New Events

Dublin

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link National Trust Sacks Volunteer Gardeners for Not Being Inclusive Enough Sun Sep 21, 2025 09:00 | Sallust
Thirteen volunteers say they have been forced out by the National Trust, which told them their "attitude and values" did not align with the charity's "respectful and inclusive culture".
The post National Trust Sacks Volunteer Gardeners for Not Being Inclusive Enough appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Now He?s Dead, the Truth About Purple Aki Can Finally Be Said Sun Sep 21, 2025 07:00 | Steven Tucker
Now he's dead, the truth about Purple Aki can finally be said, says Steven Tucker. A forerunner of all the sex-offending migrants that judges make excuses for, he targeted children in Liverpool for decades.
The post Now He’s Dead, the Truth About Purple Aki Can Finally Be Said appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link News Round-Up Sun Sep 21, 2025 00:05 | Will Jones
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Somalian Migrant Living in Epping Hotel Thanks Keir Starmer ?From the Bottom of my Heart? After Winn... Sat Sep 20, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
A Somalian migrant living at the Bell Hotel in Epping has thanked Keir Starmer?"from the bottom" of his heart after winning the right to stay in Britain on human rights grounds as he prepares to settle in Yorkshire.
The post Somalian Migrant Living in Epping Hotel Thanks Keir Starmer “From the Bottom of my Heart” After Winning Right to Stay in UK appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Oxford Students ?Mocked the Assassination of Charlie Kirk on WhatsApp and Tried to Silence Anyone Wh... Sat Sep 20, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Students with links to Oxford University?have mocked the assassination of?Charlie Kirk on WhatsApp?and tried to silence others who did not agree, it's been reported, with many explicitly endorsing political violence.
The post Oxford Students “Mocked the Assassination of Charlie Kirk on WhatsApp and Tried to Silence Anyone Who Didn’t Agree” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

SIPTU's Sweetheart Deal

category dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | news report author Wednesday June 09, 2004 14:29author by Unionwatch Report this post to the editors

Details of the Sweetheart Deal between SIPTU and Connex

Maybe this is old news but it's the first I heard of it.

SIPTU have agreed a 'closed shop' deal with Connex for the new Dublin tram system obliging all workers to be SIPTU members and forbidding them from switching union.

The pay-off for Connex is that SIPTU have agreed that 'there will be no industrial action of any form during the lifetime of this agreement.'

Days like this that remind me why I resigned from SIPTU.

http://www.eiro.eurofound.ie/print/2003/11/inbrief/ie0311202n.html

author by Realistpublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 14:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

That clause was a precondition to their being union representation in that company at all and is a consequence of the penalities that Connex have to pay for cancellations.

There are plenty of things that union members can do in cases of industrial strife instead of striking, BTW, like not collecting fares etc.

SIPTU is not perfect - nor is any other union. It would have been much better for you to have been in and fighting than out and moaning.

author by Ferguspublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 17:00author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Yes, there are many things a union can do besides striking, but the phrase 'no industrial action of any kind' obviously includes all of those things. Go-slows, not collecting fares, etc, are also forms of industrial action and appear to be ruled out by this sell-out deal which the union bosses have made with the corporate bosses. This leaves the workers totally screwed in any negotiations, unless they can find an effective way to organise outside of the union (difficult but maybe not impossible) or can force the union to ignore the immoral agreement.

author by Unionwatchpublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 17:21author address author phone Report this post to the editors

All Unions might not be perfect, but some are less perfect than others. I left SIPTU to join another Union.

author by angry trade unionistpublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 18:12author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No surpises in the deal. Siptu are interested in getting more members to pay for the pensions of their officials and the private health insurance deals they all have. Any wonder they won´t defend health services and sign away rights.

author by R. Isiblepublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 18:26author address author phone Report this post to the editors

What's the point of a union that promises not to take industrial action?

author by seedotpublication date Wed Jun 09, 2004 20:01author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Apparently the deal was signed on or about the 90th anniversary of the 1913 lockout - which started on the trams.

If you want a signal of how bad SIPTU has got check out O'Connors statement on aer rianta over the last few days, assuring people there will be no strike and talking of the numbers that would be affected if there was. Way to police your members, Jack.

There are problems in my union too, but Jesus if I was paying the wages of officials who consistently sided with employers and government against the members i would have to think twice.

author by chris bondpublication date Thu Jun 10, 2004 00:13author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Since social partnership was introduced the system of trade unions in this country has gone to the dogs.Mary harney and her friends in IBEC must be delighted. Jim Larkin must be turning in his grave.

Number of comments per page
  
 
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy