IMPACT members who have a permanent total or partial disability are entitled to a payment up to €5,000. The benefit applies to loss of limbs, loss of sight, hearing or speech, total paralysis, total loss of use of a limb, compound fractures or facial scarring. 

Find out more HERE

IMPACT has said that the existing statutory funding structures – for organisations delivering care services in the community and voluntary sector – lack credibility and are out of date.

IMPACT said that state funding for these organisations, known as ‘Section 39’ funded agencies, need to be restored in order to ensure the sustainability of care services to people who are homeless, older people in care, people with disabilities, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those dealing with drug and addiction issues. The union also said that the terms and conditions of staff in Section 39 agencies should be moved onto terms comparable with their public service counterparts.

The findings are included in a report launched on Tuesday (22nd September) which was commissioned by IMPACT’s Health & Welfare division. The report ‘Caring – At What Cost? – Rebuilding and refinancing the community and voluntary sector’ was researched and written by Dr Chris McInerney of the University of Limerick.

IMPACT organiser Joe O’Connor said that the research was prompted by the experience of union members in the sector and who have been subject to a continued stagnation and retrenchment of their terms and conditions throughout the recession.

“What has emerged from this research is that these funding structures are no longer fit for purpose. We need a revised funding model in order to ensure agencies in the community and voluntary sector can continue to meet modern service delivery demands in a sustainable way.

The Health Act defines the services they provided as ‘ancillary’ to mainstream health services which is entirely wide of the mark. On the contrary, they are integral to the delivery of a coherent health service and have, despite the challenges of recent years, continued to step up and meet increasing demands despite dwindling resources,” he said.

The chair of IMPACT’s Health & Welfare division, Tony Martin, said that the capacity of the sector to play a strong and progressive role in service delivery had been severely tested in recent years. “Sustained cutbacks have been accompanied by an increased demand to deliver. Employees are increasingly expected to do more with less and for less. This presents challenges both in terms of service delivery, as well as the retention of experienced and committed staff,” he said.

Among its findings the report concludes that:

• Despite a sustained period of funding cuts community/voluntary sector organisations have continued to provide essential services at a highly professional level;
• The organisations are providing vital services to citizens who otherwise would not receive that service and are provided in place of state services, on behalf of the state;
• Staff have carried the burden of maintaining service delivery over a sustained period and have experienced wage cuts and freezes. Some have also experienced cuts to working hours, take on extra work for the same or reduced pay, while many have had to take unpaid leave. The extent of cuts has varied, with inconsistency in administrative procedures and decision making processes across sectors and regions and between different health offices;
• Staff in the sector are highly educated and bring a strong level of personal commitment and have been employed on lesser pay and conditions than their counterparts in the public service and comparable ‘Section 38’ funded agencies (see notes below on the distinction between Section 38 and 39 funded agencies). However, in a recovering economy with pay recovery taking place in other sectors, the retention of skilled and experienced staff will become a greater challenge;
• Some organisations have become more streamlined and have significantly reduced non-pay operating costs. However, indications are that the limit to such savings has been reached.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including:

• Levels of funding for organisations currently funded under Section 39 should be gradually restored to ensure sustainable delivery of services and to retain staff. Organisations cannot continue to ‘do more with less’ without this having a negative effect on service delivery;
• The restoration of pay and conditions for staff in Section 39 organisations without additional productivity demands;
• Staff in Section 39 funded organisations should progress onto scales comparable with their public service and Section 38 counterparts;
• In some cases, in order to address evident disparities between organisations of comparable size and function, re-designation as Section 38 funded organisations may be relevant in the short term for organisations with service level agreements and annual funding of at least €250,000;
• Ultimately, the Section 39 funding model should be replaced with specific funding mechanisms that make provision for multi annual funding, provision for funding for core operations as well as service delivery, and national level funding for national organisations to enable economies of scale and to eliminate unnecessary administration.

Download a full copy of the report HERE

Sections 38 and 39 explained

Section 39

Section 39 refers to that part of the 2004 Health Act which provides funding for a service ‘similar or ancillary to a service’ that the HSE provides. In reality, it is more accurate to refer to these organisations as ‘Section 39 funded organisations’, as they rarely rely entirely on this one funding stream to carry out their activities. In 2014 almost 1,900 organisations were supported by Section 39 funding, though within this there were substantial differences in levels of funding, service provision and employment.

Examples: Ability West, Peter McVerry Trust, Enable Ireland

Section 38

Provision for the funding of non-statutory bodies is also made in Section 38 of the same 2004 Health Act. For clarity, Section 38 states that: ‘(1) The Executive may, subject to its available resources and any directions issued by the Minister under section 10, enter, on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate, into an arrangement with a person for the provision of a health or personal social service by that person on behalf of the Executive [emphasis added]”.

Examples: Brothers of Charity, St. John of Gods, St. Michael’s House

For example, in the Galway area, the Brothers of Charity (Section 38) and Ability West (Section 39) provide the same service.

Watch the video of the report launch HERE.

IMPACT members at Dublin Fire Brigade have commenced a ballot for industrial action over what they describe as management’s ongoing failure to maintain the number of firefighters sufficient to ensure their safety.

It’s estimated that Dublin Fire Brigade is currently 70 firefighters below the full complement of 963, with upcoming retirements expected to create a deficit of 120 firefighters by June 2016. IMPACT and Siptu have said that many firefighters are working unsustainable levels of overtime because of the current staff shortage. Siptu members have served notice of industrial action on the same issue, which is due to commence on Monday 5th October.

IMPACT assistant general secretary Phil McFadden said that the union has sought a timeframe on recruitment from management that would confirm when new recruits to the fire service will have completed their training and be appointed to duty.

“An open competition to create a panel of new recruits is due to take place but management has not been able to say when this process will get underway, or when they would expect to have completed the recruitment, vetting and training process for new firefighter paramedics.

“We had established an agreement with DFB management in May this year that they would provide us with such a timeframe. However, the commitment from management has been withdrawn and this is why we’re balloting for industrial action. The issue here is safety. We are already seeing unsustainable overtime arrangements being used to shore up the deficit. Our members need to know when a full crewing complement will be in place.” he said.

The ballot closes on Thursday 1st October.

LRC proposals issued last week have introduced an increment-based pay model at Irish Water on a temporary basis. Pay-related awards (PRAs) were suspended by Irish Water last year following a much publicised controversy that the pay model amounted to a ‘bonus culture’ at the water utility.

IMPACT assistant general secretary Johnny Fox explained, “Irish Water operates a pay and reward structure which moved away from the more traditional increment-based pay model to a market and performance based model.

“Under this model, which has been independently verified as a cost-saving model, annual pay is determined by benchmarking to agreed external companies, and annual movement within salary ranges is aligned to performance. This effectively means that the percentage of pay involved is ‘at risk’ and PRAs are only paid if certain performance targets are met. Under this pay model there is also a pay freeze until 2016.”

Johnny said that the trade union group at Irish Water ( SIPTU, IMPACT, Unite) deemed the decision not to pay the PRAs to Irish Water staff last year as a breach of agreement and referred the matter to the LRC.

Under the LRC’s proposals, annual increments ranging from 1.5% to 3% of salary (and which are non-pensionable) will be paid from 1st January 2014 to the 31st December 2016. The increments will be withdrawn at the end of 2016 and the company will then revert to the previous pay and reward model.

The LRC said the proposals are “the absolute limit of what can be achieved taking account of all the factors arising in this dispute.” Unions and the employer have agreed to recommend the deal for acceptance. If any one party rejects it, the terms are withdrawn.

Responding to the proposals, Johnny said that the LRC had regarded management’s decision to abandon the cost-saving pay structure as ‘unfortunate’ and that a recent independent review of the pay model confirms its ongoing appropriateness. “The interim solution, which temporarily reverts to an incremental pay model, vindicates the position of the staff who have worked hard through a very challenging period,” he said.

Irish Water is part of the Ervia Group (formerly Bord Gais). An independent review of the Ervia Group’s pay model, carried out by AON/Ampersand found that, contrary to perceptions, there is “no evidence that a so-called richly rewarded ‘bonus culture’ is in operation.” Among its conclusions the review also found that the pay model does not encourage or enable excessively high levels of pay and that, in most cases, actual individual pay levels at Ervia are lower than typical market rates.

PSI welcomes EU Parliament vote on Right2Water citizens' initiative

Public Services International (PSI) has joined the European Public Services Union (EPSU) in welcoming the vote of the European Parliament on 8th September, which puts additional pressure on the European Commission to make concrete legislative proposals to recognise the human right to water and sanitation, as defined by the UN.

In a statement, PSI said that the approved text makes some important recommendations to the Commission, including:

• The reaffirmation that water is not a commodity but a public good
• Recognises the failure of privatisation to increase access and equity, and demands that the Commission cease to propose and impose any further privatisations (singling out the Troika’s privatisation impositions on Greece)
• Calls for removing water and sanitation from all trade agreements, particularly TTIP and TISA
• Calls for transparency, accountability and participation in all aspects of water management
• Considers that the option of re-municipalisation of water services should be guaranteed in the future.

Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary of PSI said, “I stand with EPSU and all the trade unions and civil society organisations in Europe that have made this possible. It is one more important step in an ongoing fight to ensure universal access to quality public services for all. The importance of this vote extends beyond the borders of Europe, as the EU is the single-largest donor in the water and sanitation sector. However, this is not the final victory, and we will continue to put pressure, wherever required.”

IMPACT has continued to support the Right2Water.eu initiative since its launch in 2012.

In its latest Quarterly Economic Observer the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) has said the best way to sustain Ireland’s growth in productivity over the long-term is to invest in education and skills, infrastructure and new technologies.

NERI reports that the Republic’s was the fastest growing economy in the EU in the first half of 2015, with indications of strong growth for the rest of the year. The Institute has urged the government to reconsider its plans to cut the overall level of taxes in Budget 2016 and to take a more strategic and long-term approach to growing the economy.

The report says that the economy’s potential to grow depends on its ability to generate productivity gains year-on-year, and that the Republic’s productivity growth has been falling since the 1980s.

NERI projects that the government’s general budget deficit will fall to 1.7 per cent of GDP in 2015 and 1.1 per cent in 2016. The report also says that the gross debt-to-GDP ratio will fall to 91.3 per cent of GDP in 2017. “This is still a high level and the Republic will remain vulnerable to an adverse interest rate shock.”

Tailwinds

The report outlines how the economy is benefiting from a number of ‘tailwinds’ including:

• The depreciation of the Euro against the US dollar and UK Sterling
• The boost to private consumption and investment from the fall in oil prices
• Loose monetary policy
• The mild stimulus announced in Budget 2015
• ‘Pent up’ demand and improving confidence translating into consumption and investment after years of weak domestic demand
• The closing of the output gap as employment continues to fall.

It says the weaker Euro is particularly important for a small open economy like the Republic, while lower energy prices are boosting real disposable income.

Jobs

Total employment will exceed 2,000,000 sometime around the middle of 2016. The report says “The scarring effect of the recession and the high-rate of long-term unemployment suggest the structural rate of unemployment is higher now than it was before the recession. This implies a need for innovative labour market policies in the years ahead.”

NERI has proposed a set of policies designed to increase the economy’s future potential output. For example, the establishment of an infrastructure bank, increased funding for research and development and early years learning, increased support to prevent child poverty, and a phasing out of most, though not all, government subsidies and tax breaks.

NERI has also proposed a number of reforms to reduce barriers to labour market entry, including subsidies for childcare and the gradual tapering of family supports along with income.

IMPACT has served notice of limited industrial action by laboratory aides on the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) in a dispute over the implementation of a binding Labour Court recommendation. The recommendation was made under the dispute resolution provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement.

The action is set to commence on Monday 12^th October. The union served a longer notice in order to minimise disruption to students in the early part of the academic year.

IMPACT official Shane Lambert explained “The Court’s decision backs a proposal on re-grading, which will actually reduce costs in the longer term. We exhausted all avenues of engagement with DIT on the issue and we’ve achieved a binding Labour Court recommendation which vindicates our position.

“The Department of Education and Skills (DES) told DIT back in July that it was not in a position to give sanction to the employer to implement the recommendation. Several months have passed and any further discussions on this matter should be around the immediate implementation of the recommendation,” he said.

Shane explained that while the ballot by members of the union’s Municipal Employees division allows for full strike action, the limited industrial action that has been notified provides for staff to return to their original duties before they began to take on new duties about 15 years ago. Shane explained, “The laboratory aides were originally specialist cleaners dealing with laboratory, workshop and kitchen equipment, but their role has expanded to include duties that were previously done by technicians. The industrial action will involve reverting to their original ‘fetch, carry and clean’ role.”

The lives and struggles of workers in Ireland in 1915, on the cusp of the revolutionary year, is the theme of the Irish Labour History Society’s annual conference which is taking place at the Liberty Hall Theatre between the 9^th and 11^th of October. The conference is being held in association with the Irish Labour History Museum and Archives, Ireland Women's History Association, SIPTU and the Young Workers Network.

IMPACT member Catriona Crowe, head of special projects at the National Archives of Ireland, will set the scene of Dublin in 1915, ahead of the opening address by President Michael D Higgins.

The conference covers a huge range of topics over the three days including;

• Sean O’Casey and the Irish Citizens Army
• Michael Mallin
• 1915: The view from Northern Ireland
• The women of 1916
• James Connolly – socialist and soldier
• Hedge school on 1915 and the events leading up to 1916
• Reflections on 1915/16 – how young people view it.

The Sunday session finishes with an historical walking tour of Dublin’s city centre. You can download a conference brochure here.

The event takes place in Liberty Hall Theatre. Doors open at 6pm on Friday 9^th October, and from 9.30am on Saturday 10^th October and 11am on Sunday 11^th October.

The cost of attending is €10 for Friday evening; €10 for Saturday or €15 for both Friday and Saturday, there is no admission fee on Sunday.

Anyone interested is encouraged to register as soon as possible. Registration payment can be made via PayPal at www.irishlabourhistorysociety.com.

‘Migrant Workers in the Home Care Sector: Preparing for the Elder Boom in Ireland’, was published this week by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), and details “the messy reality of Ireland’s care sector” according to the migrant advocacy group.

The report says that someone in Ireland turns 80 years of age every 30 minutes. The report says that much of the home care industry in Ireland is unregulated and is rapidly expanding, resulting in the exploitation of workers and varying standards of care for older people. The report adds “Migrant women are over-represented in the home care sector, many are underpaid, overworked and subject to harassment, racism and discrimination. Ageing populations in Ireland and the EU will continue to increase the demand for home care and migrant workers into the future.”

Gráinne O’Toole of MRCI added, “We cannot continue with the current ad-hoc and unregulated system of home care provision which undermines both the quality of care and the conditions for workers. Migrant workers reported having no employment contracts, working on call and night shifts without extra pay and many did not receive minimum wages, annual leave or public holidays. Being subjected to racism, working excessive hours and undertaking heavy workloads is also prevalent in this sector. Increasingly, many undocumented migrants are filling care roles and because of their irregular status are more vulnerable to exploitation. Care work needs to be valued and the needs of older people and care workers regardless of immigration status respected.

“The absence of laws to govern this sector is an urgent problem that the government needs to address. The reality is that migrant workers including undocumented migrants will continue to provide home care services. Comprehensive reform is needed in this sector including a pathway for undocumented carers to regularise their status. If we are serious about caring for older people into the future we need to plan for the growth of our ageing population, we need to create sustainable channels for migration and we need to address the exploitation of migrant workers urgently,” she said. 

Ann Guan, a home care worker, described her experience of working in the sector, “I am responsible for the well-being of the people I care for, and I take that responsibility very seriously. Even though this is the hardest work I’ve ever done, I barely earn minimum wages. My duties include everything from feeding and bathing to housework and medical tasks. I have to be alert all night in case I am needed. I am always tired.”

The full report is available HERE

The Simon Communities in Ireland have said that the latest nationwide emergency accommodation figures released by the Department of Environment this week show that the homeless and housing crisis is getting worse.

The figures show further increases in adults, families and children who are stuck in emergency accommodation; with 3,372 adults, 707 families which reflects a 76% increase since January and 1,496 children which reflects a 72% increase since January. According to the figures, 2,413 single people are currently staying in emergency accommodation.

Simon Communities spokesperson Niamh Randall said that the rise in numbers was very disturbing. “These latest nationwide emergency accommodation figures from August highlight the growing movement of more and more people from housing into homelessness. Homelessness is a key agenda item and we are once again asking the Government to make an emergency intervention to help turn this crisis around.”

Ms Randall said that an increase in rent supplement was urgently needed, as the current limits are pushing people into homelessness. “This needs to happen alongside rent certainty measures, which were promised in February of this year but as yet have failed to materialise."

"We cautiously welcomed the modular demonstration project unveiled last week but there remains much detail to be worked out. This is all just taking too long and yet month after month more men, women and children are trapped in emergency accommodation, are at risk of homelessness and are experiencing the stress and trauma of homelessness and housing instability. The State must make better use of existing empty state properties and local authority homes,” she said.

IMPACT trade union’s motion to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference this year called for a coordinated plan to ensure housing provision, an end to homelessness and called for initiatives to ensure adequate security of tenure, including the regulation of rents through an indexation system similar to systems in use in other EU countries. IMPACT represents staff working in homeless services across the community and voluntary sector.

See simonhomelessforecast.ie

Public Services International has expressed concern about the Trade Union bill, recently published by the UK government, which contains wide-ranging measures designed to restrict the ability of unions and their members to organise collectively and take industrial action. The legislation includes thresholds for turnouts in strike ballots, restrictions on the right to picket and the removal of the ban on the use of agency workers to replace striking workers. Measures to eliminate payroll check-off for public service staff have already been implemented, forcing unions to have their members set up direct debits to pay their union subscriptions.

PSI said that the Bill will severely undermine fundamental human and trade union rights, such as freedom of association and the right to strike in the UK.

In a statement, PSI said “These fundamental rights have been enshrined and acknowledged in international human rights’ treaties and jurisprudence since 1948 in the UN, ILO and EU human rights instruments and are cornerstones of all free democratic societies.

“We believe it will cripple the UK’s industrial relations system, curtail the social and civil rights of UK people, dramatically erode workplace democracy and set a very dangerous precedent for the European Union and the rest of the world. We also share the view of the UK Regulatory Policy Committee that the whole Bill is ‘not fit for purpose’.”

PSI has urged the UK Government to withdraw the draft Bill because it breaches fundamental human and labour rights “and would place the UK among the ranks of human rights offender countries.”

The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons last week, despite objections from the new Shadow Cabinet and the bill even drew criticism from some Conservative MPs. It was described by Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle as “an attack on the rights of working people across the UK.” She added that the bill saddled unions with "draconian" restrictions, noting that the days lost to strike action had fallen by 90 per cent in two decades.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said the campaign against the legislation was far from over. “The record books will show that this government’s first major act in office has been to attack the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty. We will continue to oppose it at each stage through Parliament. Ministers have underestimated the public,” she said. Ms O’Grady added that it was good to hear MPs from across the house recognise the huge threat the bill poses to civil liberties and fair treatment at work.

Conservative MP David Davis said that the inclusion of a requirement for picketing workers to give their names to the police violated the principle of freedom of association and could lead to a "slippery slope”. Davis said he would vote against the bill at its third reading if these measures were still included.

Mary Tracey from IMPACT’s State Enterprises No. 1 branch will take on a six day group trek of the Camino next month, from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela, in aid of the RISE Foundation.

The foundation, a registered charity founded in 2008 by the well-known Irish singer Frances Black, supports families affected by a loved one's addictive behaviour through awareness and to combat the associated shame and stigma associated with addiction. RISE provides counselling by skilled professionals and 10-week family programmes. RISE depends entirely on fundraising initiatives to carry on providing this life-changing service.

“I am seeking as much sponsorship as I can get in order to ensure that they can continue to give such very necessary support to Irish families of loved ones in addiction,” says Mary.  Please dig deep and donate whatever you can afford, it will be money well spent.  You can donate to RISE through Mary’s my charity page here.

The seminar is aimed at both new and more experienced branch equal opportunities officers.  It will also be relevant to branch secretaries and executive committee members intending to serve in these positions in the future and for activists and IMPACT members with a genuine interest in dealing with equality issues. 

Guest speaker, Aodhán Ó Riordáin, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality and Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will make the opening address.  Other speakers include Louise O’Donnell, national secretary of IMPACT’s Health and Welfare Division and David Joyce, ICTU’s equality and global solidarity officer.

A light lunch will be provided (please advise of any dietary requirements in the booking form).

If you are interested in attending complete the booking form and return to Margaret Gorman, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or call 01 817 1500.