QuoteWhat reports pete? (Not doubting you, just haven't read any)Originally Posted by pete
Presumably the action is more of a marker before the April budget than anythign else.
Irish Times
Can someone explain to me what ICTU hope to achieve with this? To me is seems will only encourage public v private sector divide as reports suggest many private sector employees are voting against.The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has called for a nationwide “day of strikes” on March 30th in companies which have not paid wage increases set out under the national deal negotiated last autumn or put in place some alternative arrangement.
“We have to take this action because of the failure of the Government and the employer bodies to heed the national day of protest on February 21st," TEEU general secretary designate Eamon Devoy said. This day of protest in Dublin was attended by over 150,000 people.
Mr Devoy said 90 per cent of the union’s 45,000 members voted in favour of the ICTU plan and 80 per cent voted for industrial action. He said strike action would not take place in businesses which have honoured the terms of the agreement.
What reports pete? (Not doubting you, just haven't read any)
Presumably the action is more of a marker before the April budget than anythign else.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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As they've stated many times, the reopening of meaningful social partnership talks, with their 10 point plan as the basis.
Any links to these reports? The largest Trade Union in the country is mainly private sector, so that would be news. I haven't heard one or the other yet how the ballot went in my employment.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Ballot in my union went 67-33 in favour of industrial action. A super majority by definition but I still wouldn't think it was the ringing endorsement they were after.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Approching 70% would be deemed pretty good in my experience.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Irish Times
It wasn't on the IT site so had to do some digging.
I don't know if Dublin Airport staff are classified as public or private but either way they have fairly secure jobs.ONE OF the country’s largest trade unions, Unite, has said that ballots in the private sector on the planned nationwide day of strikes scheduled for Monday week are in general “on a knife edge”, with workers in some cases voting not to take part.
A spokesman for Unite said that in many company ballots the result had been a close call and that in some cases workers had decided not to take part. Unite has not disclosed details of the number of workplaces where members voted against participation. It is to announce further details of where strikes will take place.
IMO the lack of Social Partnership is not a reason to strike as it is not an employment right. Striking due to no pay increase is bizarre.
[QUOTE=pete;1127902IMO the lack of Social Partnership is not a reason to strike as it is not an employment right. Striking due to no pay increase is bizarre.[/QUOTE]
Striking none compliance with a previously negotiated agreement, without a negotiated replacement, would be the basis of a lot of industrial disputes.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Striking in favour of honoring an agreement whose terms are so generous that they verge on wreckless shows how out of touch some of the unions are.
I think the next couple of months will be a seminal moment for the union movement in Ireland. They are moving away from collective opinion and risk a future of militant obstructionism on behalf of a smaller membership base unless they change course.
Good to see IMPACT go against the strike, if only by the smallest margin.
Non compliance by the government in current circumstances is hardly a normal situation. I don't see the logic of a new agreement when the government doesn't even know if it can pay its bills next month let alone next year.
To formulate a plan to get us out of this mess. As happened in the 80's.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
IMPACT vote went 65% yes to striking. Apparently they need 66%
Bit of a blow to the ICTU I'd imagine
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I'm no defender about the Government but surely the disagreement is over the content of the plan (pension levy, tax increases, throw out national agreement).
Saying there is no plan is a smokescreen. Whether it's enough to get us out of the recession is another question, but that question is for the electorate, not the unions.
This "we're striking for the greater good" is disingenuous and dishonest spin.
True. Not sure who their members are but seems to be a lot of professions across the public sector (based on their website info) & they are the second largest union in the country apparently.
They're mainly staff in county and city councils. I know staff at the lowest clerical level are in IMPACT
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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The actual ballot was over the non implementation of the national wage agreement. Employments that have paid it, weren't ballotted. I don't know about other unions, but SIPTU also balloted on support for the ICTU 10 point plan at the same time. From the get go, ICTU have said recommencement of meaningful talks and the strike is off. The smoke screen is being thrown up by those trying to make it about the pension levy, and the public sector in general (the same old, same old divide and conquer).
IMPACT represent technical grades mainly (not all professionals). Assuming it has the support, ICTU will call it an all out strike and get McLoone off the hook.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
1) Do you honestly believe it's in the best interest of the country to follow through with last years agreement?
2) the ICTU "plan" is nothing of the sort. It's 10 vague principles with zero detail or anything that is in any way measurable. It was simply a stalling move to make the union movement look constructive. It's unfortunate that the media didn't push the unions for detail as the emperor has no clothes.
As for driving a wedge between public and private sector, it's a bit too late, that's been done already. The semi-states might still be siding with the public sector, but the level of union representation in the true private sector is so low and fractured, that a united front, whatever ICTU might try to portray, was always going to be an illusion.
Next Monday is about the public sector and the semi-states. ICTU will try and make it appear inclusive, but the average private sector worker is a million miles away.
Employers could (as with every other national agreement) plead inability to pay. There is no reason why those companies that could afford to pay shouldn't (and in fairness some have). If it needed renegotiating, then it should be renogotiated, rather than unilateral breaking it.
This was signed in September. Any of the parties could've rejected it at that stage, including the Government.
It's their starting point for negotiating a plan. It's based on the swedish model, which worked ok for them. Any other plans on the table? And btw, you must have missed the constant attacks by the media on ICTU over the plans lack of detail. As I've said before, in the abscence of any other coherent plan then it's the best there is!
I guess we'll see on the day of action. The largest union in the country is mainly private sector. Semi states would be public sector, and would be counted in public sector numbers, wouldn't they? I've never seen them split off before anyway. Density may have been falling, but nominal numbers in Trade Unions has actually been increasing.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Democracy IMPACT-style seems to involve reviewing your rulebook to see if you can overturn a democratic vote and if that fails, state the vote was irrelevant in any case as you couldn't expect members to cross picket lines manned by members of other unions...
I would've thought the democratic problem with the IMPACT rule book was having a two thirds majority. I personally don't think it's too democratic that a 65% vote isn't enough for a decision.
As far as I've heard, it's been other unions saying they'd be surprised if IMPACT members pass the pickets, especially with a 65% vote. IMPACT wouldn't say it as that would be unofficial action. As I've said, Congress will call it as all out in the public sector, and then IMPACT members will be protected anyway.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Two thirds majority are generally there to protect against low turnouts.
I understand turnout was around 60%.
But as you say it's all meaningless if it's an all-out strike.
IMO next Monday will weaken unions in the private sector, permanently. I still can't believe people are striking for a real wage increase of 6-8% (2.5% + 4.5-5.5% deflation). It's so far out of kilter with what's going on in the rest of the economy as to be outrageous.
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