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Industrial News
 Reject partnership fiasco
Stephen Boyd

The bosses, government and the union leaders have "agreed" the bulk of a new "social partnership" agreement. A disagreement over pensions and direct employment may yet derail a final deal or push back its conclusion until the autumn.

The unions and the bosses have agreed a 10% pay rise over 27 months with a pathetic 0.5% extra for the low paid. That is 4.4% per year at a time when inflation is now 3.9% and expected to reach 5% by year end. Ironically an ICTU press release in April stated that industrial earnings fell last year – hourly earnings only rose by 2.1% while inflation was 2.5%. Now the leadership of Congress think it is an achievement to have "forced" the bosses to impose a further wage cut on workers!

The increase in early June of interest rates by the ECB means the cost of the average monthly mortgage will increase by e35 - e45. This is on top of an earlier interest rate increase and with another one or two increases predicted by the end of 2006. In this context a 4.4% pay rise pales into insignificance.

This latest round of "social partnership" talks have highlighted once again why it is impossible for workers and the bosses to be "partners". For example, the unions entered these talks aiming to get a local bargaining clause to allow workers in the private sector to get extra pay increases from the huge profits being made by big business and for fixed rate pay increases for the lower paid. The bosses refused and the union leaders have backed down on these and numerous other demands.

If a "social partnership" deal is reached it will be a charter to allow the bosses to continue with their agenda of imposing a "race to the bottom", and of attacking wages, working conditions and pension rights.

The Socialist Party will be campaigning for a “No” vote in the event of a deal. We are opposed in principle to "social partnership" – instead we need a return to free collective bargaining in which workers can use their industrial muscle to force the bosses to pay decent wages and combat the "race to the bottom".
Industrial News
 Psychiatric nurses - Abused and underpaid
Interview by Susan Fitzgerald

Susan Fitzgerald spoke to John Gahan, a psychiatric nurse in Dublin and Chair of the Dublin North West Branch of the Psych-iatric Nurses Association.

"At our Conference this year it was agreed to ballot our 6,000 members for industrial action. We will be balloting on the basis that there is no insurance or compensation package for our members who suffer serious assault. Attacks on psychiatric nurses have increased by up to 50% over the last few years.

“In 2005 alone 1,200 psychiatric nurses were attacked at their place of work. Three years ago a task force was established to discuss this issue and recommended that a proper compensation scheme for psychiatric nurses who were injured as a result of an assault be put in place. The government stalled on this recommendation and then when Harney took over as Minister for Health she dismissed it out of hand. We are now forced into a situation where we have no option but to take action.

"The threat of assault is an everyday fear for our members. A couple of weeks ago in Naas General Hospital, two patients who had been expelled for being unmanageable broke into the psychiatric unit through the A&E and attempted to get at staff members.

“There was an incident in Portrane where three nurses were stabbed by a patient for whom they had been sent out to bring back to the hospital. We can’t allow ourselves to be ignored – as health workers we are at the cutting edge of the problems in Irish society, but this is especially the case in psychiatric care.

"We are also currently involved in a joint pay dispute with the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO). We are holding a rally in the Helix in Dublin on 14 June. We are looking for a 10.6% pay increase and a 35 hour week to address the current anomaly between qualified staff nurses and unqualified care workers.

“As it stands at the moment it would take 21 years for a graduating nurse to earn as much as some unqualified care workers. Our message to the government is that 21 years is too long. We are skilled workers playing an invaluable role in a crisis ridden health system but our work and training is completely devalued by Mary Harney and this government."
Industrial News
 Exploitation on the Irish sea
Mike Murphy

The Cork-Swansea Ferries ship, the Superferry, is registered in the Caribbean. Might seem odd, but it does absolve the company of any legal requirement to pay the minimum wage.

The International Transport Federation (ITF) and SIPTU suspect the company of not paying the minimum wage to the mainly Eastern European crewmembers of Superferry. Cork-Swansea Ferries say the crew are paid over €8 per hour, but have not replied to questions as to how this figure was calculated.

The ITF contacted members of Cork City Council with a view to having a motion passed on the issue. Socialist Party Cllr Mick Barry tabled a motion but Fianna Fail and Fine Gael united to vote the motion down.

In a related development, Stena Line plans on moving the Stena Seatrader to the Dublin to Holyhead route next month. Up to 20 Polish crewmembers will be paid less than their colleagues. The RMT threatened to take industrial action if the Polish workers don’t get the same rate as their workmates.
Industrial News
 Irish Rail - Workers take wildcat strike action for safety
Interview by David Convery

David Convery spoke to a train driver in Kent Station, Cork about the recent strike at Iarnroid Eireann.

DC: What were the issues surrounding the recent strike action taken by train drivers?

TD: Well a new line of trains is being brought in on the Cork to Dublin route that are faster and more modern than the old trains. It had been previously agreed that the train drivers would receive full training in relation to these new trains and that proper safety issues would be dealt with before they came online. These also included the long hours we have to work. However, two of the train drivers here were not satisfied that these issues had been met so they refused to drive the new trains. The rest of us then supported them by taking strike action.

DC: What do you think of the role played by the media and the unions?

TD: Understandably there were a lot of people upset by the action, having to cancel or rearrange plans, but the media put an awful spin on it. We were made out to be selfish and uncaring. It was surprising enough considering the issue was about safety, for the passengers and staff. I spoke to a lot of people who supported our actions but that wasn’t in the papers or on the news, nor was the safety issue properly explained. We weren’t happy with the unions. They didn’t sort out the issue in the past that is why we had to take this action and then they didn’t support us when we took it.

DC: Do you think the action will be repeated?

TD: Well, the way things are going, I think it is a possibility. There are still a lot of things to be sorted out such as our hours and pay.
Industrial News
 Bank of Ireland pension threat
Finghin Kelly

Bank of Ireland (BOI) announced their intention to scrap their defined benefit pension scheme for new employees and replace it with a yellow pack pension that will be dependent on uncertain stock market returns. This will result in no security for Bank of Ireland workers' pensions.

The Irish Bank Officials Association described this announcement as a “kick in the teeth” for the bank’s workers. This comes after 1,000 redundancies last year and just days after the Bank of Ireland announced profits of €1.6 billion for 2005, up 31% on last year. This means Bank of Ireland made an amazing €94,000 in profits per worker in 2005.

These profit levels are repeated throughout the sector, for example AIB have reported profits up by 23% to €1.7 billion. These massive profits have been made by the hard work of the workers as well as the gross exploitation of customers, especially those with mortgages.