Trade Union Solidarity
national |
worker & community struggles and protests |
news report 
Monday September 24, 2007 12:29
by Solidarity seeker
No wonder workers are allways on the back foot fighting battles> Struggling up hill to defend themselves their jobs and their futures. Employers/Management have a vested interest in keeping workers on their knees. But when (So called) brother and sister unions, in a vain attempt to save face try to "Pull the rug" from under the feet of workers about to embark on industrial action, then the trade union movement is in a sorry state.
After 12 years of doing very little on this issue, and having been aware for 12 weeks the timetable that NIPSA was working to. UNISON, a full month AFTER consulting with their members and recieving overwhelming support for strike action, have finally decided at the 11th hour to ballot their own members, while at the same time expecting NIPSA to call off their own democratically arrived at action. This has seriously undermined the action giving management extra leverage and encouragement that the dispute can be broken due to the lack of union solidarity.
UNISON's action is reprehensible if not suprising, as anyone witha modicom of knowledge in union matters knows the score on such matters. UNISON love the publicity, love to be centre stage grabbing the headlines while actually doing as little as possible. If UNISON had any real intention in fighting this dispute they should of come out whole heartedly behind NIPSA instead of trying to hijack the dispute and derail NIPSA's efforts. As always the tough talking looks good on TV or in news print creating the illusion that they actually give a damn about their members when in reality they ahd already accepted management's offer in June, and this is simply a face saving exercise.
It is now up to NIPSA to show their "Brothers and sisters" what it means to be a proper Union, representing, working and fighting with their members to secure a just settlement.
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3There are over 7,000 classroom assistants in N I, and you could add about 4,000 further, who work as volunteers, or in job-placements. These workers are over 99% females. The few males in this role, are about 3 times as likely to be on temporary contracts. These are facts. About a quarter, or more, of the females, do not possess a high school pass. Another quarter will likely lack either a pass in maths, or English. These are conservative estimates. If you enter a high school staff room at lunch time, you will find the teachers in one area, and the CAs in another area------British class system. If you are the only CA in that room, no one will talk to you (as one CA confided to me). The ladies operate from an obvious position of weakness. That is why they are there. They are bullied by a group of hypocrites, with a policy on bullying. I can not help but think, that past labour leaders such as James Connolly, Countess and Eva Markiewicz, or Arthur Griffith, would be very upset with this mob. The ladies are very assistive, and appreciated, in the classroom, but it is not especially under a banner of Education, Education, Education. It is more like Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, or Full-employment, Full-employment, Full-employment.
The most amazing thing that I find in this scenario, is the amount of money spent on suppressing these ladies, in ignoring their plight, in concealing their plight. At the same time, another fortune is spent on a publicity campaign of the topic of equality. Their employers have statutory equality schemes, and statutory duties to be mindful of gender, race, religion, etc. Obviously, the Equality Commission, have been sleeping on the equality issue. Not to suggest, however, that they do not hold their equality meetings and conferences. Not to suggest that they do not have committees which talk about tackling these matters. Not to suggest that they are lacking a law or a code on equality. They are not lacking for conferences or committees or laws or glossy brochures. These ladies need a few males to enter their ranks-----across the spectrum of education, but especially in the secondary schools. The ladies need more muscle. Support your local CAs, because no one else will.
When was Arthur Griffith ever a labor leader? Griffith sided with the employers during 1913!
Then we will replace him with Jim Larkin. Furthermore, Eva was not a Markiewicz. You missed that one. However, when all is said, best wishes to the ladies, in their fight for fair wages and conditions.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.