New official forecasts predict a strong post-Covid economic bounce in Ireland, with growth of 4.5% per cent this year and 5% in 2022. The Department of Finance also believes the budget deficit – the gap between State spending and income – will fall quickly from next year, and be nearly balanced by the middle of the decade.

Speaking at the launch of Ireland’s latest ‘stability programme update’ last week, public spending minister Michael McGrath said he did not see a return to austerity budgets, as there will be no pressure to cut public spending or raise taxes significantly if the forecasts prove correct.

This optimistic outlook was broadly shared by the trade union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI), which last week forecast growth of more than 4% in 2021, and of 5% in 2022. Writing in NERI’s latest economic outlook, its co-director Tom McDonnell said the gradual easing of lockdown will trigger a prolonged economic expansion.

“The economy should be growing robustly on an annualised basis by the end of 2021. This assumes a successful vaccine rollout, a full or almost full opening of society, and retention of targeted supports for weakened but viable businesses,” he said.

Jobs remain a blot on the economic landscape for the time being, with unemployment projected to average over 16% this year before falling to about half that in 2022.

According to McDonnell, the labour market won’t fully recover until the end of 2023. “The extent of structural damage to the labour market remains unclear, but we anticipate scarring will be much less than previous crises,” he said.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has warned against an austerity response to the economic fallout. Last May he predicted the possibility of a radical shift in European economic policy in the wake of the crisis.

“The orthodoxies that shaped the response to the 2008 crisis remain ingrained, but they are incapable of addressing the sheer scale of the coming economic storm, not least as they would likely demand a level of austerity that democracies simply could not sustain. We need something radically different,” he wrote.

Less than a year later, those orthodoxies have become substantially less ingrained.

Callinan had also lamented the lack of US leadership under then-president Donald Trump. But his successor, Joe Biden is powering a new approach with unabashed investment in job-supporting infrastructure and Covid reliefs, as well as a new look at corporate tax rates.

Fórsa and other unions want a similar approach, and NERI is calling on the Government to take advantage of low interest rates to fund a multi-billion stimulus programme based on investment in infrastructure and the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

“Our view is that the Irish state’s revenue base will eventually need to be broadened. Corporation tax receipts are likely to structurally shift downwards over the medium-term given international policy momentum,” says McDonnell.

Read the NERI economic outlook HERE. 

Discussions aimed at agreeing an ‘action plan’ for civil service reforms are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. The action plan will outline measures to be implemented under the reform provisions of the new public service agreement, Building Momentum.

The union has told the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) that the new deal presents an opportunity to build on the spirit of flexibility and commitment shown by civil servants during the Covid-19 emergency. But it says the short duration and modest pay adjustments in Building Momentum are also relevant to the scope of proposed changes.

The agreement, which requires management to consult with unions on action plans in each sector, acknowledges civil servants’ “unprecedented display of commitment, flexibility, hard work and agility in public service provision” during the pandemic.

It commits the parties to harness this momentum to meet challenges like the continuing response to Covid-19, managing Brexit, returning to normal health service delivery, keeping schools open, establishing best practice on remote working, and addressing digitisation.

As well as modest pay adjustments this year and next, Building Momentum includes a process to address the so-called ‘Haddington Road hours,’ with money set aside next year to fund changes to working time for those affected.

The pay provisions are strongly skewed towards the lower paid, with higher percentage increases for those earning less than €50,000. The deal also includes a sectoral bargaining provision, worth 1% of pay, and strong protections against outsourcing.

Ireland’s national minimum wage could be replaced by a superior ‘living wage’ once the Low Pay Commission produces a report on the issue later this year. A living wage, defined as the minimum necessary for a single full-time worker to meet their basic needs, is currently estimated at €12.30 an hour. That’s 20% more than the current statutory minimum wage of €10.20.

The Government asked Low Pay Commission to examine a move towards a living wage earlier this month. It’s due to report in the second half of this year.

Launching the initiative, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the pandemic has caused society to redefine frontline and essential workers, and reconsider the value placed on their work. “Traditionally, when we thought of frontline or essential workers, we thought of nurses, doctors, Gardaí or firemen. Now we think also of retail workers, drivers, security guards, transport workers and cleaners.

“One of the legacies of the pandemic must be a more inclusive society that better rewards work and enterprise. That means better terms and conditions for lower paid workers. Moving to a living wage is an important part of this,” he said.

Fórsa general secretary, Kevin Callinan welcomed the development, saying it was not before time. “While the prospect of a living wage in Ireland is encouraging, the fact that the current minimum wage falls below the poverty threshold is nothing short of scandalous.

“The term ‘working poor’ has no place in a modern, just society and cannot be eliminated soon enough. The pandemic has proven the value of all work and those engaged in traditionally low-paid jobs should be properly compensated for their contribution,” he said.

The timing of Government’s decision has been criticised by some business lobby groups, but the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ social policy officer Dr Laura Bambrick said that, for some, there would never be a good time to have this conversation. “It’s never a big bang. Change is incremental and done over a number of years,” she said.

The Low Pay Commission study will examine the design of a living wage in an Irish context, considering all social and economic implications.

It will also set out a process for Ireland to progress towards a living wage by looking at international evidence, researching different calculation methods, and examining the policy implications of the move.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Fórsa president Michael Smyth is organising a mental health webinar for members, which will focus on building resilience. The one-hour virtual event takes place at 7.00pm on Thursday 6th May.

Psychologist Shane Martin will present the session on the concept of ‘bouncibility,’ using a blend of stories, humour and evidence-based strategies to help strengthen resilience.

The event comes off the back of a similar webinar hosted in March. The previous lunchtime session was so successful that an evening event is now being facilitated for members who couldn’t attend the first one.

If you’re interested and available to attend on the day, please register here. Members will be contacted with log-in details the day before the event.

Unfortunately, recording is not permitted so it won’t be available to watch back at a later stage.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, Fórsa also has a free, confidential counselling helpline available to members 24/7. Details of that and other helplines can be found here.

It’s never been more important – or easier– to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Almost 90% of workers aged over 55 believe they suffered age discrimination when looking for jobs. More than a third of respondents to a new survey also said employers considered them too old for sectors such as IT.

The research into ageism and bullying by the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre (ABC) at Dublin City University found that discrimination against older workers began as early as the recruitment stage.

The report states this has largely to do with the stereotyping of older workers. The negative stereotypes include features like resistance to change and less ability to learn new skills, especially in technology. But evidence to support these stereotypes is rarely found and the capacity of older people to learn is largely unaffected by age.

The evidence strongly indicates that older people are more likely to report incidents of bullying than any other negative event. There is further evidence that older people are regarded as being unsuitable for acquiring new skills and encounter barriers associated with pensions and taxation.

However, the research states older workers often take the view that the opportunity to learn new skills is crucial and continued job training is necessary over the years to retirement.

The report states that older employees were criticised more severely and often managers took the view that the performance of older workers bore an inherent relationship to their age. There is also evidence regarding the retirement intentions of older workers and bullying, and other negative experiences which can impact on retirement decisions.

Ireland currently has one of the youngest populations in the European Union, but the Central Statistics Office anticipates that the number of people over 65 years of age will rise from 630,000 in 2016 to around 1.5 million by 2051.

This means that older people will be working for a longer period due to longer lives, changes in provision to pensions, changes in house rental and ownership, and changes in overall quality of life and work-life balance.

Age discrimination is outlawed under equality legislation, and the researchers behind the report have called for greater awareness of legislation among managers and staff.

The health department was recently told to pay a Fórsa member €40,000 for age discrimination after the union took her case to the Workplace Relations Commission.

Read the report HERE.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

A new report has revealed that 80% of the Travelling community are unemployed, and recommends a programme of public sector work experience and internships as part of a Government strategy to increase Traveller employment.

The report, Travellers in the Mainstream Labour Market, which has been welcomed by Fórsa, says government departments, local authorities and state agencies should be included in efforts to boost employment opportunities for Travellers.

It also says employer’s body Ibec should promote local partnerships between private companies and Traveller organisations to create work experience and employment opportunities in the private sector, and calls for more Traveller employment liaison staff in the Department of Social Protection.

Commissioned by the St Stephens Green Trust as part of a strategic plan to contribute to improving equality outcomes for the Travelling community, the study sets out the experiences of the Travelling community in accessing, participating and progressing in employment. It includes interviews with members of the Travelling community, employers, trade unions and policymakers.

It highlights barriers such as the much lower level of education of many Travellers, and experiences of stereotyping and micro-aggressions by the Travelling community in the workplace, and says trade unions should prioritise recruiting and supporting Travellers.

In the foreword Senator Eileen Flynn said that racism is at the heart of the problem, and needs “a deep and multi layered response,” but welcomed the actions and solutions set out in the report. “Drawing from the experiences of Travellers and employers, we are offered a framework for individuals, organisations and the state to play their part,” she said.

Fórsa official Billy Hannigan, who represented the union at its launch, welcomed the report’s recommendations.

“There are a number of factors in play but attitudes and stereotypes are central to why Travellers find it so difficult to find and retain employment. It’s vital that we change this culture and it can only be done through collaborative hard work and will require action by employers and trade unions,” he said.

Read the report HERE. 

The issue of period poverty is back in the headlines after supermarket chain Lidl this week announced it is to make period products free in its stores across the country.

The products will be redeemable via a monthly coupon available on smartphones. And the retailer will also donate quarterly to the Simon Community so that that people without access to the store’s app can avail of the service.

The move makes Lidl the first major retailer in the world to offer the products free of charge, in what appears to be a significant step in addressing period poverty.

The British Trades Union Congress (TUC) has highlighted the high cost of period products. Its women’s equality policy officer Sian Elliot said menstruation was treated as a private matter, despite the fact that it affects half the world’s population.

“The financial burden of having a period is felt acutely by the most vulnerable. Women struggling to make ends meet in low-paid, precarious work. Girls living in low income households. Asylum seekers, refugees and homeless people. No one should be excluded from participating in education, work or society because of their period,” she said.

Recent research has shown that 46% of women in Ireland have had problems accessing or affording period products, while some 41% reported missing work or school due to their period. An astonishing 73% of respondents said they’d used period products for longer than advised.

Fórsa equality officer Geraldine O’Brien welcomed Lidl’s intervention, but said people shouldn’t have to rely on private corporations to provide what should be a public service.

“As well as the promise of practical help, this advances the conversation and creates awareness of an issue that affects millions of women. But we need a guaranteed, widely-available, and publicly-provided programme to ensure that period poverty is addressed now and into the future,” she said.

Geraldine also pointed out that Lidl refuses to allow their workers to be represented by trade unions. “If it wants to be seen as a fully progressive company, Lidl must engage in collective bargaining with workers through their chosen trade unions,” she said.

In November 2020 Scotland became the first country in the world to provide free and universal access to period products after a four-year campaign, this has seen fundamental shift to the public this discourse around menstruation in that country.

"While we are someway behind Scotland, we welcome the fact that there are currently two period justice bills making their way through the Oireachtas," said Geraldine.

The opposition Period Products (Free Provisions) Bill would require period products to be available in all public service buildings including schools and education institutions. It would also oblige the health minister to run an information campaign on the initiative.

Senator Rebecca Moynihan who tabled the opposition bill said her public consultation on the topic had found nearly half of women experienced problems accessing or affording period products while 60% faced increased difficulties accessing these items during the pandemic.

A separate Government bill was introduced some time later. It would require the health department to introduce a free period products scheme.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to provide a range of period products in all publicly-funded educational settings.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Ireland’s minimum wage workers are likely to have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic compared to their European counterparts, according to new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) research.

It found that 43% of Ireland’s minimum wage workers were employed in the accommodation, food, wholesale or retail sectors, which have experienced the greatest employment disruption due to the pandemic. This figure is higher than in any of the other countries it studied.

The research compared minimum wage employment in Ireland, to a representative group of comparable European countries.

Its analysis also suggests that, compared to their EU counterparts, Ireland’s minimum wage workers may be more susceptible to negative employment outcomes due to Covid-19 public health measures.

Public health measures have led to business closures in almost all European countries, with accommodation, food, and retail hardest hit. Young workers, women, non-nationals and those with low education levels are most likely to be on minimum pay rates.

Unions have called for a 30 cent rise in the statutory minimum wage when it’s next amended in January 2022. This would be an increase of 2.9%, which would bring the hourly rate to €10.50.

In its most recent submission to the Low Pay Commission (LPC), the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) also highlighted the Government’s pledge to increase the statutory minimum to living wage levels, currently estimated at €12.50 an hour, over its lifetime.

Read the ESRI report HERE. 

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Fórsa members, and their spouses or partners, can be in with a change of winning a year’s free car and home insurance by entering a competition organised by Glennons Insurance.  Just contact Glennons to renew an existing car or home policy, or take out a new one and you will be automatically entered into the draw.  

The competition closes on 30^th June 2021 when a winner will be chosen at random – and have their premium refunded. Glennons are insurance experts with over 70 years’ industry experience. They have worked with the union for many years.

Get more information HERE  or call 01-707-5800.

Trade unions across the island of Ireland have united to denounce the attempted murder of a part-time PSNI officer in county Derry earlier this week. The targeted woman is a member of PSNI civilian staff and a trade union activist, who also serves as a part-time police officer.

It’s understood she was about to get into her car with her three-year-old daughter when she spotted a suspicious device. It was primed to detonate and create a fireball when she started to drive.

The attack was denounced by every trade union on the island at a meeting of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) executive committee, which took place on Wednesday (21st April).

Speaking after the meeting, ICTU general secretary Patricia King said trade unionists were appalled and angry at the attempted murder of the woman.

“We stand with her. She is a public servant who has been active in her union, Nipsa, and whose duties bolster the peace process through the administration of justice for all in society. This is an attack on all of us who voted for the Belfast agreement and who have advocated for its full implementation,” she said.

ICTU assistant general secretary Owen Reidy said: “What did this woman or her child do to deserve being burnt alive? How does that advance any cause? This is the misogyny of an easy target and needs to be called out.”

He also slammed the “cynical sectarianism” that continues to fuel threats and attacks on many workers.

“Over 80 PSNI officers have been injured in recent weeks, and threats have been levelled at bus workers and journalists. Everyone has a duty to make clear their support for the institutions we have supported since 1998, and to exclude those who attack the foundations for a just and peaceful society,” he said.

We’ll be remembering all those workers who’ve been killed or injured in work-related accidents on international workers’ memorial day, which takes place next Wednesday (28th April). Along with trade unions across Europe, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has adopting the theme ‘workplace health and safety – it’s your right’ to highlight the need for robust health and safety practices in all workplaces.

This year’s memorial day will feature a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony to remember all those who have been killed, injured, or made ill at work. An online event will be broadcast on ICTU’s social media platforms at noon on Wednesday.

Worker safety and health is everyone’s business and can only be tackled through a collaborative approach. New figures from the Health and Safety Authority show that there were 490 work related-deaths in Ireland between 2010 and 2019.

International workers’ memorial day presents an important opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives or sustained injuries at work, and place health and safety centre stage in the workplace.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said building more homes won’t solve the housing crisis unless they are affordable. Its latest housing briefing also calls for action on the near-collapse in public housing provision.

ICTU says a major ‘affordability gap’ has been created in the home purchase and rental sectors, with the median house price in Dublin virtually doubling from €200,000 to over €390,000 between 2012 and 2020.

That requires a household income of at least €100,000 a year to qualify for a mortgage, and puts homes beyond the reach of 85% of households.

The median national price of a new build home has also risen 44% since 2016, to €355,000. The lack of affordable accommodation and the absence of public housing has seen a huge spike in the subsidies paid to private landlords through housing assistance payment (HAP) and similar supports.

Meanwhile, rents have risen by over 23% since 2015. The average monthly rent in Dublin now stands at €1,745, while some 91% of rents in Dublin now exceed €1,000 per month.

Budget 2021 saw almost €1 billion allocated to rental subsidies and leasing from landlords, which is 30% of the national housing spend.

Congress says the fall in public housing provision has amplified the problem. In 2008, the combined local authority build was almost 5,000 homes. By 2014, it was just 104.

Despite a housing need of some 20,000 in the Dublin region, the four Dublin authorities added just 2,352 public housing units net to stock, between 2017-2019.

Further, on the issue of low-cost delivery, figures from the housing department show that, by utilising public land, local authorities can deliver two affordable homes for the price of one privately-developed house.

Congress says the Land Development Agency bill 2021 doesn’t guarantee that public land will stay in public ownership and lacks any useful definition of an ‘affordable’ home. It says the Affordable Housing Bill is similarly flawed.

Despite the vast State subsidies flowing to private landlords, the sector is characterised by chronic insecurity for tenants, low quality accommodation and poor enforcement of standards.

Congress has called for the establishment of security of tenure through ending no-fault evictions and creating indefinite tenancies and leases. It also wants rent pressure zones to be expanded to establish national rent regulation, with rents set with reference to the rates in each locality.

Read the Congress briefing HERE.

Workers are being reminded about the importance of hand hygiene and surface cleansing in a new Covid-19 campaign from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment’s #WorkSafely.

The campaign includes a short video on hand-washing, as well as posters and leaflets that can be circulated in workplaces. They include reminders that thorough and regular cleaning of frequently-touched surfaces helps stop the spread of the virus.

It is vital that people continue abiding by these guidelines as society opens back up, whether they have been vaccinated yet or not. The only way to guarantee continued suppression of Covid-19 is by following public health advice.

The work safely protocol will play a central role as more people begin returning to workplaces in the coming months. This is a revised version of the ‘return to work safety protocol’ published last May, which Fórsa was intimately involved in developing.

The protocol requires employers to implement a number of safety measures in advance of staff returning to workplaces. At union insistence, it included a requirement for employers to recognise at least one Covid-19 lead worker safety representative, with more in larger employments.

Fórsa also won confirmation that civil and public service employers must abide by the protocol's measures, and that it would apply equally to employees who remained in their workplace throughout the first lockdown.

For the video on hand hygiene, click here.

For Covid-19 printable posters and leaflets, click here. 

For access to the HSE’s full suite of safety materials and resources, click here. 

To read the work safely protocol, click here. 

For more information, click here.

Workers who wish to join Fórsa can to do so using a new ‘join online’ function on the union’s website.

Going live with the new system follows several months of research, preparation and testing aimed at making it easier than ever to join the union. It also goes live as the union continues to process a large number of new membership applications, as interest in joining the union has surged since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan commented: “The current crisis has created the necessity to be able to carry out our business in different ways. Work on this project had commenced before the Covid-19 crisis took hold, and its completion marks a vital step as we tackle the challenges of living in changed times.

“We can see that more people want to join a union in response to what’s happening in the wider economy. It’s vital that they can take those initial steps quickly and easily, and making the membership application process more accessible is part of that process.

“This is a crucial new venture to enable Fórsa to substantially increase our membership - and to strengthen the union’s hand - at a critical time in the union’s development,” he said.

The online facility is a streamlined and simplified membership application process, and will be the quickest and easiest way to join the union. All incoming applications will continue to be subject to check-off and approval by Fórsa branches and the national executive committee, while the new online system is designed to ease the administrative burden on branches.

You can join Fórsa online at https://join.forsa.ie/

Many Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearings will now be heard in public, after the Supreme Court ruled that this should happen in cases where the commission is involved in the “administration of justice.”

The ruling, which rejected a wider claim that the way the WRC operates is generally unconstitutional, also means that WRC adjudicators’ published decisions must include the names of the parties in such cases.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has warned that the changes could have serious implications for workers. It says it will seek to ensure that amendments to relevant legislation will reflect the need to protect workers.

Up until now WRC adjudication hearings were heard in private.

In a statement, the WRC said: “In the ordinary course, members of the public, including members of the media, will be permitted to attend hearings under the various employment and equality rights statutes, subject to technical arrangements being put in place.”

It added that complainants can choose not to proceed with a complaint, or the parties can settle or seek to have the complaint mediated – rather than adjudicated – without a need for a public hearing.

All WRC hearings are currently being held remotely due to Covid restrictions. But journalists and members of the public can now request a link to adjudication hearings.

The Supreme Court ruling also required legislative changes to introduce the swearing of oaths in WRC cases that involved the administration of justice, and where there is “a serious and direct conflict of evidence between the parties.” As an interim measure, the WRC has said it will suspend cases where this arises prior to the necessary amendment of the Workplace Relations Act 2015.

The new procedures will also introduce penalties for giving false evidence in the relevant WRC adjudications. Read the WRC statement HERE. 

Fórsa is here to protect you if you have problems arising from the coronavirus or other workplace issues. The best way to contact the union at this time is HERE.

We will deal with queries as quickly as we can but, needless to say, the union will prioritise cases where members’ jobs and incomes are at immediate risk – as well as any serious health and safety issues that may arise.

Fórsa has cancelled all face-to-face meetings for the time being. The union is redeploying its staff to prioritise engagement with management on proposals arising from the Covid-19 public health crisis, and to provide rapid and efficient responses to members’ queries and concerns.

Fórsa's main phone line (01 817 1500) is now open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively members can use the Contact Us page on the Fórsa website to submit queries directly to the relevant division within Fórsa and this remains the most efficient way to access advice directly.

Wherever possible, Fórsa staff have been equipped to work remotely. Therefore, members should not attend Fórsa offices at this time. If you have a query or concern, the best way to raise it is to contact the union HERE.

The Spring newsletter of the Justice for Colombia campaign (JFC) outlines the devastating impact of the pandemic and an escalating human rights crisis, which has led to Colombia’s most challenging period since the 2016 peace agreement. 

With livelihoods disappearing due to Covid-19, trade unions are demanding worker protection and economic support for struggling families. The newsletter reports that when Colombia belatedly rolled out the vaccine in February, more than 50,000 people had already died because of the virus. 

Colombia is the world’s most dangerous country for trade unionists, with the EENS trade union organisation registering 3,240 murders between 1971 and 2018, and at least 18 trade unionists were killed in 2020, while two teachers were murdered on New Year’s Day 2021. The Colombian government has been widely criticised over its ‘complicit silence’ regarding the violence.

You can download and read the full newsletter HERE.

May Day screening

A May Day online special screening of A Colombian Family will take place at 7pm on Wednesday, 5th May. Colombian trade unionist Ruby Castano, a mother and grandmother, has seen family and friends murdered because of their trade union work, and receives regular threats to her life.

A Q&A event with Ruby and Mariela Kohon of the TUC will take place, with JFC chair Mick Whelan and director Tanja Wol.

Register to take part in this unique event HERE.