Fórsa has asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to help develop a ‘roadmap,’ with milestones for progress in future negotiations between Irish Water, the local government department and water unions.

The request was made at a recent WRC meeting, which failed to make much headway on union concerns about the Government’s proposed transfer of water services from local authorities to Irish Water.

Last week’s meeting was convened after Fórsa and other water unions reiterated concerns about the slow progress in negotiations, where workers’ representatives are seeking reassurances on a range of issues including the future sustainability of local authorities if they lose their water functions.

Unions are also demanding a constitutional referendum to ensure that the proposed new utility can never be privatised, and assurances on the future structure and governance of the new utility and the terms and conditions of staff.

The head of Fórsa’s two divisions representing local authority employees, Peter Nolan said it was imperative that any agreement was consistent with safeguards in the Public Services Stability Agreement. “The proposals tabled by the department and Irish Water did not meet the appropriate standards and were, therefore, entirely unacceptable,” he said.

In a letter to the department, the unions have set out a number of areas where developments to promote and protect local government are expected. These include waste management, housing construction and maintenance, private rental inspection and climate change.

It’s anticipated that another meeting under the auspices of the WRC will take place later this month.

In related news, an all-party committee of Dublin City councillors, which is examining the possible remunicipalisation of waste management services, is expected to report to Fórsa, Siptu and Connect officials working on the Fórsa-led More Power To You campaign later this year.

The prospect of industrial action over local authority employers’ refusal to discuss a job evaluation scheme for clerical and admin staff in the sector has increased after their representative body refused to attend a Labour Court hearing on the issue.

The Local Government Management Agency’s (LGMA) decision to spurn the State’s foremost industrial relations body is a rare – if not unique – snub by a public service body.

It is even more extraordinary given the fact that Fórsa has achieved similar schemes in the health and education sectors in recent times.

Fórsa’s Local Government and Local Services Executive and Council will now consider the division’s response at meetings on 12^th December.

Head of division Peter Nolan believes that the LGMA decision means due process is now concluded on the claim. “Because of this, the executive is now of the opinion that industrial action cannot be ruled out in this dispute,” he said.

Fórsa, other unions and Dublin City Council have developed a new waste management proposal off the back of a cross-party composite motion calling for the remunicipalisation of household waste services. The motion was passed last July.

The council working group responsible for the remunicipalisation of waste services made a number of recommendations including an assurance that Dublin City Council would provide funding to conduct research, in partnership with a third level institution, to develop a roadmap to a new waste management system for the capital.

Other recommendations include examining the challenges that face the project and ensuring that people with the necessary expertise are included in its planning and execution.

Peter Nolan, who heads Fórsa’s Municipal Employees’ and Local Government divisions, said the current system of unregulated private waste collection had led to a chaotic market, increased costs and a huge growth in illegal dumping.

“Given the evidence, it is clear that a public waste collection service will provide a more efficient service to the citizens of Dublin. However, we need a new approach as a return to the service provided in 2012 is not desirable,” he said.

The proposal will be put before Dublin City Council at a meeting in December.

Fórsa’s claim for the appointment of assistant civil defence officers in every local authority has been supported by the Local Government Management Agency, which represents local authority employers. A response from the defence department is now awaited.

The executive of the unions’ civil defence vocational group is expected to seek an industrial action ballot if adequate progress is not made on the claim.

Meanwhile, all local authority arts officers have been placed on a grade and salary scale on foot of a successful Fórsa claim.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has teamed up with the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) to jointly demand that the Government commits to passing the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill before Christmas. The legislation has effectively stalled, making no progress since before the Dáil’s summer recess.

The bill would compel employers to report on the gender pay gap – the difference in the average pay of male and female staff – in their organisations. It would also require reporting on differences in bonus pay, part-time pay and the pay of men and women on temporary contracts.

Fórsa has been at the forefront of the trade union campaign for legislation on gender pay gap reporting, which it says would encourage employers into tangible action to bridge the gap. The union has criticised the slow pace of the legislative process.

NWCI director Orla O’Connor said the proposed legislation would properly shine a spotlight on organisations’ pay imbalance for the first time.

“The gender pay gap of 13.9% in Ireland has serious implications for a woman’s lifetime earnings,  her life and career decisions and her ability to live in older years with a decent income. The experience from other countries shows that harder measures are needed to combat pay inequality.

“While this legislation in and of itself will not close the gender pay gap, it is an extremely important step and one which needs to be implemented with haste,” she said.

David Joyce of ICTU believes that the bill can also advance Ireland’s commitment to the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.

“Government appointed both Congress and the NWCI to be sustainable development goal champion organisations. Goal five concerns achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, while goal eight commits to decent work for all. Therefore, we will continue to campaign for decent work and equality for all women and men in Ireland and beyond,” he said.

Fórsa has postponed its forthcoming global solidarity school after its main speakers pulled out to work in the snap UK general election. Trade Union Congress (TUC) chief Frances O’Grady and Tony Lloyd, the Labour shadow secretary for Northern Ireland, who were scheduled to speak on Brexit, will instead be on the campaign trail.

Organisers say the event, originally scheduled for 15^th and 16^th November, will now take place early in the New Year. “For understandable reasons, our key speakers became unavailable at very short notice and it simply wasn’t possible to replace them with experts of a similar calibre in time for the event to go ahead. We’ll soon be announcing dates for the event early in 2020, with an excellent programme of speakers,” said one.

A pilot scheme designed to test plans for a restructuring of caretakers’ services in Dublin City Council is to commence following a hearing in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last week.

Dublin City Council is to trial a squad-based system in the Dublin North Central area. The pilot will operate for three months from 2nd December.

A meeting of the officers of the libraries vocational groups will be held next week.

The 12th November meeting will consider the operation of a 2018 Workplace Relations Commission agreement, and will make preparations for the joint review, which will involve Fórsa and the Local Government Management Agency, which represents local authority employers.

Trade unions have welcomed the launch of a workplace menopause policy by British TV station Channel 4. The initiative aims to support staff who experience the sometimes-debilitating side effects of the condition.

The development comes amid a growing recognition, among unions and HR specialists, of the need for employers to accommodate women who are dealing with menopause.

Recent research by the Welsh Trade Union Congress (TUC) indicates that many women feel their managers don’t recognise the problems associated with the condition, which can be exacerbated by ignorance and misunderstanding.

It found that many women find that inflexible working arrangements make it difficult to deal with problematic symptoms. This can result in increased sick leave or women cutting their working hours, which can mean missed training and promotional opportunities and a widening gender pay gap.

The Channel 4 policy aims to create a flexible working environment to help workers manage symptoms, while also destigmatising and normalising the subject.

Roughly a third of women have either experienced menopause or are currently going through it. Approximately 80% of women will experience noticeable symptoms. While some women will cope well with the physical and emotional changes, almost half find the symptoms difficult to deal with.

Fórsa Equality Officer Geraldine O’Brien said the Channel 4 move was progressive, and should be an example to other employers. “Unions are at the forefront of the fight for equality, working hard to ensure that working women have supports in place to remain healthy and safe in the workplace,” she said.

For more information on the Wales TUC survey click HERE.

The long-awaited auto-enrolment pension system is to be introduced on a phased basis from 2022, according to a recent announcement from the Department of Employment Social Affairs.

Under the new arrangement, all workers will be automatically enrolled in an occupational pension scheme – with contributions from their employer and the State, as well as the employee – when they start a job.

The scheme will apply to all employees aged between 23 and 60 earning more than €20,000 a year who are not already in a workplace pension scheme.

Under the scheme, workers will start paying contributions equal to 1.5% of salary, rising to 6% of salary in their tenth year of employment. Employers will be compelled to make matching contributions.

The level of Government contribution has yet to be finalised.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (ICTU) social policy officer Laura Bambrick, who has given a broad welcome to the scheme, told RTÉ’s Today at Sean O’Rourke programme that the scheme had been discussed for nearly two decades. “Less than half of all workers have a pension, and in the private sector less than one in three workers have a pension”, she said.

Listen to Laura on RTÉ HERE.

Read the Congress guide to auto-enrolment HERE.

Fórsa youth network will host this year’s Fórsa Quiz Night in Dublin on 12^th December and the proceeds will go to Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), a non-profit organisation supporting the trans community in Ireland.

The quiz commences at 5.30pm and costs €100 for a table of four. The youth network has asked branches to either take a table or donate €100 to support this worthy cause.

You can get further details HERE. 

To register a table, contact the youth committee here or send cheques (made out to the Transgender Equality Network Ireland) to Michael Kerrigan, Fórsa, Nerney’s Court, Dublin DO1 R2C5.