Latest 06.05.2008
Workers from the Ballymun Plaza Hotel have been fighting to recover their jobs and wages owed since the hotel was closed in April.
The hotel, owned by building giant Bennett Construction, opened in 2006. It was operated by a company whose directors operated the Tallaght Plaza Hotel, and operated an anti-union policy.
When the majority of workers joined SIPTU the operators refused to negotiate with the union. Workers were paid barely over the legal minimum and failed to receive promised pay increases, Sunday bonus and other entitlements. In April a shop steward was sacked on the spot for intervening in a case of bullying.
Workers representatives met with their union organiser and representatives of People Before Profit and planned a protest for the following day against the victimisation. However, just a few hours before that protest was due to take place, the hotel was closed, staff and guests put out by Bennett Construction subsidiary BBT. They were put out without wages and holiday pay owed.
Local people joined the workers in an immediate demonstration demanding their jobs back and their money owed.
Bennetts have washed their hands of responsibility, despite the fact that they have been favoured by Ballymun Regeneration with lucrative contracts for the rebuilding of Ballymun and tax incentives for the building of the hotel and private apartment complex of which it is a part.
The workers and their union have demanded that Bennetts write into any new lease for new operators the requirement to re-hire the workers with wages and conditions respected. They have refused to do this.
The operators of the hotel are linked through interlocking directorships with the Tallaght Plaza. Indeed the workers were paid from Tallaght. But the operators of Tallaght Plaza (many of the same directors) are hiding behind legal loopholes and refuse to pay the workers what they are owed.
As a result, workers and their supporters have mounted noisy protests outside the Tallaght Plaza and leafleted staff and customers.
But the workers’ spirit is high. On May Day around three hundred local people joined the workers on a protest march through Ballymun. And they continue to mount lightning protests at Tallaght Plaza.
The operators, their shadowing affiliates and Bennetts construction obviously hoped the workers would just get lost, so new operators could be installed with workers on rock bottom pay and without a union. But the workers have shown they will not go without a fight.
It is important that they are supported financially so they are not starved into submission.
A fundraising social has been organised for Saturday 10th May in the Sentanta GAA Club beside Ballymun library and other financial contribution will help them continue the fight.
22.04.2008
SIPTU to Enter National Talks
SIPTU delegates have voted overwhelmingly to enter talks about a new national pay deal. But the strong vote in favour of talks might lead some to mistake the mood of the union.
In a market based society, trade unionists rarely turn down the possibility of talking – either to governments at national level or to employers, locally or nationally. The real debate only starts when the outcome of talks become known.
Union President Jack O Connor gave an indication of the real mood when he said that there was as many criticisms of the last social partnership deal from those who favoured talks as from those who opposed entering a new round.
As a candidate for General Secretary, Kieran Allen is a well known critic of social partnership. At the conference, he argued that the last deal was a disaster for workers and that the whole model ties workers up in many clauses which prevent effective union action.
(An Irish Times report on the conference which stated that he said that the union ‘must’ enter partnership talks was inaccurate)
However, given that delegates have agreed to enter the talks, the question arises as to what demands will be pursued and what tactics will be employed.
The SIPTU conference highlighted a number of key issues.
Pay: The last partnership deal produced a pay cut. There was broad support at the conference for inflation proofed pay rises. Not only have workers a right to decent pay rises, but a rise in the Consumer Price Index must trigger off additional increases as compensation.
This policy of indexation is now official SIPTU policy and the union leaders should stick to it.
Pensions: The present global financial crisis shows why SIPTU must halt the drift to defined contribution schemes. Defined contribution schemes transfers risk onto workers - making their retirement earnings dependent on the stock market.
SIPTU must fight hard to defend existing schemes and guarantee full support for all workers who face demands for more contributions or a shift to DC schemes. It must also demand a legal mandatory pensions scheme which forces all employers to contribute.
Legal Rights: In the past, the unions failed to press for mandatory union recognition where employers would be compelled to recognise unions. After the Ryanair victory in a recent Supreme Court case, there can be no excuse for half way measures.
Typically, the union leaders go into talks with a long list of aspirations – and come out with terms which allow employers to tie workers up in knots.
This time it has to be different. The union leaders should be willing to walk away if they are told that pay rises will not meet inflation.
They should be willing to call German style warning strikes which involve workers in different industries in rolling stoppages to show employers and government that they mean business.
As the talks start, let us at least show that workers are serious about getting what we need.
02.04.2008
A Brilliant March For A Decent Health Service
Demonstrators expressing anger at our run down health service
PHOTO: Tina MacVeigh
The march for a decent health service that was organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions was inspiring.
It showed how the unions can form an effective alliance with different social groups to build a movement that puts the government under pressure.
There were large contingents from different hospital groups such as the campaign to save the Crumlin’s children’s hospital and the Monaghan Hospital Action Group.
SIPTU had a respectable contingent with a lively contingent from the Meath branch, in particular, keeping up the sprits.
No one should be put off by the figures given out on RTE. They claimed that the Garda estimate of the demonstration was a mere 4,000. Independent estimates, however, put the figure at somewhere in the region of 10,000.
An early indication of Garda bias came when the People Before Profit Allaince attempted to erect a canopy at Parnell Square. They were informed by the Garda sergeant that it had to be taken down because it contravened the wishes of the government!
Past experience shows that we should not regard these demonstrations as a one off flash in the pan.
The Ahern government has long since learnt to sit out mass protests in the hope that people will not only go away but become cynical about the lack of immediate results.
SIPTU workers making a point about the mess created by the HSE
PHOTO: Tina MacVeigh
After the huge anti-war demonstration in 2003, for example, Ahern even said that they were marching in support of his policies – and he then went on to allow 1 million US troops pass through Shannon on their way to Iraq.
The only way the movement against the two tier health system can succeed is if the protests escalate. Instead of simply repeating another big Saturday demonstration, we need to combine the protests with limited industrial action.
If the trades councils were to agree on a week day protest which involved an Irish Ferries style protest during working hours, that would really frighten Mary Harney and Bertie Ahern (or his replacement).
Congratulations to Ambulance Drivers
The threat of industrial action by 1,200 paramedics who are members of SIPTU has forced a climb-down by the Heath Services Executive.
The HSE had hoped to contract out some of the ambulance service to three private operators. These companies were determined to turn a vital service into a for-profit business opportunity.
But SIPTU ambulance drivers stood together and voted to stop this effective privatisation of the service.
As a result of their determination, contracts to three companies were withdrawn.
One of the owners of Lifelines Ambulances appears to be in a state of shock over the workers victory.
‘I have never heard the likes of this in my life. Mugabe wouldn’t pull a stroke like that’ said David Hall of Lifeline Ambulance.
The battle against privatisation should continue and the victory of the ambulance drivers shows that industrial action is the way to win.
