Unite recommends rejection of draft pay deal and vows to
fight on for ‘right deal for workers’
28 September 2008
Unite, the second largest trade union in
Ireland with over 60,000 members, is to recommend its members
reject the draft national pay deal hammered out between unions,
employers and government ten days ago.
The union’s Executive Committee for the
Republic of Ireland will recommend to a conference of shop
stewards, officers and workplace representatives on October 10 that
Unite members should vote no to the deal. Unite’s full
membership in the Republic of Ireland will then be balloted on the
draft agreement with a result known in advance of the special ICTU
conference that will take place on November 17th.
“We were clear from the outset what our
minimum requirements were from any deal,” said Unite Regional
Secretary Jimmy Kelly. “The draft agreement on which our
members will vote comes up short in too many key areas. The
pay element represents a pay cut in real terms for working
people. The special treatment we deemed essential for the
lowest paid has not been delivered, with the token gesture offered
representing a maximum five cents per hour. We will fight on
at local level to achieve fair pay. In addition we sought
improved pension coverage to bring us into line with our European
neighbours. The employers rejected this and the government
refused to get involved. It was a similar case with our
demand for the right of workers to trade union
representation. Such a right exists in Northern Ireland,
across Europe and the United States, but still not here.
“The leadership of this union now believes
that a national agreement is no longer the best basis on which to
advance the rights and fair remuneration of workers.”
“We will put this view, together with our own
detailed analysis of the agreement to all of our members in a full
ballot to be held following a meeting of shop stewards and
workplace representatives in two weeks time.”
“In the meantime we will continue to work
constructively on behalf of our members on a local basis.
While some companies may be experiencing difficult times, it
remains the case that Irish companies are making more profits
per employee than any country in Europe bar Luxembourg. Irish
wages lag 25 per cent below the average of our European peers, and
this wage agreement would likely give rise to a 2.7 per cent drop
in the value of those wages over the period from 2006 to 2010.”
END
Further information:
Rob
Hartnett,
Director – Hartnett McClure
PR
086 3851955
