The St Valentine's Eve launch, entitled Love & Pride, will be attended by Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) president John Douglas and Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, and will include music, song and a showing of the feature film Pride.

The Dublin Gay Men's Choir will kick off proceedings on a musical note and the formal launch will be followed by the opportunity to enjoy a screening of Pride. The award winning film is based on the true story about a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984.

IMPACT’s equality officer, Patricia Fanning, said the upcoming referendum vote is about equality. "When we go to vote in the referendum in May we are voting to decide how we, as a country, treat all of our citizens. All citizens have a right to be treated equally and this includes the right to civil marriage.” she said.

At the 2014 biennial delegate conference in Killarney, IMPACT members voted overwhelmingly to support a Yes vote in any future referendum on marriage equality.

Readers’ poll – Marriage equality

A special poll has been set up where we’re asking readers of the IMPACT ebulletin how they intend to vote in the referendum. Taking part in the poll is anonymous and is hosted via the Survey Monkey website.

Take part in the poll here (via Survey Monkey)

IMPACT fundraiser

IMPACT’s youth committee is organising a fundraising event, ‘The First Great Annual IMPACT Quiz’ in aid of Marriage Equality, which will take place on Thursday 16^th April at 7pm in Dublin. A city centre venue will be confirmed shortly and updates will be available on the event’s Facebook page.

Related: Supporting marriage equality - a guest blog by Moninne Griffith of the Marriage Equality campaign

Responding to the announcement, IMPACT general secretary Shay Cody said that this was a positive response to concerns raised by trade unions about the effect of a sudden loss of many experienced public servants. Shay said “This decision takes some pressure off public services where a mass exodus of experience and expertise could have a negative effect on the delivery of services.

“It also takes pressure off individual workers who are in the process of planning their retirement, and allows them the scope to consider their plans without the threat of a loss of income hanging over them” he said.

In his statement, Minister Howlin said that the new expiry date was chosen to minimise the effect on schools in particular, and said the revised date also coincides with the expiry of the Haddington Road Agreement.

IMPACT official Christina Carney said that the delays in filling the posts and reports that more than 8,000 children at risk are waiting to be allocated a social worker, are a cause of huge concern among the union’s social worker members at Tusla.

“The delays in filling the posts are due to a number of reasons and we’ve consistently raised this as a concern with management. The total number of posts still waiting to be filled is over 200, and while these posts remain unfilled the workload is more than the current staff numbers can respond to” she said.

Christina said that IMPACT has sought to work closely with management to speed up the appointments process, and said that all parties were working to ensure that the services provided by Tusla would be operational as soon as possible.

 “It’s frustrating for everyone involved. No social worker wants to see a waiting list building up when they know that each individual case involves a child at risk. There is an urgent need to ensure that the agency has all of the resources it needs to do its work.

“The process of filling these posts needs to be completed as quickly as possible, but it also needs to be done correctly. We’ll continue to work with management to achieve that, which includes applying pressure on Tusla to complete the process” she said.

Concerns raised by IMPACT were reported in the Irish Examiner newspaper last week.

Daily Mail journalist Ferghal Blaney has privately apologised to IMPACT for misrepresenting facts in a front page story, published last week (Wednesday February 4^th), about a proposed new mandatory pension scheme for workers.

The story made a number of false claims, including that “public sector pension contributions were virtually non-existent before the recession” and that unions were seeking rebates to be paid on the pension levy, imposed in 2009. Blaney described the levy as a “pension contribution” by “cosseted” workers in the public sector.

In a letter to Blaney, IMPACT pointed out that the vast majority of public sector workers have always made a 6.5% contribution toward their pensions. The letter also explained that the pension levy was imposed as an emergency measure to cut the public sector pay bill, and that no benefit accrues to public sector pensions from the levy. 

The letter also stated that finding affordable solutions to provide for future pensions for all workers is essential but that “In the debate about how best that can be achieved, it serves nobody’s interests to set up workers in the public sector as a target for unnecessary invective.”

In a brief written response, Blaney apologised “if I or anyone else in the editorial process misrepresented facts in anyway.”

IMPACT also sent a letter for publication to the Daily Mail, outlining the manner in which the facts were misrepresented by the paper. The Mail has declined to publish IMPACT’s letter. It published a response this week from Moira Hines, a nurse from Mallow, County Cork who wrote, “Public sector workers have always contributed to their pensions. The pension levy was enforced to help bail out the Government. We will never see that money again.”

IMPACT and Siptu are calling on full-time and retained firefighters to attend a march and rally in Dublin on Tuesday 24th February to oppose attempts to unilaterally implement reductions in crewing levels. The unions have said that the measures could jeopardise the safety of both firefighters and the public.

Peter Nolan said "the rally was an opportunity to make a strong statement in opposition to reckless and dangerous decisions which could put the safety of our members and the public at risk."

A directive from Government to local fire service management has sought crewing reductions Peter said “This is being done without providing the relevant risk assessments, despite repeated requests from the unions representing staff.”

Details of the rally are available HERE.

UK firefighter fatalities double

A new report on fire fighter fatalities in the UK shows that the number of deaths amongst fire fighters in the last decade is double what it was in the previous decade. Twelve fire fighters died in fires in the UK between 2004 and 2014.

The report, Fire fighter fatalities at fires in the UK: 2004-2013 - Voices from the fire ground was produced by the University of Stirling. The report states that budget cuts to training, staffing, fire station equipment, and continued operational duties of much older fire fighters may also have serious impacts on fire fighter safety.

Professor Andrew Watterson, who compiled the report, said “whilst the risks of fire fighting are obvious, the scale of death and injury is unacceptable. Public and fire fighter safety has not been prioritised when it should have been”.

There have been over 5,000 jobs lost from the fire service in the UK since 2010, with 39 fire stations closed and substantially increased response times. The report recommends that departments should ensure that funding for fire safety is adequate, and that any measures taken do not weaken the implementation of regulations and guidance on fire safety.

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan believes that there’s an important lesson to be learned from the UK experience. “It’s all too easy to rationalise cuts to essential services during times of economic strife. However, this report shows that these kinds of cuts to vital services can and do put people’s lives at risk.

“Fire fighters have to deal with dangerous and demanding situations every day. It is crucial that adequate funding is made available to minimise risk for this role as much as is feasibly possible” he said.

A summary of the report is available HERE. The full report is available HERE.

Launching the new guidelines last week (Thursday 5^th February) the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD, said “It’s certainly a sea change in the way people are appointed to state boards. It takes the randomness out of it, professionalises it and makes it much more open.”

In September 2014, the Government announced that appointments to state boards should be made following an open and transparent process.  

Vacancies on state boards will be required to be advertised publicly and all expressions of interest will be assessed by the independent Public Appointments Service (PAS).

The closing date for the ballot is next Friday, 20th February.

In January 2013, the Labour Court recommended that staff be awarded their increments. However, St Aidan’s management and the HSE have still not addressed the issue.  

St Aidan’s provides services for people with a wide range of disabilities, children with special needs and for older people. They currently provide services for over 300 people in North Wexford including residential care, day services for the elderly and for adults with special needs, pre-school education for children with special needs, rehabilitative training and respite care in the community.

Staff have already taken a pay cut and have agreed to reduced sick pay entitlements. However, the non-payment of increments has been described as “a step too far” and staff decided unanimously to proceed with a ballot for industrial action.

Shay Clinton of IMPACT explained “Due to funding difficulties over the last five years funding has reduced significantly and some staff have not been replaced. The existing staff have co-operated with the reconfiguration of services and have maintained services despite the funding difficulties. A recent HIQA inspection reported favourably on service provision within the Care Centre.

 “Staff have demonstrated their determination to adapt to more straitened circumstances and have made huge efforts to ensure that the service is maintained. However, their contracted salaries have not been paid in full since 2009. That is why we have moved to ballot for industrial action" he said.

Dave Morris of SIPTU added ”Staff have been exceptionally patient in pursuing their legal entitlement to their contracted salaries. The Labour Court determined that the staff should be paid but that recommendation has not been implemented. The staff have been left with no alternative but to embark on a campaign of industrial action in order to achieve their agreed salaries. Staff will continue to have the care of the service users as their main priority during this period."

Michael Hayes of PNA said "This has been a very difficult situation for those dedicated staff working in St Aidan's. Unfortunately, all possible avenues have been explored without any resolution. Staff cannot be expected to continue working without proper pay, something that the Labour Court has agreed with. All that staff are seeking are the payments they are entitled to. It is very regrettable that such action is required to try to resolve an issue as clear cut as this one."

IMPACT members in Local Development Companies (LDCs) are supporting a day of action next Wednesday (18^th February). The action is to highlight the refusal of the Department of Environment to accept a Labour Court recommendation to enter into meaningful discussions with community workers and their union representatives about changes to their conditions of employment and threatened job losses.

The LDCs work in communities with low income families, lone parents, people with disabilities, early school leavers and the travelling community, among others. The LDCs have been facilitating these, and other community projects, for over twenty years. However, the decision has been taken by the Department of Environment to disassemble the current infrastructure and replace it with a tendering process.

The Department is due to announce the successful tender bids next Wednesday, 18^th February.

IMPACT assistant general secretary, Geraldine O’Brien, is very concerned about the move. “There are more than 50 LDCs, employing almost 3,000 people.  However, there are only 20 tenders on offer from the Department. These LDCs facilitate crucial work in local areas, from drug addiction services, to upskilling early school leavers and homelessness services.

“No transition process has been put in place by the Department to ensure this work will continue. Private companies, obviously more interested in profit than service provision, could end up providing these services” she said.

The day of action will include a protest outside the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government at the Custom House, Dublin at 2.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 18th February.

Details of a ballot of community sector members, for protective industrial action against possible redundancies and job losses, will be in the next e-bulletin.

Ictu assistant general secretary, Sally Ann Kinahan, explained “The aim of the awards is to celebrate student creativity and engagement with aspects of the Decent Work Agenda and Trade Union Movement's ethos. This year students were asked to research income inequality, its bearing on society, and possible solutions.”

An added award this year 'The People's Choice Award' invites the public to vote on their favourite shortlisted video. The 32 shortlisted videos are now available to view on the Youth Connect website  which also hosts the online voting form where you can vote for your favourite video. Voting will remain open until 1pm on Monday 23^rd February.   

Youth Connect’s programme coordinator, Cliona O’Connell, said she is thrilled by the calibre of videos submitted and the enthusiasm shown by students. “It’s fair to say that we certainly set a challenge for students this year. Income inequality is a complex issue and we wanted young people to interpret how it impacts on their own lives and society in general. We were blown away by the response!”

Cliona explained they’ve received 90 videos “They range from the poignant to the reflective, the optimistic and the emphatic, to the downright hilarious! Yet all the while a serious message shines through. Young people are frustrated by inequality in all its forms and maintain a deep sense of what is fair and what is right. If we really care what young people think, we only need to ask.”

You can watch a short video of last year's event here and, if you would like to join the guest list for this year’s event, send your request by email to the Youth Connect programme.

A campaign by IMPACT to inform students about career opportunities, their rights in the workplace, and the role of trade unions is now up and running. IMPACT@Third-Level promotes the benefits of joining the union and registers students who are interested in joining once they begin their careers.

Campus visits are a central feature of the campaign. IMPACT representatives will visit therapy departments at IT Tallaght and TCD this month. The aim is to provide information on the benefits of membership and a guide for students about statutory registration for health and social care professionals, CORU and Fitness to Practise.

IMPACT travelled to Galway and Cork in recent weeks to address third-level students in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) about the importance of labour rights and advocacy. Joe O’Connor, organiser with the Boards and Voluntary branch, explained “We spoke to GMIT students, as part of a postgraduate seminar being organised by GMIT Careers Office. The campaign will tie in with careers fairs and road shows across the country for students who will soon be entering the workforce and is actively supported by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).”

IMPACT organisers Úna Faulkner and Deirdre O’Connell-Hopkins travelled to CIT last week as part of the college student’s union campaign on Activism and Rights at Work. Una and Deirdre spoke to final year students in social care work and early childhood care and education.

Úna explained “All of the talks have been well attended and there was a positive response from students hoping to join the workforce in the public sector after graduation. Students were particularly interested in hearing about the day to day issues they will face when they enter the workplace. For the final year students we were able to outline, from a personal and professional perspective, the different sectors open to them after graduation.”

IMPACT@Third-Level is currently in a pilot phase. Deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan says it has significant potential to develop and extend to campuses across the country. “The feedback so far has been incredibly positive, and it’s vital for unions like IMPACT to have that opportunity to talk to future potential members. It’s a great time to be having this conversation with them directly” he said.

The organising team is encouraging IMPACT member with links to higher education bodies  to contact them and explore the potential for co-operation. Interested members can contact Linda Kelly via email.

IMPACT’s campaign against the proposed amalgamation of library services in Cavan/Monaghan, Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath, Carlow/Kilkenny, Cork City/County, and Sligo/Leitrim/Roscommon, continues to gain support.

A meeting will take place in IMPACT’s head office in Dublin on Monday 16^th February to review progress on the union campaign and decide next steps.

The meeting will include branch secretaries from the proposed amalgamation counties, the county librarian vocational group, the libraries negotiating group, the non-professional librarian vocational group and the professional librarian vocational group.

So far the campaign has received widespread coverage in local media outlets, the support of a number of local representatives, and numerous meetings have been held with wider stakeholders in order to raise awareness of the issue.

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said the level of initiative and enthusiasm shown by supporters of the campaign so far is impressive. “We have received overwhelming cross party support for our campaign from public representatives in the affected local authorities and a number of councillors have brought motions before their council in opposition to the amalgamations.

“Library workers in all the affected counties have committed to fighting the amalgamations and have done excellent work in raising widespread awareness of the issue” he said.

For more information visit the campaign page on the IMPACT website.

IMPACT trade union formed a new South Tipperary Health branch in January at an AGM in Clonmel.

The amalgamation of South Tipperary County Council and North Tipperary County Council under one employer made it necessary to dissolve the existing branches in South Tipperary and North Tipperary. 

In order for IMPACT to best represent all our members it was necessary to constitute two new branches. One dedicated to local government members and one dedicated to health sector members.

Chairperson of the South Tipperary Health branch, Deirdre Whelan said “The branch committee views this as an opportunity to grow and strengthen our branch, uniting under the umbrella of health sector employments.”

IMPACT president Jerry King attended the AGM. “It’s a privilege to work in public services and to be helping people and that’s what we do every day” he said. Jerry noted that Local Government and Health was a branch that had a long history in South Tipperary and wished both new branches well for the future.

Deirdre described the AGM atmosphere as “buzzing”, combining a social event with the business of the AGM and Jacqui Burton, who works in South Tipperary General Hospital was the lucky winner of a raffle to win an iPad. Several motions were debated for Divisional Conference followed by a lively question and answer session.

There was a large turnout for the AGM, which was also attended by Hilary Kelleher, IMPACT assistant general secretary.