Articles A
Government stalls pay talks as low earners struggle
by Bernard Harbor
 

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath has said he hopes further engagement between his officials and public service unions will lead to a pay agreement by the end of this month.


The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath has said he hopes further engagement between his officials and public service unions will lead to a public service pay agreement by the end of this month. But he confirmed that the Government was continuing to consider “how far we can go in an affordable way.”

 

Any agreement would also apply to staff in non-commercial State agencies.

 

Workplace Relations Commission-brokered pay negotiations ended without agreement on 17th June after Government proposals fell far short of 2021 inflation and projected 2022 cost-of-living increases. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) officials subsequently told the WRC that the Government side needed more time to reflect on its position.

 

ICTU’s Public Services Committee (PSC), which represents almost all unions with members in the public service, subsequently backed the union negotiators’ view that the Government’s pay offer could not credibly be put to ballot while low and middle-income workers were struggling with soaring prices.

 

In a letter to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, who leads the unions in the talks, said an improved Government offer had been expected after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told RTÉ that the Government was prepared to make “a further offer.”

 

But there has since been no indication that DPER officials have been sanctioned to make an improved offer.

 

Kevin said that, in common with workers across the economy, public servants were currently bearing the full brunt of large and sustained increases in the cost of home heating, fuel, food, housing, childcare, and many other essentials.

 

In his letter to the WRC, he said unions had triggered the Building Momentum review clause almost four months ago with the objective of improving the pay element of the agreement, taking account of higher-than-expected inflation in both 2021 and 2022.

 

“When it eventually responded in May, the Government indicated that it also wanted to discuss – and achieve certainty on – public service pay in 2023. The PSC officers were open to this on the explicit basis that it could not be a substitute for a review and improvement of the 2021-2022 pay terms.

 

“The Government offered an additional increase of just 2.5% for the period of the current agreement, which is now under review with the assistance of the WRC. This is clearly inadequate when inflation is likely to be at least 9% over that period.

 

“It, therefore, remains our position that this offer cannot credibly be put to ballots of low and middle-income public servants. This position cannot change unless the Government side is prepared to make an improved offer for 2021-2022.

 

“The PSC also agreed that its officers could not credibly reach an agreement about pay in 2023 before the current pay terms of Building Momentum have been properly reviewed and adequately improved,” he said.

 

The unions understand that the Government would prefer an extension of Building Momentum to be agreed and ratified prior to the October Budget statement.

 

“Although this would require individual union ballots to be conducted, it remains achievable if the Government side is prepared to make an improved offer, and if we can reach agreement on an outcome that can be credibly put to ballot,” said Kevin.

Aer Lingus members working through toughest summer season
by Niall Shanahan
 

Fórsa has said its members in cabin crew, pilot and administrative roles working at Aer Lingus are currently working through one of the toughest summer seasons in decades. The airline has had to cancel numerous flights to and from Dublin Airport in recent weeks as a spike of Covid-19 infections among crews continued to affect its operations.


Fórsa has said its its members in cabin crew, pilot and administrative roles working at Aer Lingus are currently working through one of the toughest summer seasons in decades. The airline has had to cancel numerous flights to and from Dublin Airport in recent weeks as a spike of Covid-19 infections among crews continued to affect its operations.

 

Eugene Gargan, former Fórsa vice president and now assistant general secretary, said the aviation industry globally is experiencing enormous challenges as the demand for air travel has surged in the wake of pandemic restrictions.

 

“The pendulum has swung from the darkest days of the pandemic, when our members were on reduced hours and working for a fraction of their salaries, to a situation defined by very heavy demand, alongside capacity challenges in airports across Europe, which is especially noticeable in Dublin and the London hub airports.

 

“While working through one of the toughest summer seasons in living memory, crews have now been hit with a highly infectious strain of Covid, which has had an adverse effect on staff capacities, and this has contributed, at least in part, to the flight cancellations in the last two weeks,” he said.

 

Eugene added that in the day-to-day experience of cabin crew staff, dealing with understandably stressed passengers is one of the current challenges: “Passengers can arrive on board and bring their frustrations of the airport queues and delays with them, which you can understand.

 

“But cabin crew are expected to deal with that, get them on board quickly, and often while having to deal with other operational issues.

 

“I think it’s important that passengers and Aer Lingus senior management are mindful of these day-today challenges. Cabin crew are experienced and dedicated professionals and continue to do amazing work that helps to sustain the airline’s good reputation,” he said.

 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Gender-based violence strategy broadly welcomed
by Róisín McKane
 

Fórsa has broadly welcomed a new national strategy on domestic, gender and sexual based violence as a step in the right direction. The union has also called on the Government to introduce statutory paid leave for victims of domestic violence.


Fórsa has broadly welcomed a new national strategy on domestic, gender and sexual based violence as a step in the right direction. The union has also called on the Government to introduce statutory paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

 

The new €363 million strategy claims a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, gender and sexual based violence, and includes tougher penalties for abusers and a much-needed doubling of refuge places. 

 

Each of the nine counties that currently have no domestic violence refuge are to get one under the new plan.

 

The strategy also seeks to clearly identify children and young people as witnesses, victims and survivors. It says national support services for children as victims and survivors will be rolled out, alongside therapeutic counselling services and parenting supports.

 

Fórsa national secretary Ashley Connolly has commended the ambition and scope of the plan, but said that Government, societal and workplace efforts are essential to supporting victims.

 

“We welcome this plan, but we need to see it implemented. There is an urgent need for legislation to establish a statutory paid leave as part of a package of workplace measures to assist victims of domestic violence,” she said.

 

Last May, delegates at Fórsa’s national conference in Killarney unanimously backed a motion from the union’s national executive calling for statutory paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

 

Ashley stressed that victims of abuse should feel supported in their workplace and said that they should not face losing pay or employment because of domestic abuse. “Financial independence from their abuser is essential for women experiencing domestic abuse, and employment is a key element of financial independence,” she said.

 

Ashley commended employers already working with the union on the issue and once again called on Government and employers to work with trade unions “to develop clear policies and procedures to support victims of domestic abuse and gender-based violence.”

 

Read the national strategy HERE.

 

 

State measures needed to handle AI
by Mehak Dugal
 

The spread of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not expected to lead to net job losses. But it will mean that certain jobs will disappear, to be replaced with new employment opportunities over time. 


The spread of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not expected to lead to net job losses. But it will mean that certain jobs will disappear, to be replaced with new employment opportunities over time. That’s according to a recent report from the expert group on future skills needs, which advises the Government on skills and labour market issues.

 

But Fórsa has warned that strong State measures will be required to ensure that everyone shares in the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and other new technologies. That came following the launch of Ireland’s first national artificial intelligence strategy last year.

 

A 2019 Fórsa report on automation made the case for dialogue, consultation and agreement with unions when employers sought to introduce major new technologies.

 

The report, Acting On Automation, also highlighted the need for training and skills development for workers under threat of ‘job displacement’ as AI becomes more embedded in the economy, a point echoed in the group’s report. The union had also warned that the introduction of AI should not be used as cover for outsourcing.

 

The report said AI had the potential to improve work-life balance by reducing working time. This would help ensure that the productivity benefits of new technologies are shared between businesses and their staff.

 

In the same year, a Fórsa submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said civil and public service management should work with unions to ensure that the introduction of new technologies did not lead to job losses, outsourcing or poorer services.

 

Fórsa’s civil service head Derek Mullen, who penned the paper, said the union would not oppose the introduction of new technologies like AI, but added that technological advancement should not undermine services or jobs. He pointed to the experience of Revenue, where new forms of work organisation, supported by retraining, had increased the tax-take and improved audit and fraud control rather than cutting jobs.

 

Read the new expert group on future skills needs report HERE.

Radical housing policy rethink urged
by Bernard Harbor
 

The Government must reverse three decades of failed policy that abandoned social housing to the market, according to an expert on housing policy.


The Government must reverse three decades of failed policy that abandoned social housing to the market, according to an expert on housing policy. Speaking at the latest union-backed ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign event in Kildare earlier this week, Dr Rory Hearne of Maynooth University criticised the continued focus on promoting private housing rather than funding local authorities to provide homes.

 

He also called for public land to be used for social and affordable housing, and said a State construction and retrofit company was needed.

 

“The crisis will continue to spiral out of control unless we see a transformative change in housing policy and treat housing as a human right, holding a referendum and putting the right to housing as a guiding framework for our housing system in the constitution,” said Dr Hearne.

 

His comments came as new research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) identified a marked drop in home ownership levels, particularly among younger households. Its report warned that, as a result, more people would be stuck in the rental sector after retirement.

 

The ‘Raise the Roof’ meeting was part of a nationwide programme featuring housing experts, trade unions, political parties, and people affected by the crisis.

 

Kelly Anne Byrne told participants that she’d lived in foster care and became pregnant and homeless at sixteen. She said there were over 3,000 children without the security of a home.

 

“Since I have a permanent home my children and I have thrived. All children deserve a safe place they can call home and I am here to stand up and fight for them,” she said.

 

‘Raise the Roof’ coordinator Macdara Doyle said unions were building support for a radical change in housing policy. “A core part of that change is the urgent need to place affordability at the heart of housing policy and to make it the key, overarching goal, as opposed to a simple focus on the number of new homes,” he said.

 

Feature Article
Have we got your number?
by Niall Shanahan
 

It is vital to every member of Fórsa, and to the union, that we have accurate and up-to-date contact details for everyone. If you have recently changed job, or if your postal or email address has recently changed, you can update your details on a new dedicated web page at forsa.ie.

 


Fórsa recently launched its new membership database system (Solas) which is designed to improve the union’s communication with you, and to ensure we have up-to-date contact details for all our members.

 

This initiative was informed by the experience of the pandemic, which underlined the necessity for us to keep in touch with you through reliable digital contact details.

 

The new membership system is fully compliant with GDPR data protection requirements and allows you to update your contact details directly. You can do it HERE.

 

Personal

In anticipation of a possible ballot on a public service pay deal in the coming months, it’s crucial that we can contact you.

 

One way to ensure Fórsa can always provide you with the information you need is to provide a personal email address, as many employers block information sent from the union to your work email address. Even those that permit mail from Fórsa could choose to block union communications at any time.

 

Once we have your personal email address, we will always be able to reach you and ensure that you are fully updated on important developments, including ballots.

 

Privacy

Please share this message with colleagues who may not receive the Fórsa news bulletin. To update your details quickly and easily visit the update my details page on the Fórsa website and complete the online form.

 

You can download a copy of Fórsa’s privacy statement HERE, which sets out how Fórsa is committed to protecting and securing your personal data in accordance with Irish and EU data protection legislation, specifically the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU)2016/679) and Irish Data Protection Act 2018.

 

Visit Update my details at forsa.ie 

 

 

 

Also in this issue
Eoin Ronayne takes up new role
by Bernard Harbor
 

Eoin Ronayne has stepped down from his position as Fórsa deputy general secretary to take up a new role working on targeted organisational projects for the union while providing support to general secretary Kevin Callinan in his role as ICTU president.

 

The former Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) general secretary has served 28 years as a senior full-time union official the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), CPSU and Fórsa. He played a huge role in the 2018 Fórsa amalgamation and successful bedding down of the new union.

 

This was after the CPSU’s 2015 conference adopted his report, which recommended talks on the creation of a single public service trade union and a massive 76% vote in favour of setting up Fórsa in 2017.

 

Following the amalgamation, he led the new union’s organisation and development initiatives as one of three joint general secretaries.

 

Eoin joined the CPSU as financial secretary in 2002 and became deputy general secretary five years later. He served as the industrial official for social protection the Revenue Commissioners while handling the union’s communications brief. He was also the CPSU’s lead union representative at the Civil Service General Council.

 

Appointed general secretary in May 2012, Eoin led the union out of the ‘Croke Park II’ public service negotiations in the spring of 2013, and into a ‘No Alliance’ with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

 

When Croke Park II failed to win backing across the public service unions, he led the union in the talks on what became the Haddington Road Agreement. While rebuilding relations with other public service unions, he mounted a CPSU campaign to prioritise lower paid workers as the economy began to recover from the austerity crisis.

 

Building better links with IMPACT, in particular, he secured CPSU support for the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which delivered on the longstanding CPSU goal of flat-rate increases for lower paid workers.

 

From the beginning, he highlighted the demand for the roll-back of the additional working time introduced under the Haddington Road Agreement.

A former RTÉ News journalist and radio producer, Eoin was appointed Irish secretary of the NUJ in 1994.  As an activist, he led a four-day RTÉ strike in 1984, which was the last major stoppage in the state broadcaster.

 

During his time in the NUJ, he also worked to achieve ground-breaking freedom of information legislation and fought an 11-weeks court battle in an attempt to prevent the closure of the Irish Press.

Young employees worry about work
by Mehak Dugal
 

Temporary work is most common amongst young workers aged 16 to 24, with a third of this group employed on temporary contracts according to a new report. The Working in Ireland Survey 2021 finds various forms of labour market insecurity are highest amongst young workers.

 

It found that temporary work remains relatively common for those aged 25-34, a group that includes recent graduates, where one-in-ten works on a temporary basis. This compares to one-in-eight of all Irish employees across the economy.

 

Almost half of workers aged 16 to 34 worry about pay cuts and young workers are less confident than their older counterparts about their ability to secure a new job. Again, almost half of them are worried about their ability to find a new job.

 

Young workers are also significantly less secure about maintaining their current income level than their older counterparts.

 

The authors of the report, Patrick Gallagher and Ciarán Nugent, say there is a growing concern with the expansion of precarious employment, particularly among young people.

 

“The increasing numbers experiencing precariousness have been linked to the longer-term labour market impacts of the global financial crisis and the ongoing decline in union density,” they say.

 

The research also found precariousness has far-reaching implications for young workers, including adverse outcomes in health, housing, and delay in family formation.

 

It also says Ireland is an outlier among European countries in terms of earnings inequality, market income inequality and has one of the highest shares levels of low-paid work in the EU.

 

Read the Working in Ireland Survey 2021 HERE

WRC recovers €1m in unpaid wages
by Niall Shanahan
 

Last year the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) recovered just under €1 million in employees’ unpaid wages. It inspected 4,500 workplaces as Covid restrictions coincided with a significant increase in demand for its services.

 

Some 12,000 individual complaints were received by the WRC’s adjudication service in 2021, while the number of hearings that took place increased by 75% on the previous year. Almost all the hearings were held virtually, and almost 90% of disputes dealt with at the WRC through its conciliation service were resolved.

 

The information is detailed in the WRC’s 2021 annual report, published last week, and details how the variety of services responded both to the demands imposed by the pandemic, in addition to its response to an increasing demand for services.

 

Operating remotely, the WRC’s information line dealt with 55,810 calls, an increase of almost 6% on 2020. The body’s inspectorate completed 3,433 inspections, and helped monitor the Covid return to work safely protocol along with the Health and Safety Authority.

 

WRC director general Liam Kelly said the State body was required to continuously fashion its services to changing circumstances during the pandemic. “Despite the challenges posed by Covid, the WRC handled a 6% increase in enquiries, an 8% increase in individual and collective disputes, and scheduled more adjudication hearings than prior to Covid.”

 

Mr Kelly added that, during the period, the WRC also published a code of practice on the right to disconnect and opened a new office in Cork, which is now hosting the vast majority of in-person adjudication and conciliation hearings in the region.

 

Read the annual report HERE.

 

 

New Fórsa salary protection scheme launched
 

A new 80,000-member strong salary protection scheme was launched on 1st June. The culmination of two years of work and packed with new benefits, the Fórsa Salary Protection Scheme is a merger of four separate schemes available to members of the three unions that amalgamated to create the new union in 2018.

 

The merger of the schemes will also stabilise the price, while ensuring fairness and equal access for all union members. Had the schemes remained separate, it’s likely that there would have been significant increase in rates for all the schemes.

 

All scheme members are now covered for:

  • Disability benefit up to 75% of salary*
  • New death benefit, which is typically two times annual salary
  • New specified illness benefit: A once-off lump sum of 25% of annual salary for 55 specified illnesses**
  • New partial payment specified illness benefit: A once-off lump sum of €12,500 or 12.5% of annual salary (whichever is less) for one of the 36 less severe, but still life altering, conditions
  • New children’s specified illness benefit: An additional benefit of €15,000 if your child suffers a specified illness, or €7,500 if your child suffers a partial payment specified illness
  • New Fórsa MyDoc: An easy phone and online healthcare service for you, your spouse or partner, and dependent family members living with you. Book free consultations and get prescriptions, sick certs or referrals
  • Terminal illness benefit: 25% of death benefit, accidental death benefit
  • New breast and prostate education and preventative programme run through Beaumont and Bon Secours hospitals
  • New tax return service for claimants
  • New will service for members.

The new scheme is open to Fórsa members in hundreds of different grades, professions and occupations. And it means that members in civil service executive and clerical grades will now have access to the full suite of benefits that were previously only available to other Fórsa members.

 

These include life cover, specified illness, and retired members life cover.

 

It also means civil service clerical officers won’t have to apply to transfer to a different scheme if they’re promoted. Existing executive and clerical scheme members will benefit from the additional benefits at no charge for the first six months from the date of the review.

 

After that, the cost of full membership is 1.99% of gross salary with effect from 1st December 2022. But existing executive and clerical scheme members can opt out of the full benefits prior to September and maintain the income protection benefit only at a cost of 1.44% of gross salary.

 

Cornmarket, which administrates the merged scheme, is to write to members individually to notify them of the changes. Meanwhile, all existing schemes members will automatically transfer to the new scheme on the enhanced benefits set out above.

 

Find out more

If you have questions, or want to make a claim, you can speak to a member of Cornmarket’s team on these numbers:

  • Queries and questions: 01-408- 6280 or spsadmin@cornmarket.ie
  • Claims: 01-408 4018 or spsclaims@cornmarket.ie.

Watch a short video about the new scheme HERE.

 

Read the full terms and conditions, including a full list of specified illnesses and the policy definition and criteria of each illness, 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.

 

*Less any other income that you may be entitled to (eg, half pay, ill health, early retirement pension, temporary rehabilitation remuneration, state illness benefit or state invalidity pension).

 

** There is only one specified illnesses benefit and one partial claim per member per scheme.