After 'Towards 2016', where now for the unions?

by Liberty Hall Langer Tue Nov 28, 2006 16:57

For a kick-off, the major issue facing the Irish union movement is NOT whether or not to enter national agreements ('social partnership'), but whether it is going to allow its representative structures to continue to die in unionised workplaces, and whether it is capable of regenerating itself enough to launch serious strategic organising campaigns in hitherto non-union sectors.

'Social partnership' is not irrelevant to that discussion but is not central to it either - otherwise we would have witnessed a trade union renaissance in Britain and Northern Ireland under the Conservative governments which sought and failed to destroy the union movement.

I know that SIPTU and the ATGWU - at least its British section - are taking steps towards becoming fit-for-purpose organising unions. I won't be able to attend this meeting, but I urge those who go not to start slanging matches about 'social partnership' but to keep their eyes on the prize of building unions capable of organising for workplace power.

by eddie Thu Dec 07, 2006 00:40

Any update on how this conference went?

by Gralton Thu Dec 07, 2006 01:48

There's a report on the meeting on Page 12 of today's An Phoblacht.

by Cowardly Tom - Also sacked by ITGWU Wed Mar 21, 2007 21:18

I have seen other nonsensical postings from Liberty Hall Langer and he obviously knows that his bread is well and truly buttered on the employers side.

What is his definition of a fit for Purpose Union?

DOES HE MEAN THE UNIONS IN IRELAND WHO LICK THE EMPLOYERS A....

Well, yes - I agree, that's all they're fit for.

by Marlboro man Wed Mar 21, 2007 21:38

The Unions have effectively negotiated themselves into a dead-end with Partnership and especially 'Towards 2016'

This document demands even greater flexiblity of the work force, a further errosion of conditions by stealth, effectively allows management carte blanche outsourcing with extremely vague pre-requisites, denies Unions greater scope within any kind of restructuring in light of benchmarking, locked pay-agreements irrespective of inflation and other indirect costs of living increases.

Has enabled IBEC a far greater say in work-practices, linked work-performance and profit, made it easier for management to sack established civil servants, has introduced a Project management Developement System into the civil service that is akin to Big Brother in its intrusion into the daily work routine and has the potention to make a worker accountable for every minute of his or her working day.

The Unions at the highest level sold this on the 12% guaranteed pay-rise over the next 10 yrs and has bought in wholesale to the idea that they have a responsiblitly to the economy to provide the government with a lean cut-throat civil service in line with private practice.

PD's anyone?