Former ICTU general secretary David Begg has announced his candidacy, as an independent candidate, in the Seanad election. David will contest the election as part of the NUI panel. Ballot papers for the election are due to be issued today (Monday 21^st March).

David has been an active trade unionist throughout his working life. He began his career as an electrician, working in the ESB and became active in the then ETU. He went on to become a trade union representative with the ESBOA.

Later, David became general secretary of the CWU and oversaw the merger between the postal and telecommunications worker's unions. He later served as chief executive of Concern and was an effective advocate for people enduring extreme poverty in the developing world.

In 2001, he became general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). In that capacity, he fought to get the right to collective bargaining enshrined in law, engaging in detailed discussions with the government which eventually led to the 2015 Industrial Relations Act.

David was one of the very few who warned against the potential for the collapse of the credit-fuelled property bubble as far back as 2002. His warnings were dismissed. As the country was plunged into a crisis characterised by growing unemployment and attacks on workers' conditions, David led the Irish trade union movement through one of the most challenging periods in its history.

Leadership

IMPACT general secretary Shay Cody said that David’s candidacy provided an opportunity for strong leadership in the Seanad. “David has been a leader of exceptional skill and insight and I firmly believe his voice would be a very welcome addition to the Seanad. He has always been a valued friend to IMPACT, assisting us in a number of very challenging situations throughout his time as ICTU general secretary.

“He has a track record of intelligent leadership and has been a tireless advocate for workers’ rights. In that respect, I think he would provide the kind of leadership in the Seanad the country needs in rebuilding post-crisis,” he said.

“Critical point in history”

In announcing his candidacy, David said “Ireland has reached a critical point in its history but is ill prepared for some of the issues we will have to deal with in the future. The 2008 financial crisis was the fourth occasion since independence that the viability of Ireland’s future came into question.  Our susceptibility to boom and bust cycles suggests that there are deep structural flaws in our development model.  

“I believe that we need to become more like some of the small open economies of Northern Europe.  Not only are they sustainable but they are consistently amongst the most economically efficient and socially cohesive in the world.   They have proven that high quality public services and low levels of inequality in society complement rather than detract from competiveness. 

“This proposition is evidence-based and the outcome of many years of research conducted in Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, the findings of which I have set out in a book recently published internationally by Palgrave Macmillan.  

“If elected, I will use the Seanad to advocate for a new development model that will secure a better, fairer and more sustainable future for our people.  These strategic issues were largely ignored during the recent General Election campaign.”

For more see davidbegg.ie

Kieran Rose

Long-time Dublin City branch activist Kieran Rose will also contest the Seanad election as part of the NUI panel.

Kieran, who works as an urban planner with Dublin City Council, is also running as an independent candidate and has been a life-long equality and human rights activist. He is a commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, a founder and co-chair of GLEN, the Yes Equality executive committee and is a graduate of both UCC and UCD.

His campaign focuses on the improved supply of affordable quality housing, development land reforms, an improving economy that benefits all and transparency and accountability in the public sector. Kieran also supports the repeal of the 8th Amendment and is committed to making equality and human rights the cornerstone of public policy.

For more see kieranrose.ie

Dr. Duncan Brown, head of consultancy at the Institute of Employment Studies UK, delivered a presentation entitled The Return of the Pay Rise and Living and Higher Minimum Wages – What’s Going On? at this month’s IRN conference. He explained that the minimum wage in the UK will rise, at the next budget, to £7.20 per hour and rise by 5% each subsequent year, reaching £9 per hour by 2020

That figure would represent 60% of median national earnings and would serve, in tandem with in-work benefits, as a living income everywhere in the UK except in London, where the cost of living would require a £9.40 hourly minimum.

The aim of Dr. Brown’s presentation was to examine the possible benefits and costs that are associated with increasing the national minimum wage. One immediate benefit would be that six million workers would have more money to spend, acting as a significant stimulus to the economy.

As women earn less than men, increasing the minimum wage means more women than men would receive a pay rise. This would reduce the gender pay gap by 18%. Some evidence suggests rises in pay correlate to an increase in staff productivity.

Employers, however, have been quick to point out the potential downsides. They claim that £4.5bn would be added to national employer costs by 2020. Employers argue that the increased cost could result in as many as 60,000 job losses.

Given the arguments on each side, various employers have responded very differently to the gradual advent of the living wage. Some, like Lidl and Ikea, have enthusiastically adopted the associated pay policies and have enjoyed a significant amount of positive PR as a result. Others, in anticipation of the rising costs, have moved to reduce their payroll liabilities in other ways, including reducing hours of work, clamping down on overtime or automating work.

If it seems counterintuitive that a Conservative chancellor would choose to hit employers with an increase in their payroll costs, then it is partially explained by the fact that the increases were originally to be introduced alongside cuts in in-work benefits. Opposition in the House of Lords, however, removed these cuts from the picture.

Minimum standards and income adequacy

Also last month, the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice released a piece of research entitled Minimum Essential Standard of Living Working Paper: Low Hour & Income Adequacy. The paper looks at the living wage in Ireland as it pertains to hours of work and underemployment.

Robert Thornton, the paper’s author, says that there is a growing trend of low-hour, variable hour, part time, flexible and precarious work arrangements in this country. The paper examines how these emerging patterns of work manifest themselves financially, both in terms of wages earned and in-work social welfare benefits gained or foregone.

The paper demonstrates that the Irish national minimum wage rarely provides a worker with an income sufficient to cover the cost of the minimum essential standard of living. It shows that in-work social welfare benefits are an essential supplement to a minimum wage income. Even with the supplements, however, families are often left short.

The paper serves to illustrate the labyrinthine complexity involved in accessing in-work state welfare support. It shows that a welfare system that is constructed or deconstructed piecemeal, with bits of schemes buried here and there, is one that produces counterintuitive results.

For example, the same family can have an adequate income when one parent stays at home and the other works full time for the minimum wage, but an inadequate income when one parent is employed full time and the other part time.

The same family has a smaller deficit when both parents work full time, but a deficit nonetheless. The costs involved in private childcare and urban rents are the two most significant costs that a family faces and their impact weighs disproportionately on the results.

The Vincentian Partnership’s paper sheds a new light on the content of Dr. Brown’s presentation. It illustrates just how essential in-work benefits are. To lose them, even in the presence of a small wage gain, would likely represent a net loss for most families.

In terms of how Ireland should respond to the increasingly vocal demands for a national Living Wage, the most important thing is, firstly, to answer some questions as to what kind of a society we want. A living wage is a noble aspiration and one that IMPACT fully supports. The question is how we ought to achieve this aspiration.

The state could continue to supplement workers’ pay with benefits, but, in this case, these urgently need to be increased. These benefits also demand that we consider whether we want the state to subsidise employers who do not pay their staff enough in wages for them to live with dignity. Would the state step in where a business could not pay a supplier or a utility bill? If it is not socially acceptable to run a business without paying suppliers, then why is it acceptable not to pay employees enough to survive?

The evidence suggests that a real living wage paid for by employers - without state support - would need to be significantly higher than €11.50 per hour. This is particularly the case for those families with several dependent children living in urban areas.    

Here is how the political parties campaigned on the living wage in the recent election:

	“Forcing a minimum wage or “living wage” of €11.50 or higher on small Irish businesses will cost jobs and set back recovery”
	“Labour strongly supports the introduction of a living wage and believes government should lead by example”
	“We are committed to ensuring that government departments lead by example and introduce the Living Wage for all their employees”
	“Our priority will be the introduction of a Living Wage”
	“We support an immediate living minimum wage of €12 an hour as a first step towards a minimum wage of €14 per hour by 2017”
	The Social Democrats “support the introduction of a living wage which is based on the real cost of living”
	Renua Ireland wishes to “end taxation traps for those on the minimum and average industrial wage”

This follows the publication of a new Congress report on the problems facing the childcare sector in Ireland, highlighting how low wages and poor career progression for childcare professionals has resulted in staff turnover rates of over 22%.

Along with the introduction of the Living Wage and increased public investment, the Congress report also calls for paid parental leave of six months and an increase in employer PRSI to 13.75% on the portion of salaries above €100,000, with the resulting funds ring-fenced for childcare provision.

The Congress report – Who Cares: Report on Childcare Costs and Practices  – found that the low public investment in Ireland has contributed to childcare costs that are among the highest in the EU.

According to the report’s main author, Dr Peter Rigney, “there have been significant policy failures on childcare that have led us to the worst of both worlds: high cost care provided by some of the lowest paid workers. Socially and economically this is unsustainable and will ultimately cost us in the long run.”

Read more HERE.

The National Homelessness and Housing Coalition is made up of a number of leading housing charities, trade unions, community action groups, political parties and minority representatives. The group is calling on the government to take immediate action to end the current homeless and housing emergency situation.

Figures from the Central Bank suggest that 47,402 family homes (including buy to lets) in Ireland are currently owned by ‘non-bank entities’ or vulture funds, with almost half (48.1%) of these mortgages currently in arrears, over 40% in arrears of over 90 days and 13,193 more than 2 years in arrears.

A statement from the asset manager responsible for these properties said “achieving the maximum sale value of its assets is its primary focus,” highlighting the degree to which tenants are exposed to summary evictions.

IMPACT organiser Joe O’Connor said “The desperate need to address security of tenure and mortgage distress is illustrated clearly by these latest shocking revelations regarding the residents at Tyrellstown, as well as the wider escalating crisis in respect of housing provision.

“Given the hugely significant numbers of families in mortgage arrears living in homes owned by these vulture funds, as well as small businesses operating in these properties, it is clear that a further crisis on top of the current crisis is coming down the line in the housing market,” he said. Joe said that addressing the housing crisis must be a priority for the next government.

Action

The NHHC is calling on any new Government to take the following immediate actions:

• Declare a National Housing Emergency within 30 days of the new Dáil term
• Immediately acquire properties that are available through NAMA and transfer to councils for those on the housing list
• Introduce measures that will facilitate access to finance and build 50,000 social housing units over five years
• Introduce measures that limit rent increases and escalating rents
• End the practice of evicting families who show genuine financial distress in mortgage re-payments
• Introduce a 30% increase in Rent Allowance and HAP to enable access to rented accommodation while the supply problems in public housing are addressed.

Holistic approach

Edel McGinley, directorat the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, said the families given notice of eviction at Tyrellstown include migrants, working and living in Ireland for many years. “There is an urgent need for a holistic approach to housing in Ireland which includes the needs of new communities and low paid workers and gives security to all people living in Ireland,” she said.

Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland added “We’re going to hear a lot over the next while about the technical arguments about the legal and financial challenges created by ‘vulture funds’. However, it’s important to cut through this and highlight that this is really a story about families and individuals faced with the very real and highly damaging prospect of losing their homes.

“The situation of these families can be quickly improved by changing the tenancy legislation so that the landlord wanting to sell the property is no longer on legal ground to break the lease agreement with a tenant. This is a simple legislative change the Government could progress at the next sitting of the Dáil which will help these families and also give banks a clear message that Ireland is not willing to let them make excessive profits from the hardship of our people.”

In December 2013 nearly two million signatures were delivered to the European Commission demanding that the Human Right to Water be implemented in the European Union. The signatures were collected through a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), a tool designed to increase participatory democracy in the EU. The ECI was supported and promoted by IMPACT following the campaign’s launch at IMPACT’s 2012 conference.

The European Commission is supposed to take action after a successful ECI, but after more than two years, the reality is that they are just ignoring the demands of European citizens.

What are they waiting for?

The Human Right to Water and Sanitation was recognised by the United Nations in 2010. Citizens mobilised across Europe asking for its implementation at EU level. The European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee supported those demands. What else is the European Commission waiting for?

By not implementing a basic Human Right into EU law they are following the demands of the industry lobby. By not listening to the demands of so many citizens who have used the only participatory mechanisms available, they are widening the gap between public opinion and the European Institutions.

After so many years of austerity, the implementation of the Human Right to Water in Europe is even more urgent than before. Access to water is still not a reality for many vulnerable families, thousands of households are being deprived from water for not being able to pay the bills and water management is still being privatised in many countries. In the meantime, the European Commission keeps on negotiating free trade agreements that would put under question the model of public water management that we need to achieve this Human Right.

Add your voice

Ask the European Commission to act on the right to water! – see HERE for more details on how you can send a message to the European Commission.

Gerry Glanville, who passed away on the 7^th February 2016 was a lifelong member of IMPACT.

It was as supplies officer with the South Eastern Health Board in Ardkeen Hospital (now Waterford University Hospital) that Gerry spent his professional life up to the time he retired in 1993.

Before IMPACT was formed in 1991 the Local Government and Public Services Union (LGPSU) represented workers mainly in the local government, health and vocational education sectors.

Gerry’s union connections go back even further. He was a member of the Irish Local Government Officials Union (ILGOU) before it became the LGPSU. Co-incidentally, in this the centenary year of the 1916 Rising, it is interesting to note the connection between the origins of the ILGOU from the Dublin Municipal Officers Association (DMOA) and Eamonn Ceannt, signatory of the Proclamation.

Gerry, as a lifelong member of this union, served on the Waterford City branch as honorary treasurer and chairman for many years.

When the LGPSU took the decision, in 1979, to form two divisions - the Local Government and Public Services division and the Health and Welfare division - Gerry had the honour of being elected the first cathaoirleach of the division at the union’s annual conference in Kilkenny that year.

He remained on the executive committee of the Health division thereafter as Waterford City delegate. Gerry’s abiding interest in trade union and industrial relations affairs stemmed from his innate sense of fairness, honesty and concern for his fellow workers. He carried the mantra of a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay with him always and abhorred any abuse or exploitation in the workplace and would have taken great heart from the improvements achieved for workers over the years by the public sector unions.

As well as his interest in trade union affairs, Gerry was a deeply spiritual and charitable man and these attributes were manifested by his lifelong work with his local church St John’s in Waterford, his trojan service to the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and his unstinting dedication to the St Vincent de Paul Society where he served in many roles both locally and regionally.

Gerry was an avid GAA fan and could often have been seen in the VIP box in Croke Park on All Ireland Final days in the company of his great friend the late Pat Fanning former President of the GAA .

Gerry is survived by his wife Eily and his sons Joe and Gerry.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dhílis.

We can learn a lot about Donald Trump’s approach to workers’ rights from his signature TV catchphrase – “you’re fired”.

More than 500 workers at Trump’s Las Vegas hotel are rallying to form a trade union. Last December, a majority of workers at the hotel voted for union representation. As the GOP scurries to discover a mechanism through which to disregard the results of primaries and caucuses in which Trump has won, Trump’s company has refused to honour the results of the workers’ vote.

Last year, five workers at the hotel were suspended for wearing union badges and distributing union literature. There have been accusations that management is guilty of verbal, physical and emotional assaults against the hotel’s largely foreign-born workforce.

On the campaign trail, Trump enjoys significant popularity amongst union-member voters. His central message – that American job vacancies should be filled by American people and that firms should be dissuaded from outsourcing work – taps into deeply held anxieties throughout the American working classes.

Trump’s campaign has been characterised by divisiveness. His record and rhetoric place him in direct conflict with the aspirations held by trade unions. The way in which he embraces working people’s anger at the “closed-shop Washington establishment” has so far allowed him to gloss over his own questionable record of human resource management.

How Trump might run the US remains to be seen, but if his apprenticeship at the helm of the Trump empire is anything to go by, his overtures towards ‘a more perfect union’ may start to sound a little flat. If the US presidential election is the most conspicuous job interview on Earth, then perhaps the working people of America should stretch out their index finger in Trump’s direction and say “Donald, you’re fired”.

The International Union of Food (IUF) has set up a petition urging Trump to recognise the workers’ ballot and start negotiating. You can sign here.