our union against the cheap shots by employ-ers – our union is the only line of defence between a decent livingand poverty.

Sandra Murphy, Dublin

Join our justice campaign

Can’t afford a 10% cut

Write to: The Editor, Shopfloor, Mandate Head Office, O’Lehane House, 9 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1

BLOW THE WHISTLEON THE BAD BOSSES

10MANDATE

DEMOpre budget

march against

austerity

dublin council of trade unions

reverse the Cuts! tax wealthY not needY!for an investment proGramme in joBs!

speaKers: eugene mcGlone (president iCtu & unite)•aviva shop stewardlucia fay (siptu hospital cleaner)•Cathleen o'neill (community activist)

SaturdayNovember 26

Assemble 12 noon Garden of Remembrance Parnell Square, Dublin. March to the GPO

1. An organising and campaigning union: Mandate is focused on building an activist base to protect and improve employment conditions. Through better organised workplaces and the power of the collective strength, we will deliverjustice for working people.

2. Modern and effective training:Mandate provides free courses to help you learn new skills, improve existing skills and develop you and your prospective career. We negotiate agreements with employers to pay for attendance at courses and also to provide reasonable time off foremployees to attend them.

3. Campaigning for success:Mandate is a progressive campaigning union fighting on issuesthat really matter to our members, their families and society in general. Mandate campaigns challenge social injustice at all levelsof Irish society.

4. Protection at work:Highly trained and skilled Mandate officials provide professionaladvice and assistance, where appropriate, on a variety of employment issues.

5. Safety at work: Mandate health & safety representatives are trained to minimisethe risk of workplace injuries and ensure that employers meet theirlegal obligations at all times.

6. Better pay:Year on year, Mandate campaigns for and wins pay rises for itsmembers. Mandate also campaigns to close the widening genderpay gap in Irish society.

7. Legal protection:Mandate has won significant legal compensation for members whoare injured as a result of an accident at work.

8. Mandatory pensions:Mandate has secured pension schemes with a variety of retail employers and will campaign to secure mandatory pensionschemes for all members working in the private sector, partcularlythose on low wages.

9.You’re less likely to be discriminated against:Mandate has won agreements with employers on respect and dignity at work policies and procedures. Mandate will continue tocampaign for tougher laws to make it illegal to discriminate on thebasis of sex, race, age, disability or sexual orientation.

10. You’re less likely to be sacked:Membership of Mandate protects you and strengthens your voicein your workplace.

Together we’re stronger

REASONSTO JOIN

JOIN MANDATE TRADE UNION ONLINE AT http://www.mandate.ie/Contact/Join.aspx