The IMPACT Youth Committee will host a table quiz fundraiser in support of Marriage Equality on Thursday 16th April 2015 from 7pm in The Gresham Hotel.

Tickets are €10 per person with a maximum of 4 people on a team. An epic raffle will take place on the night with great prizes on offer.

Comedian Marcus O'Laoire will host the quiz on the evening. Marcus is a regular performer in Ireland's top comedy clubs, and also appears regularly on shows such as The Republic of Telly and The Savage Eye.

Shane Lambert, chairperson of IMPACT’s youth committee, said “Since we have announced the quiz there has been great interest and support from IMPACT branches. Already a third of the tables are sold. It promises to be a great night of entertainment and it's for an important and historic cause. Any branch interested in attending should buy their tickets as soon as possible so they don't miss out. It promises to be a great evening.”

Tickets can be purchased online HERE.

Readers' Poll

We’re asking readers of the IMPACT e-bulletin how they intend to vote in the marriage equality referendum on Friday 22nd May. IMPACT is supporting the campaign for a ‘YES’ vote in the referendum, following a motion to IMPACT’s biennial delegate conference last year from the Sligo branch.

Taking part in the poll is anonymous and is hosted via the Survey Monkey website. You can take part in the poll HERE.

Supporting the campaign

If you would like a Yes Equality banner for your Facebook or Twitter page to support the marriage equality campaign you can use this nifty link to add a twibbon.

The overall campaign website is here and is packed with useful information and resources.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) represented by IMPACT have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over the issue of the reduction of working hours and the fragmentation of SNA posts. IMPACT, which represents approximately 6,000 SNAs nationwide, said the problem of reduced hours means that  individual SNAs have been reduced to as little as 10 hours of work spread over a full working week.

The ballot for industrial action was approved on Wednesday by a vote of 95% in favour.

IMPACT assistant general secretary Dessie Robinson said loss of working hours and income for SNAs constitutes a breach of the Haddington Road agreement (HRA). Dessie explained that IMPACT has expressed this view to the Department of Education and Skills. “The department continues to avoid getting into a discussion about the problem, and has instead pointed the finger of blame at the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which oversees the annual allocation of the SNA service,” he said.

The ballot paper motion seeks “A firm commitment from the Department of Education and Skills that no SNA will have their working hours or income reduced once there is work available in the school, as determined by the NCSE allocation, prior to any new member of staff being recruited for that school.”

Dessie said that individual SNAs have suffered in recent years as individual posts are broken down into, in some cases, just a few hours a week. “That’s not a good development for children who rely on the service, and it has made it impossible for many SNAs to make any kind of living from their work,” he said.

In 2014, IMPACT highlighted the issue of the fragmentation of SNA posts when 365 additional posts were announced in the 2015 Budget. IMPACT deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan said he hoped the additional posts would contribute to reversing the harmful work pattern that was emerging.

Kevin added “This is a needs-based service delivered by extremely dedicated staff. The service has created opportunities for children with special education needs to realise their full potential, and every SNA is a champion of that opportunity. But by breaking down posts, and hiring in more SNAs instead of allocating work to those SNAs already employed, the service is being compromised and SNAs are denied the chance to make a living from their work.”

IMPACT’s four SNA branch committees are to meet to consider the outcome of the ballot and the type of industrial action to be taken. The union’s Education divisional executive will meet on Wednesday, 8th April to discuss the ballot outcome.

IMPACT president Jerry King said that every trade union member has a role to play in supporting the workers in their strike action. “These workers are taking a brave and necessary step against an employer determined to treat its own workforce with callous disregard. These workers deserve our support and our respect, and I will look forward to meeting them on the picket lines next Thursday to express my solidarity and support” he said.

IMPACT officer Margaret Coughlan said she welcomed the opportunity for IMPACT members to show solidarity with the campaign. “This is a real opportunity to have public and private sector workers standing together and fighting for the rights of Dunnes Stores workers, and the Wicklow Health branch will be visiting and supporting workers in our region” she said.

IMPACT general secretary Shay Cody said that Mandate representatives had been invited to use IMPACT offices around the country during the dispute, “This is an important fight for these workers, and we’re open to assisting them in a practical way, as well as offering the solidarity of IMPACT members throughout the country.”

Writing in this week’s blog on the IMPACT website, Mandate general secretary John Douglas said “As with all industrial disputes, Dunnes workers don’t want to go on strike, but they’ve been left with no other option after their employer refused to engage with their union and also refused invitations from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the Labour Court.

“At the heart of the dispute is decency and fairness, something senior management in Dunnes find incomprehensible. The Decency for Dunnes Workers campaign was founded on four key objectives: Secure hours and earnings; Job security; Fair and consistent pay for all Dunnes workers; the right to be represented by their trade union” he said.

Read the full blog here - Dunnes Stores workers to strike a blow for decent work.

What you can do to help - trade unions, union members, families and friends.

• Make sure all trade union members, and their families are aware of the strike and the issues involved
• Do not shop in Dunnes Stores on Thursday 2^nd April and encourage others to do the same
• Visit the picket lines and show your solidarity for Dunnes workers
• Phone/text your messages of support and solidarity  into radio shows
• Join the online petition
• IMPACT is writing to the Directors of Dunnes Stores outlining the support of their members for Dunnes Workers’ fight for decent jobs and decent contracts and urging Dunnes Stores to meet Mandate and resolve the issues. All IMPACT branches are actively encouraged to do the same.
• Contact Mandate to receive campaign materials including the Decency for Dunnes Workers shopping bags
• Like the campaign on Facebook.

There are a number of ways you can still take part, all of which involve answering the question ‘What does an ethical workplace mean to you?’

• The first and perhaps easiest is to log onto this website and leave a comment.
• The second is to use Twitter to answer the question using the hashtag #ethicswork.
• Finally you can also post pictures, videos, poems, or whatever creative method you think works, to lend your voice to the campaign using the website or Twitter.  

If you would like a little inspiration you can view some of the comments others have left here.

Shay Cody, general secretary with IMPACT, wants members to use this final opportunity to have their voice heard. He said “It’s not every day that the President of Ireland asks you to take part in a debate; and it’s almost as rare that we really investigate how the workplace can be made a more ethical place.

“This project is about imagining a better world, and handing over working scenarios to future generations that we can all be proud of. Thanks to modern technology it is easier than ever to take part in campaigns. I ask members to take a moment today to think about what an ethical workplace means to them and add their voice to the campaign. Each voice matters and this is a vital discussion.”  

Economic Outlook

NERI reports that the economic forecast is strong, “An overdue recovery is gaining momentum with ongoing improvements in the labour market, exports, domestic demand and earnings.”

The report projects strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2015, declining marginally to 3.1% in 2016, and says consumption will continue its recovery, driven by rises in real disposable income.

NERI also reports that improvements in the economy will improve Exchequer finances with the government deficit falling to 2.7% in 2015 and 1.9% in 2016, alongside a steady decrease in unemployment out to 2016, with the 2015 figure reaching 10%.

Despite economic improvements, the report expresses concerns that the recovery has yet to spread across the country, “a phenomenon typified by weak or limited employed growth in regions outside Dublin and its hinterland.”

Earnings distribution and low pay

On low pay, the latest report shows that:

• 25% of employees earn an hourly wage of less than the Living Wage threshold of €11.45 per hour (approximately 345,000 employees)
• On average employees earns €20.63 per hour although 50% of employees earn less than €16.62 per hour
• 30% of employees earn below the Eurostat low-pay threshold of €12.20 per hour (approximately 400,000 employees)
• 60% of the low paid are women, with female workers facing a 34% risk of being low paid (one in three)
• 69% of employees in the accommodation and food sector are low paid, while 60% of workers in administration and support services are also classified as low paid
• The risk of low pay is much greater for employees on low hours (less than 20hrs) where more than one in two is low paid. The risk is similar (52%) for employees with a temporary contract.

Read the full report HERE.

The survey looked at wage bargaining trends throughout last year and assessed the immediate outlook for pay in the private sector. The survey revealed that around 45% of firms are planning a pay rise this year with the average increase for all firms expected to be around 2.8%. Last year, just 33% of firms surveyed planned to increase pay, but a higher figure of 45% of firms actually delivered a pay increase.

By this measure, assuming the pattern of growth remains, it’s likely that the 45% planning to increase pay in 2015 will be boosted to 57%, which is the projection made by the employers body, Ibec.

IRN’s Brian Sheehan says that all of this suggests a growing confidence in the economy, “albeit in some sectors more than others.” The survey showed there was a zero response rate when employers were asked about decreasing pay, and that firms of all sizes plan recruiting more people this year, at 44.5% compared to 40.5% last year. If the same trend emerges again, job creation figures should be higher than previously forecast.

Sheehan says that the survey “paints a picture of a growing economy although one still marked by a strong dose of realism.”

Larger increases are expected in communications services at 4.4%, and recruitment/HR services at 6.9%. More modest increases are expected in manufacturing at 2.2% and retail at 1.8%. 

Speaking at the same conference, IMPACT general secretary Shay Cody said that the public service needs to keep in step with pay round developments emerging in the private sector.

The ongoing issue of €7.5 million in unpaid backdated premium payments to 400 social care staff at the Brothers of Charity and Ability West services in Galway and Roscommon has been raised in the Dáil by independent TD Denis Naughten. Mr Naughten represents the Roscommon/South Leitrim constituency.

IMPACT official Padraig Mulligan is currently coordinating a campaign to secure the payment of the twilight premium (time and one sixth between 8pm and midnight) arrears for social care workers.

Mr Naughten raised the question of the backdated payments this week with the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar. Mr Naughten said “What is frustrating for the staff is that the HSE has continued to pay its own staff the twilight premium in recent years. The HSE recently paid arrears to the social care staff of agencies in Dublin such as Home Again Traveller, Families Care and Cottage Home for Little Children, but it is refusing to pay the same arrears to social care workers and leaders in Galway and Roscommon.

“Will the Minister intervene and direct the HSE to honour its commitment? In light of how it has paid its own staff the twilight premium and the staff of a number of organisations in Dublin their arrears, the same should apply to staff in Galway and Roscommon and they should get the €7.5 million that they are due in arrears without delay” he said.

The minister responded that the HSE gave a commitment last November to actively pursue the provision of resources to the agencies to enable payment of the premium from 1 January 2015. “I am informed that the payment of the twilight premium has commenced since 1 January but there remains a continuing issue of retrospective payments, as the Deputy mentioned. This is being pursued by the Impact trade union and was the subject matter of the latest LRC engagement on 3 March.

“The HSE has indicated that it is not in a position to consider any retrospective payment at this time and has advised that it is engaging in a broader national process to determine the overall extent of issues relating to the non-application of twilight premiums in sections 38 and 39 agencies. It is expected that this process will be finalised on 17 April. Together with the employers directly involved in Galway and Roscommon, the HSE has indicated a willingness to return to the LRC at that stage” he said.

Deputy Naughten responded that arrears had been paid in sections 38 and 39 organisations in Dublin. “Why are we treating staff in Galway and Roscommon differently than staff in Dublin where the same liability applies and the latter had not traditionally been receiving the twilight premium? Where arrears have accrued, payment is being made to staff in Dublin but not to staff in Galway and Roscommon.”

“In fairness to the staff involved, they do outstanding work in sometimes difficult circumstances, particularly in recent years due to changes in work practices and resources. There has been a major shift in how they operate their services. We should try to meet this liability, given the fact that it is being paid in one part of the country” he said.

The minister explained that bodies are given money by the HSE on the basis of service level agreements and are supposed to provide those services within the budgets allocated to them. “It may be the case that the bodies in Dublin mentioned by the Deputy decided to pay the arrears out of their allocations whereas, for whatever reason, the similar agencies in Galway and Roscommon decided not to do so. I do not know, but that is my best guess for why there is a disparity. However, this issue will be resolved through the LRC and its ongoing work. That is the best place for the issue to be resolved” he said.

A video of the Dáil exchange is available here.

Padraig has run a series of information meetings in cooperation with Siptu. The next information meeting takes place at The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon next Wednesday (1st April) from 12 noon to 3pm.

In a memo to members of the branch accompanying the ballot paper, NETB branch chairperson Ger Lyons said that administrative and management staff of the former VECs had been subject to huge organisational change, including the reduction of the number of VECs from 33 to16, and the transfer of large numbers of staff from FÁS. 

Ger said, “While elements of an agreement reached at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) on these issues are still being progressed, it was expected that the enacted legislation (the Education and Training Act 2013), would lead to clarity on functional roles and responsibilities, organisational structures and appropriate staffing arrangements. Despite our best efforts we are not in receipt of such clarity.

“We see a desire on the management side to proceed with various further initiatives including payroll, finance etc. that could lead to a loss of role, jobs and career paths in the absence of any certainty on alternative responsibilities and opportunities. That is why we fought to ensure that a dedicated process was set up under the auspices of the LRC to address the remaining concerns of IMPACT members” he said.

IMPACT assistant general secretary Stella Griffin added that further change must be approached in a manner that balances the needs of the Department of Education and Skills and NETB staff. “The ballot is precautionary in the event that the LRC process between the department, the ETBI and IMPACT fails to produce satisfactory results” she said.

NETB members approved the ballot with 81% of members voting in favour.

The ballot motion calls on NETB branch members to take industrial action, up to and including strike action, in order to achieve clarity from the Department of Education and Skills on current and future roles and responsibilities of ETBs, agreement with the department and the ETBs on organisational structures, appropriate staffing arrangements and additional functionality, and the implementation of all outstanding agreements.

The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 has been signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins. The Act establishes a public register of organisations, including trade unions, engaged in lobbying Government and senior civil and public servants on public policy matters. 

The aim of the legislation is to bring greater transparency to lobbying in Ireland. It does not restrict lobbying communications activities, but it requires organisations that engage in lobbying, including trade unions, to report it publicly. The Act will commence on September 1^st 2015, and the first return by trade unions to the lobbying regulator (the Standards in Public Office Commission) will be required by January 21^st 2016.

The Act requires that only the employees of an organisation, such as fulltime trade union officials, register their lobbying activity. The legislation does not require trade union member activists to register. In the event of a ‘grassroots’ lobbying campaign, where a trade union specifically asks members to take part in lobbying, the trade union must register that it has done so.

Announcing the legislation, the Minister for Public Reform and Expenditure Brendan Howlin TD said the web based registration system, which will be launched in May, is designed to “show who is lobbying whom about what?”

The minister added, “Active lobbying is an essential element of a well-functioning and mature democracy. The aim of this Act is unequivocally not to restrict the flow of information, opinions or perspectives feeding into policy making or legislation but rather to bring about significantly greater transparency around this process.”

IMPACT cabin crew members with Aer Lingus received a recommendation from the labour court last week following a dispute over rosters with the airline in 2014, which resulted in a one day stoppage during the June bank holiday weekend. The Labour Court recommendation followed a lengthy engagement in a process to resolve the issues in dispute. The recommendation ( LCR20786(b) is available here.

In a bulletin to cabin crew members, assistant general secretary Michael Landers said “Aer Lingus has written to IMPACT stating that it accepts the latest Labour Court Recommendation. We do not propose putting the recommendation to cabin crew for acceptance as it is, in our view, not a suitable basis for resolving matters.” 

Michael added “This recommendation does not resolve matters and leaves a number of issues outstanding. Principally it does not point to how the issue of a 5:3 roster (three days rest following five days of duty) will be resolved, which is of critical importance.

“Cabin crew often work 13 and 14 hour days, they may not get a lunch break and they work shift work until perhaps midnight. Achieving a 5:3 roster is as much about health and welfare of the crew as anything else” he said.

Michael added that the branch now needs to go into negotiations with Aer Lingus. “We need to make it clear to them that we must emerge with a clear path to a 5:3 roster. Most other airlines have some variation of this roster for example Aer Arann, British Airways and Easy Jet.

 “We will be convening a general meeting of the branch on Monday (30th March) in Dublin and other meetings will be arranged for Cork and Shannon.  I urge all members to attend in order to discuss the implications of this recommendation and to decide the best way forward. The branch committee is considering all options, including further industrial action” he said.

It was initially agreed that civil and public servants who retire before August 2014 would receive a pension based on their salary before application of the pay cuts. This ‘grace period’ was designed to incentivise public servants nearing retirement to leave early. However the deadline has now been extended twice, first to 20 June 2015, and more recently, to June 2016. Both extensions were due to the large number of experienced staff leaving the service and also to coincide with the expiry of the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA). 

IMPACT is affiliated to the Alliance of Retired Public Servants, chaired by retired IMPACT member Brian Burke. Former IMPACT president Edwina Jones is also a committee member of the Alliance.

The latest newsletter of the Alliance of Retired Public Servants is available here.