Feature Article
Votáil 100: centenary of women’s suffrage rights
by Lisa Connell

Today marks the centenary of the legislation that permitted Irish women to vote and stand in parliamentary elections for the first time. It’s also 100 years since the first woman MP was elected to Westminster.


Today marks the centenary of the legislation that permitted Irish women to vote and stand in parliamentary elections for the first time. It’s also 100 years since the first woman MP was elected to Westminster.

 

Constance Georgine Markievicz was elected in a Dublin constituency, but never took her seat at Westminster. Instead, she joined the revolutionary first Dáil, becoming the first female TD.

 

The first of the commemoration events on women’s suffrage took place in Glasnevin Cemetery last Sunday (4th February). The event coincided with Constance Markievicz’s 150th birthday, but it also focused on the three issues she championed: labour, nationalism and suffrage.

 

ICTU general secretary Patricia King reflected on an industrial dispute with a manufacturer of rosary beads, which Markievicz was involved in. The event was also addressed by Sinn Féin president-elect Mary Lou McDonald, and Ivana Bacik, Labour senator and the chair of Votáil 100.

 

The speakers all reflected on current efforts for the political and economic advancement of women, but focused particularly on the current make-up of the Oireachtas.

 

Sunday’s event was the first of many commemoration events remembering the fight for women’s suffrage.

 

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Flexitime pilot to commence
by Bernard Harbor
 

Pilot studies established to test the feasibility of allowing civil and public servants to convert some of their leave into flexitime are expected to commence this month and conclude in June.


Pilot studies established to test the feasibility of allowing civil and public servants to convert some of their leave into flexitime are expected to commence this month and conclude in June. Fórsa believes the studies will confirm that it’s doable, and will then want to see the facility rolled out as widely as possible.
 
Management reluctantly agreed to undertake the pilots during negotiations that led to the ratification of the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA), which was overwhelmingly backed by members of Fórsa and other public service unions.
 
Unions believe a provision to convert annual leave into flexitime could help staff with a temporary need for more flexible working arrangements. The terms of reference for the pilot studies, which will take place in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Kerry County Council, have been agreed with Fórsa and other unions.
 
It was one of two working time provisions in the PSSA, also gives staff the option of a permanent return to ‘pre-Haddington Road’ hours on the basis of a pro-rata pay adjustment.
 
Although these improvements fell short of union demands for the full restoration of additional hours introduced under the Haddington Road Agreement in 2011, they at least give options to staff whose circumstances mean time is more important to them than money.
 
 
More promotion posts opened
by Derek Mullen
 

A new ratio of promotions to open recruitment, means an additional 10% of civil service executive officer (EO) posts will be filled by promotion in future.


A new ratio of promotions to open recruitment, means an additional 10% of civil service executive officer (EO) posts will be filled by promotion in future. The arrangement, which was agreed in the discussions that led to the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA), sees the introduction of a new 60:40 ratio in favour of internal promotion over open recruitment.

 

However, DPER also tabled 300 potential liabilities to the open EO panel as part of this discussion. Fórsa is disputing this on the grounds that many of the liabilities relate to the period when the recruitment moratorium, which ruled out open recruitment, was in place.

 

The union says members should not be further disadvantaged as a result of the moratorium. It has told the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that EO open liabilities should not accrue for periods when no EO recruitment was taking place.

New higher clerical officer scales
by Derek Mullen

The number of civil service higher clerical officer scale posts will increase this year and next year.


The number of civil service higher clerical officer scale posts will increase this year and next, following an agreement struck during the talks that led to the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA), which was backed by unions last year.

 

The percentage of people on higher scales will increase from 15% to 20% of clerical officers in 2018. A further increase to 25% will take place in 2019.

 

Fórsa is keeping the matter under review in all civil service departments to ensure that the agreement is properly implemented.

New entrant report for spring?
 

A government analysis of the number and pay position of public service ‘new entrants’ is to be published by the end of March, following pressure from ICTU’s Public Services Committee.

 


A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform analysis of the number and pay position of public service ‘new entrants’ is to be published by the end of March, following pressure from ICTU’s Public Services Committee. The report was originally planned for later in the year as the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) said it would take place within 12 months of the commencement of the agreement.
 
The new entrant pay scales were introduced without agreement by a previous Government in 2010. The new scales were set at 90% of the pre-existing scale points. This was opposed by unions at the time and no union agreed to the new terms.
 
The first opportunity to address the issue arose in talks on the Haddington Road Agreement in 2013. Unions secured an agreement to merge the new entrant pay scales with the pre-existing pay scales. The effect of the 2013 improvement was to place the new entrants on the old rates, albeit with two additional incremental points.
 
The PSSA requires the unions and management to discuss and agree on addressing the issue of the extended scales. Fórsa believes the solution must involve the removal of two increment points from the scale, creating faster progress up the pay scale.
 
The negotiations will, most likely, focus on which increments are removed. This is complicated by the vast differences in pay scale lengths for different civil and public service grades.
 
When unions met public service management on the issue last October, officials confirmed that 53,000 workers had been hired since the ‘new entrant’ scales were unilaterally introduced by the government in 2011.
 
Since that meeting, the department has been gathering data from all sectors to identify the incremental scale points of all new entrants. This should allow unions and management to examine the cost of potential solutions.

 

Pre-Haddington Road hours
by Sean Carrabini

We’ve received a number of queries about our report on the opportunity for civil servants to opt to revert to pre-Haddington Road hours, which appeared in the last Fórsa News Bulletin (18th January 2018).

 

 


We’ve received a number of queries about our report on the opportunity for civil servants to opt to revert to pre-Haddington Road hours, which appeared in the last Fórsa News Bulletin (18th January 2018).

 

In relation to the permanency of the reversion, members should note that section 2.12.2 of the Public Service Stability Agreement says the opportunity is: “to permanently revert to the pre-Haddington Road Agreement hours.” The agreement does not make any provision for altering this.

 

The new pattern is calculated in the same manner as a worksharing option. In this case, a member who works 41 hours per week works an annual total of 43.25 hours x 52.18 days. This equates to 2256.785  hours per annum. Those who opt to return to the Pre-Haddington Road hours will work 41 hours per week – or 2139.38 hours per annum. This equates to 94.797% which, when rounded, becomes a 95% worksharing pattern.

Fórsa raises allowance anomaly
by Bernard Harbor
 

Fórsa has been in discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) over an anomaly that has arisen regarding increases in the value of certain allowances in the civil and public services.


Fórsa has been in discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) over an anomaly that has arisen regarding increases in the value of certain allowances in the civil and public services.
 
Unions had assumed that increases paid under the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) would automatically apply to the allowances, as well as core pay. But it has emerged that management believed the allowances need not be adjusted until the end of the deal in 2020.
 
DPER has argued that there’s not enough money to make adjustments in 2018, as the public service pay bill has already been budgeted. Fórsa is, therefore, pressing to have the full adjustment for the 2018-2020 period paid next year.
 
Although this would mean a delay in 2018 adjustment, this solution would preserve the overall monetary value of the adjustment over the lifetime of the deal. No agreement has yet been reached and the discussions are continuing.
Coastguard staffing and safety raised
 

Fórsa has written to coastguard management seeking confirmation that the service has enough professional and technical staff to provide a safe and efficient response to emergency incidents in Irish coastal waters.


Fórsa has written to coastguard management seeking confirmation that the service has enough professional and technical staff to provide a safe and efficient response to emergency incidents in Irish coastal waters. The move follows the publication of Department of Transport documents, released under freedom of information legislation, which cast doubt on the ability of the service to function safely and efficiently unless technical and professional posts are filled and staff numbers increased.
 
Fórsa official Andy Pike said recent press reports showed that the coastguard service was continually assessing risks to operational effectiveness. “We commend management for undertaking assessments to ensure that staff, volunteers and the public are as safe as possible when at sea or in coastal areas. But it is incumbent on them to act on those risk assessments and to increase operational capability in line with professional advice,” he said.
 
Fórsa recently highlighted recruitment and retention difficulties in the service in its submission to the Public Service Pay Commission. “We are pleased that new posts have been sanctioned for 2018 and we are seeking assurances that this increase is sufficient to address the operational shortcomings highlighted in the press. Improved starting salaries for new recruits would greatly assist the service in filling these specialised posts,” said Andy.
Executive pay fuels inequality
by Diarmaid Mac A Bhaird
 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions latest annual survey into executive pay warns that rising executive pay in the private sector will inevitably lead to a rise in wider inequality.


Rising executive pay in the private sector will inevitably lead to a rise in wider inequality, according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Its latest annual survey into executive pay Because We’re Worth It: The Truth About CEO Pay in Ireland also warns of a regulatory gap, which means Irish-registered companies based in London can avoid best practise regarding female membership of corporate boards.

 

The survey, which examines the remuneration of CEOs at 27 companies, finds that an average earner would have to work 270 years to earn the equivalent of the boss of CRH. It would take them 62 years to earn the equivalent of the Aryzta CEO’s remuneration package.

 

Dr Peter Rigney, one of the authors of the report, said: “If this trend is left unchecked it will inevitably lead to greater levels of inequality across Irish society. We have yet to see conclusive evidence of a direct causal link between high CEO pay and company performance.”

 

Five of the seven companies being examined for the first time were quoted on the London stock exchange, and had seen the pay of their CEOs fall in the past 12 months. The report says increased political will to tackle rising executive pay in the UK is the main reason for this. The authors say this debate has yet to start in Ireland.

 

This year’s report also examined gender diversity at executive and director level. It identified just two female CEOs – at FBD and Glanbia – in the 27 companies examined. “Most companies have a long way to go if an average of at least two female directors was to be in place,” it says.

 

The report also found that three of the four London-based companies with no women board members were registered in Ireland. These companies say they are not bound by London codes of practice, which encourage companies to have at least two female board members. The authors call for this “regulatory gap” to be closed.

 

Read the report HERE.

 

Fórsa members' audio news bulletin


Also in this issue
Fórsa executive meets for first time
by Bernard Harbor

The Fórsa National Executive Committee met for the first time on 18th January. Writing to the union’s branches afterwards, the three Fórsa joint presidents described it as an historic occasion.

 


The Fórsa National Executive Committee met for the first time on 18th January. Writing to the union’s branches afterwards, the three Fórsa joint presidents said it was an historic occasion, made possible by several years of hard work by the combined executives and activists of our three former unions.

 

The three joint presidents – Ann McGee, Niall McGuirk and Pat Fallon – will be in office until new executive officers are elected at Fórsa’s first national conference in May.

 

They said the new union’s rich diversity was evident at the executive meeting. “We have spent a lot of time and effort to create this exciting new union. Now the real work has started. We look forward to working with every branch and activist to ensure that this force for good is one to be reckoned with. We can confidently anticipate the challenges that lie ahead,” they wrote.

 

The presidents said the first executive meeting was characterised by a determination to work together to use the union’s collective strength to protect and enhance the interests of every group of members.

 

“While taking pride in the rich legacies of our three founding unions, we firmly believe that, as the strongest and most influential trade union voice in the civil and public service, voluntary organisations, and the semi-state sector, Fórsa can deliver much more for its members, their communities, and the many thousands of workers who have yet to join our union,” they said.
An oversight committee, consisting of Niall, Ann and Pat, has been established to deal with any concerns or thoughts that members want to share.

 

 

IMPACT concludes lobbying
by Niall Shanahan
 

The final report on lobbying activity by IMPACT trade union was submitted to the regulator in January. Fórsa has informed the regulator that IMPACT has ceased lobbying. Fórsa will be registered as a new lobbying organisation.


The final report on lobbying activity on behalf of IMPACT trade union was submitted to the lobbying regulator on Friday 19th January. The report covers the period from 1st September to 31st December 2017. Any organisation engaged in lobbying activity is required to publish a return no later than 21 days after the end of the relevant reporting period.
 
IMPACT made eight returns for the most recent reporting period. The PSEU, another of the unions that formed Fórsa, submitted a nil return for the same period. IMPACT made a total of 89 returns since the register went live at the beginning of 2016.
 
The final lobbying returns submitted by IMPACT cover the following matters:
 
 
Additional lobbying, on the establishment of a pension scheme for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors, was carried out on IMPACT’s behalf by Pat Montague.
 
Ceased lobbying
 
Since the new union, Fórsa, was officially formed on January 2nd 2018, its three constituent former unions no longer exist. Fórsa has therefore informed the regulator that IMPACT has ceased lobbying, and Fórsa will be registered as a new lobbying organisation.
 
Penalties
 
Failure to submit a return of lobbying activities carried out during period by the deadline is a contravention of the Regulation of Lobbying Act.
 
New enforcement provisions under the act came into effect on 1st January 2017. These provisions give the Standards in Public Office Commission the authority to investigate and prosecute contraventions of the Act and to levy fixed payment notices for late filing of lobbying returns.
 
Fórsa members who undertake lobbying activity are not required to make a return unless they are lobbying under instruction from their union, such as in the event of a ‘grassroots’ campaign. All lobbying activity undertaken by Fórsa staff is reportable, apart from activity classified as ‘excepted communications’ under the legislation.
 
The Regulation of Lobbying Act was signed into law in 2015.
 
For more details about the legislation and the register, visit lobbying.ie.
 
The full record of IMPACT's lobbying activity can be reviewed on the IMPACT trade union profile at lobbying.ie.
 

 

Fórsa FAQs (audio)
Fórsa reponds to your most recent questions


Flu jab survey
by Niall Shanahan
 

In the last edition of the news bulletin we asked Fórsa members “Should healthcare professionals be compelled to have the flu vaccine?”


In the last edition of the Fórsa members' news bulletin we asked Fórsa members “Should healthcare professionals be compelled to have the flu vaccine?” on foot of an announcement by the Minister for Health Simon Harris that he would consider making it obligatory for healthcare professionals.

 

Almost half of our survey respondents disagreed that health workers should be compelled to get the flu vaccine and voted ‘No’, while 28% voted ‘Yes.’ However, a further 23% of respondents agreed that the vaccine should be mandatory for anyone working with the general public.