31/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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SIPTU members working in Section 39 organisations to ballot for strike action 

SIPTU representatives have today (Tuesday, 31st December) confirmed that up to 500 home helps working in community and disability services across Dublin city and county will be balloted for strike action early in the new year.

The decision follows the failure of some Section 39 organisations to honour a national “pay restoration” agreement brokered under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission between SIPTU representatives, the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).

SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell said: “SIPTU representatives have done everything possible to secure payments owed to our members in Section 39 organisations since a deal was brokered on 30th April, 2019. The organisations at the centre of this dispute provide home care services on behalf of the HSE through a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and have established pay links to public service pay scales. This pay relationship, which ultimately allowed for our members to have their pay cut in line with the Financial Measures in the Public Interest Act (FEMPI) during the downturn, is now being ignored while our members in the broader public service family are rightly having their pay restored and progressed through the Public Service Stability Agreement including an increase in take home pay from 1st January 2020. Our members in these organisations, all low paid workers, are falling further behind, having endured cuts in pay of approximately 6% and also suffering a cut in their hours which has had a knock on effect on service users and their families. They now have been left with no option other than to take action.”

“The balloting of up to 500 home helps will commence on Monday 20th January and include organisations such as Terenure Home Helps Services, Crumlin Home Care Services, Dublin West Home Care Services, Trinity Home Care Services, North Inner City Home Care Services and Fingal Home Care Services.”

Bell also confirmed a number of other Section 39 organisations that have not yet committed to pay restoration in the wider health and social care sector will also be balloted for strike action in January.

“These organisations, approximately 250 in total, will be balloted for strike action by SIPTU and other trade unions involved in this dispute, around the third week of January. These organisation are located in every corner of the country and many are household names in the provision of health and social services.”

He added: “In recent weeks, the Government has declared through the HSE and Department of Health under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission that these organisations have no budgetary provision made to pay these workers under the HSE service plan for 2020. This is simply not good enough and another attempt by DPER to frustrate the pay restoration process. The original 50 organisations that played a crucial role in our pay justice campaign, with the exception of Section 39 home care organisations, have all now received payment under the national “pay restoration” agreement. The cost of pay restoration for the remaining organisations amounts to €7 million.”

29/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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Sunday Read: Challenging the Far Right with the facts

In the last Sunday Read of 2019, we will look to dispel some of the myths surrounding immigration and the spread of fake news. The distortion of facts is no longer confined to extremist social media outlets. They are being brought into parliament.

For example, Noel Grealish hit the headlines recently claimed that billions of euros were being remitted from Ireland to Nigeria, implying that it could be the result of fraud or criminal activity. He deliberately ignored official data from the CSO (which the Government had supplied to him) showing remittance levels to be a fraction of his claim. Only a few weeks earlier he described Africans as ‘’spongers’.

Far-right and anti-immigrant groups are constantly distorting information on immigration in pursuit of their dismal agenda. For instance, they claim Ireland is being ‘flooded’ with immigrants.

It is true we have a high level of non-nationals living in Ireland. But what they don’t tell you is that over 20% come from the UK (including people from Northern Ireland) and other English-speaking countries. And many of these would be sons and daughters of Irish emigrants and working side by side with SIPTU members in our health service.

Of course, when the far Right talks about ‘immigrants’ and ‘foreigners’ they are referring to people from outside the EU and the US: Asians, Africans, South Americans and people from the Middle East. There are relatively few from these national groups living here in Ireland.

People from these regions make up only 2 % of the population. As for Africans – the target of Grealish’s vitriol – they make up only a fraction of the total population. And people from the Middle East, the target of Islamophobia, makes up even less. Another far Right claim is that immigrants come here to ‘live off the state’. This doesn’t hold up either.

In Ireland, unemployment among non-citizens is almost the same as the rate among citizens. In the EU the situation is much different, with non-citizens unemployment much higher. It should be pointed out that over recent years many EU countries (e.g. Germany, Sweden) welcomed a large number of people fleeing wars and deprivation.

It will take time to integrate these people into the domestic labour market. But the fact is that we have one of the best records of integrating non-nationals into our labour market. People don’t come here to sponge – they come here to work and make a better life for themselves. And in the process they help grow the economy which helps all of us.

One more trope of the Far Right is that we are being overrun with asylum-seekers or, as some would have it, ‘bogus’ asylum-seekers. Again, this is nonsense.

During the three years of the European migration crisis, 2015 to 2017, Ireland received 8,400 asylum applications. To put this in perspective, if asylum applications were at the EU average, we would proportionately have received nearly five times as many applications.

And while some argue we have a lax asylum regime, 61% of asylum applications are rejected, compared to an EU average of 45%.

All the claims of the Far Right and their allies collapse when we look at the reality. There are, however, many who get taken in by the claims and not because they are racist or anti-immigrant. Many are confused, hurting, looking for answers. Progressives must engage with this constituency with empathy, pointing out the reality and providing a better alternative for them, their families and their communities.

The Far Right – through its extremism and manipulation of facts – is trying to poison the immigration debate in order to polarise positions. In reality, they don’t want an informed debate on immigration. They want a shouting match. They hope, in this atmosphere, to make gains. We shouldn’t allow them that oxygen. We should challenge them at every turn.

And engage in an inclusive dialogue throughout society that can win people over to a positive message – about the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration and the immigrants themselves.

Thank you for sharing our message online throughout 2019, for all the positive feedback, downloads and recommendations. Happy New Year. See you in 2020.

25/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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Christmas Message: This is our SIPTU

2019, has been an eventful year for our union. Thousands of our members have stood on picket lines together, won increases in pay together and taken to the streets to demand better action on climate change, housing and healthcare.

Our union is making a difference in improving the quality of the lives of our members through our effective industrial, organising and campaigning work and 2020 will be no different.

SIPTU members in the health service will receive a pay increase from 1st January, 2020, as part of the Public Service Agreement 2018-2020 which places a particular emphasis on raising the wages of lower paid workers.

  • Low paid public service workers who earn up to €32,000 per year will receive a basic pay increase of 0.5% with effect from 1st January 2020.
  • This is in addition to the 1.75% paid with effect from 1st September 2019 and will be boosted by a further 2% due on 1st October 2020.
  • In addition, the income of public service workers will be further increased on 1st January 2020 with a raising of the threshold on the Additional Superannuation Charge to €34,500 giving an increase of approximately €250 per annum.

In negotiations for the current Public Service Agreement, SIPTU representatives prioritised the need for pay increases for lower paid public service workers.
It is essential that these staff, who form the backbone of our public health services receive the recognition they deserve with pay increases which will allow them to better provide for themselves and their families.

SIPTU remains committed to increasing the standard of living of these workers in any future Public Service Agreements.

It goes without saying, that as a union we have a lot more to do to cover the lost ground suffered by many workers during the economic downturn. However, we are on the right track and must continue to assert our rights as a movement to ensure fairness at work and justice in society.

Our collective success relies completely on the energy and commitment of the many thousands of SIPTU activists in workplaces across the country.

As we prepare for a New Year and new challenges we can face them with confidence in the growing strength of our union.

22/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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Sunday Read: Politics of say little and do nothing

Making virtue out of necessity is a tried and trusted political tactic.

With neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fáil able to command a sustainable majority after the 2016 election, and unwilling to give up the narcissism of small differences by forming a grand coalition, we were left with a ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement that pleased nobody.

Independents were brought into the government fold while the Soldiers of Destiny reserved the right to play hurlers on the ditch without pulling the plug.

The necessity of this ‘temporary little arrangement’ was wrapped up in the virtuous rhetoric of so- called ‘new politics’. Political reforms were to open up the legislative process, making it more deliberative and less confrontational.

Due consideration would be given to opposition proposals and private members’ bills. The Committee system was to be stream- lined and treated more seriously.

‘New politics’ was treated in some quarters as a breath of fresh air in 2016. Some thought it might last until 2017 or 2018 at a push.

One thing that wasn’t expected was that the UK would vote to leave the European Union later in 2016. Throughout 2019, political psychodrama across the Irish Sea has since kept audiences agog and kept the Dáil in suspended animation.

The ‘temporary little arrangement’ has lasted longer than many would have expected, providing stability in uncertain times. But, is this a good thing?

In reality, ‘new politics’ has been the triumph of the lowest common denominator. Private members’ bills are allowed to pass, but then languish in legislative purgatory. Votes have come to mean so little that some TDs have decided not to bother. Budgets are constructed to avoid offending anyone, thereby pleasing no one.

We have Sláintecare, an ambitious cross-party, 10-year plan to reform the health service but with- out a clear financial plan to ensure it is delivered.

The Government’s business-as- usual approach to housing policy is leaving record numbers homeless, a generation trapped renting and giving up hope of finding a place to call their own.

The political dynamic actively discourages risk- taking or policy experimentation. Better to be criticised for continuing with the failed policies of the past than to put your head above the parapet to propose something new.

Risk aversion has spread, infecting the opposition as well as government, small parties and large, left and right.

Private members’ bills and pol- icy proposals are largely reactive, a response to recent headlines and the political zeitgeist rather than anything strategic or transformative. Thinking small is the order of the day.

At the same time, candidates in the US Democratic Party’s primary ahead of the 2020 Presidential election are actively discussing universal healthcare, a Green New Deal, wealth taxes and a basic income.

If one believes opinion polls, then the next Dáil could look very like the current Dáil. The two largest parties should run each other close in terms of seats.

The Greens may gain a few seats but major change looks unlikely. Crucially, it isn’t obvious how to construct a sustainable majority. Lengthy post-election haggling looks inevitable.

There is scope for a progressive alliance to come together to form a blocking minority, without which it would be impossible to form a government unless Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil go into coalition together.

The internecine warfare that characterises left-wing politics in Ireland and elsewhere makes it, perhaps, a fanciful proposition, but if Sinn Féin, Labour, Greens, Social Democrats, and other left- leaning groups and independents can coalesce behind a radical policy programme as the price for power they could be truly transformative.

But, if they decide not to hang together, the history of junior coalition partners suggests that, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, they will most assuredly hang separately.

20/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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SIPTU members in the Public Service to receive pay increase from 1st January

SIPTU members in the Public Service will receive a pay increase from 1st January, 2020, as part of the Public Service Agreement 2018-2020 which places a particular emphasis on raising the wages of lower paid workers.

SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, John King, said : “Low paid public service workers who earn up to €32,000 per year will receive a basic pay increase of 0.5% with effect from 1st January 2020.

“This is in addition to the 1.75% paid with effect from 1st September 2019 and will be boosted by a further 2% due on 1st October 2020.

“In addition, the income of public service workers will be further increased on 1st January 2020 with a raising of the threshold on the Additional Superannuation Charge to €34,500 giving an increase of approximately €250 per annum. These measures were agreed as part of the provisions of the Public Service Agreement 2018-2020.”

He added: “In negotiations for the current Public Service Agreement, SIPTU representatives prioritised the need for pay increases for lower paid public service workers. It is essential that these staff, who form the backbone of our public services in areas including health and the local authorities, receive the recognition they deserve with pay increases which will allow them to better provide for themselves and their families.

“SIPTU remains committed to increasing the standard of living of these workers in any future Public Service Agreements.”

08/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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JLCs are good for workers and the economy

Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are made up of representatives of employees and employers and set minimum wages and working conditions across various employment sectors of the economy.

They originated in Ireland over a hundred years ago, retained by the independent state and went on to eventually cover a range of industries including hotels, catering, contract cleaning, retail, agriculture and other low-paid sectors.

When operating effectively, JLCs allow sector-wide collective bargaining that benefits workers, good employers and customers.

In 2014, the Government and the Oireachtas renewed the JLCs after they were struck down by the High Court. However, some employer organisations have blocked their operation. They do this by simply refusing to participate in the JLCs.

This has resulted in low wages, poor working conditions and exploitative business practices in those sectors, notably in the hotels and hospitality industry – the same problems that gave rise to their introduction more than a century ago.

The Industrial Relations (Joint Labour Committees) Bill 2019, proposed by Senator Ged Nash of the Labour Party, if enacted, will ensure that the functioning of JLCs cannot be obstructed. It would allow the Labour Court to make its own binding proposals in sectors where either the employer or employee representatives refuse to engage in the JLC.

This would allow the JLCs to operate as the Oireachtas intended them to and would be a strong incentive to employers to end their obstructionist tactics.

JLCs can raise wages and working conditions for all workers across a sector. This stops one business from undercutting another by paying lower wages. This protects both workers and businesses from ‘race-to-the-bottom’ exploitative practices.

The effective operation of JLCs is also good for the wider economy. Low pay is a drag on public finances. JLCs can help improve public finances. Increasing wages and working conditions boost tax and PRSI revenue while reducing social protection payment that are needed to subsidise low pay.

Poor pay and working conditions are economically inefficient. Businesses that rely on workers’ purchasing power suffer lower turnover which undermines their ability to succeed. Increased wages mean increased business activity and investment.

It is not just about wages and working conditions. JLCs ensure workers are provided a voice in their workplace. Though their union representatives, they can participate in negotiations over their contracts. Such voice and participation is the essence of democracy in the workplace.

Business productivity can also be increased by effective democracy in the workplace. Sector-wide collective bargaining reduces turnover and avoids conflict on the workplace floor.

Costs are lowered while income rises for businesses. Collective bargaining respects the skills and competences of each worker which, in turn, ensures that businesses can attract and retain employees in their workplace.

JLCs represent a new type of flexibility in the modern economy. Some employers can face real difficulties in the competitive market. There are ‘inability to pay’ clauses in the JLCs to protect them. Just as importantly, collective bargaining helps ensure that employee and employer representatives can more easily reach solutions as each side knows what is necessary for business survival.

Everyone who works hard for a living should be able to take home a Living Wage. This should be the measure of a decent society and this Bill will assist the nearly one quarter of workers in Ireland who are on low pay.

SIPTU fully supports The Industrial Relations (Joint Labour Committees) Bill 2019. We call on workers and trade unionists – especially those in the sectors that will directly benefit from the legislation – to contact politicians and ask them to support this Bill.

Politicians that do not support a realistic measure to raise the income floor for the lowest paid workers in the country, including those in the hospitality and contract catering industry, should pay the price when the next election comes around.

04/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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Inquest highlights the urgent need for emergency ambulance hand-over protocol

SIPTU representatives have tonight (Wednesday 4th December) demanded the introduction of an emergency hand-over protocol to assist ambulance crews who are unable to hand over patients to hospital staff due to overcrowding and lack of bed capacity.

The call comes as the Medical Director of the National Ambulance Service, Professor Cathal O’Donnell, told an inquest into the death of Margaret Callaghan today that the issue of ambulance hand-over delay is “endemic” and it is getting worse.

SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell said: “Our members have again expressed their deep concerns that the overcrowding crisis is obstructing them from doing their jobs effectively and they have demanded that an emergency handover protocol is put in place immediately to deal with it. We have an unacceptable situation where ambulance professionals and very expensive equipment is being held up for hours while other patients need immediate care. This is not sustainable and the Minister for Health needs to get involved before more lives are tragically lost. We need an immediate contingency plan to deal with this once and for all.”

He added: “We also need to see a dramatic increase in bed capacity to alleviate overcrowding and trolley pressure and to assist our members in the National Ambulance Service in the hand-over of patients.”

02/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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Employers to meet to discuss Section 39 pay impasse

HSE and several of these employers have confirmed that they will meet this Wednesday (4th December) for the purpose of addressing the ongoing impasse regarding pay restoration for thousands of SIPTU members.

SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell said: “While SIPTU is not party to these initial discussions, our representatives have been invited to attend a WRC conciliation conference. Hopefully, the HSE and the Section 39 Home Help organisations will resolve their dispute in a way that allows our members receive payment of outstanding monies in a timely and orderly fashion.

He added: “However, should an agreement not be reached, SIPTU representatives will commence balloting members for strike action in selected employments over the coming weeks.”

01/12/2019 Comments are off SIPTU Health
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New Commission needs agenda for public services as wave of unrest hits home

On 27 November, the new European Commission was approved with a comfortable majority and now that President Ursula von der Leyen is up and running we can expect an avalanche of proposals in the next six months. Many of these will be key for public service workers.

What will be proposed on fair wages, strengthening collective bargaining and social dialogue, the European Green Deal and the action plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights? With a more gender-balanced team than previous Commissions, will von der Leyen make progress in closing the gender pay gap and get EU member states to ratify ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment?

Public services are key

Von der Leyen has not addressed yet how she sees the role of public services – from education, health and social care to water, firefighting, tax inspection and municipalities and many more – in delivering on her promises. All of the initiatives will require a stronger role for public services. Forget the European Green Deal if you don’t strengthen the role of municipalities, invest in public infrastructure, fight against energy poverty and regulate public procurement to prevent tax payers’ money from going to companies that endanger the environment.

Public services are also crucial to ensure workers and our communities benefit from digitalisation, von der Leyen’s other priority. We do not honestly expect Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple to deliver health care for all, affordable, accessible and democratically, do we? Delivering on a European industrial policy or proposing a credible enlargement strategy, will also depend on the Commission strengthening good public administration and justice systems. These are the backbones of democracy and essential to stand up to corporate power and redistribute wealth and power. This Commission will be defined by how it relates to public services.

Fighting for quality public services

Public service workers across Europe continue to hit the streets. They are calling for the increased funding that is needed to deliver the quality public services people want. Strikes of care workers in Northern Ireland, actions in Latvia and Bulgaria, and the announced national strike in health and care in France for 17 December are all signs that workers, our families and our communities are fed up with austerity and want change. And that this change needs to be fundamental will be underlined by the fourth round of climate strikes across the world this weekend.

Protests have also been taking place in Ukraine. State workers are concerned about the lack of pensions indexation while the confederations have denounced proposals for changes to the labour code. Meanwhile electricity and nuclear unions have warned that new energy market rules (template EU) have led to the dumping of cheap electricity from Belarus and Russia. This is leading to the closure of coal-fired power plants and the mines that supply them. Nuclear power reactors are also loss-making. Our unions have calculated that about 100000 jobs are threatened with a knock-on effect on over a million people in 45 cities and towns. Nuclear workers have started an indefinite protest and EPSU has supported the union’s call to stop the destruction of the energy system and focus instead on renewables, energy efficiency and stable jobs. The unions are also calling on the government to engage in social dialogue.

Social dialogue

It is in the area of the social dialogue that we expect much from the new Commission. It will rapidly have to come with proposals to restore the rules of the social dialogue and discuss these with the sectoral and inter-sectoral social partners after it denounced them in the legal case we took against them (EPSU vs the Commission). One commentator has compared the rhetoric of the Juncker Commission about promoting and supporting social dialogue as Orwellian “doublethink”. The new Commission will have a credibility problem unless it addresses this.

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