Dublin City Council passed a motion earlier this week to support the Congress Charter for Fair Conditions at Work.

Councillor Alison Gilliland put the motion to the Council. “Dublin City Council is the largest council in the country and not only is it a significant employer but also awards a significant number of public contracts so the acceptance of the 5 principles of the Congress Charter will impact positively on a vast number of workers,” she said.

Councillor Gilliland added “Paying a living wage; providing fair working hours; the right to union representation and collective bargaining; respect, equality and ethics at work and fair public procurement are the five elements of the Charter.”

“Dublin City Council fully recognises trade unions - their employees are represented by IMPACT and SIPTU and their terms and conditions are determined in the main under collective bargaining agreements. However, when it comes to public procurement and the outsourcing of contracts there is no guarantee that, in practice, the terms and conditions of contracted workers comply with labour law or labour agreements particularly when it comes to subcontracted workers — fair public procurement procedures will ensure this.”

She added that the passing of the motion is "only a stepping stone" in ensuring the authority applies the principles of fair procurement. "We will need to ensure that appropriate resources are put in place to ensure the maximising the potential of fair procurement process in favour of workers and of local communities, particularly in the area of compliance with contract details.”

Dublin City Councillors were briefed on the Congress Charter by ICTU general secretary Patricia King ahead of the motion, which was passed unanimously by councillors. Congress is continuing to meet with local authorities througout the country to promote the Charter.

AUDIO: Congress Talks, the first in a new series of podcasts from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions featuring conversations, interviews and discussions on key issues for union members, activists and the wider public. The first episode looks at the Low Pay, Respect at Work and Childcare. It features Congress General Secretary Patricia King and senior official, Peter Rigney. Listen HERE.