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BLOG: When the man with a van is his very own man
by Bernard Harbor
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We used to joke that my younger brother Kevin was from the Dutch side of the family. We were Harbors and he was a Van Driver. Geddit?
Anyway, he drove a van for a living and one day, much to our surprise, Kevin announced that he was now self-employed.
In our late-1980s working class circle, this seemingly entrepreneurial break from the world of employment was as unusual as it was unexpected.
Except it wasn’t what it seemed.
What had happened was this. One morning, Kevin’s boss told him he was now self-employed. He could rent the van and would do his deliveries as before. Only now he was a contractor, not an employee. And he’d have to sort out his own tax and insurance.
They privatised the buses around the same time. That’s another story but, like Kevin’s newfound small businessman status, back then it seemed as inexplicable as it was unsettling.
Sure enough, a short while later the ‘contracts’ from (though not the van repayments to) Kevin’s former boss thinned out. Then they disappeared. No redeployment. No holiday pay. No redundancy. No responsibilities.
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Action on new entrants must be fast-tracked
by Bernard Harbor
Fórsa has called on the Government to allocate funds in October’s Budget to begin shortening pay scales for ‘new entrants’ to non-commercial semi-state organisations next year. This would be earlier than originally envisaged in the current public sector pay deal, the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA).
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WRC wants flexi pilot by May
by Bernard Harbor
The oversight body that monitors the implementation of public service agreements has said it wants a pilot flexitime system in place in Roscommon county council in time for the May and June flexi periods.
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Scouting staff fear for service
by Bernard Harbor
Fόrsa official Dessie Robinson has written to minister for children Katherine Zappone seeking assurances that her decision to withhold state funding from Scouting Ireland won’t undermine services or prevent the payment of salaries.
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Muno backs Sweeney process
Agreement extends retirement age to 60 for fire brigade staff
by Niall Shanahan
Members of the Dublin Fire Brigade Section of Fórsa’s Municipal Employees‘ branch have voted overwhelmingly in favour of an agreement covering a range of issues including the extension of the retirement age to 60.
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14,000 carers to benefit from free GP care
by Niall Shanahan
The Department of Health is to draft legislation to allow 14,000 carers to benefit from free GP care. The legislation is to provide in law for eligibility for GP services without charge to be extended to all those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.
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Fórsa audio bulletin episode 6
by Hazel Gavigan (audio editor)
A special episode focusing on Fórsa's first ever services and enterprises and civil servcie divisional conferences. Starting with the services and enterprises division on the 12th and 13th of April and then the civil service division on the 18th and 19th, we cover some of the main motions discussed over the four days. Presented by Hazel Gavigan and Diarmaid Mac A Bhaird.
Click here to listen
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