JUST A THOUGHT...
We need massive debt write-down strategy
by Ciaran Campbell
MANDATE’S laudable call for a ‘No’ vote on the May 31st referendum on the Fiscal Treaty was met with the expected mixed bag of responses from the Irish media and politicians. But it was a brave call and one that requires the due attention it deserves and not the scaremongering headlines it has so far attracted from those in the so-called ‘Yes’ camp. General secretary John Douglas clearly set out the union’s position on Primetime on Tuesday after the Mandate conference. This could not be taken in isolation. The call for a ‘No’ vote in the referendum is not an end in itself but should be a start of a process to determine how this country can recover and grow itself out of this economic quagmire. He is correct and it is up to Mandate and others seeking a ‘No’ vote to demonstrate what that process should be. Therein lies the difficulty. It is important to note that those politicians leading the ‘Yes’ camp campaign – Kenny and Gilmore at al – have only recently coupled an economic and jobs growth dimension to this Fiscal Treaty, pointing out that it is currently being worked on and should be ready in and around the time of the referendum. This is the same sort of stuff that accompanied the ‘Yes’ campaigns in both the Lisbon referenda. Posters proclaiming that saying ‘Yes to Lisbon’ would put us ‘At the heart of Europe’ and was a ‘Vote for jobs’ were clearly wrong. In fact, it seems we are nothing but an annoying pimple on Europe’s backside. And, of course, unemployment has soared in the Republic since the Lisbon I and II. Furthermore the recent announcements that the Troika now wants to direct Ireland’s economic recovery towards job creation should be treated with cynicism – as it appears incredibly coincidental that the same announcements were made practically on the eve of the referendum campaigns. It is correct that future governments in Europe should behave with the economic discipline expected of them but regulation has historically proven to be useless in controlling capitalism. Economic history has shown fiscaltype rules will either be rewritten or simply ignored in the pursuit of profits and control.
This Fiscal Treaty will be no different and serves as an indictment on previous governments and how they ran their affairs. To begin with, there needs to be a writedown of all the debt and a subsequent realignment of related and associated economies ahead of capitalism cannibalising itself entirely. Yes, this will introduce austerity but no more than what we are already experiencing and furthermore provides us with a means to control our own economic destiny. The recent bank write-down of a €152,000 mortgage debt for a nurse on an average income represents a microcosm of exactly what needs to happen on a larger and international scale.
Stabilising our livelihoods and our indebtedness is a necessity...
Both parties demonstrated real logic in dealing with a problem that was never going to be solved by the relentless pursuit of debt that not only couldn’t be paid back but had negative consequences for both the individual and the bank. Ireland is in a similar situation, and ahead of any attempt to recover and grow our economy, creating sustainable and long-lasting jobs as well as stabilising our livelihoods and our current indebtedness – which was caused by others – is a necessity. Rather than asking the Irish population should we agree or not to this new Fiscal Treaty, the Government should ask us should we bail out the very bondholders that continue to wreak economic havoc and hardship on us? Voting ‘No’ on May 31st is the right and proper thing to do. It is morally right and will serve as a reminder to the Government that enough is enough! Ciaran Campbell is a divisional organiser for Mandate in the North West
Health & Safety FETAC Level 5
This course is aimed at Health and Safety representatives Topic covered on the course: • Health and Safety Legislation • Role of Health and Safety Representative • Safety statements • Role of Health and Safety Authority • Occupational health • Identification of hazards and risk assessment • Accident investigation • Fire safety • Effective communications • Health and safety promotion
Certification and Progression: Members who successfully complete this course receive a Fetac Level 5 component award certificate and may progress to other courses offered by Mandate. If you are interested in this course, please contact your Mandate official or Mandate's Training Centre at 01-8369699. Email: mandateotc@mandate.ie May 2012
y SHOPFLOOR
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all the pix from bDC 2012 Super 8 page pullout
INDUSTRIAL NEWS
Divisional organiser John Carty: Warned employer over Tribunal settlement
tribunal awards €25k over redundancy case A MEMBER of Mandate has been awarded €25,000 compensation at the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Patrick Richardson, who worked at McCann’s Supervalu store in Moycullen, Co Galway, brought the case after being made redundant. It was claimed the employers had hidden behind a unilaterally-imposed ‘matrix’ in deciding who was to be laid off. Mr Richardson also had the right to appeal the decision to make him redundant to higher management. However, he did not attend the subsequent appeal as he was not allowed to bring along his trade union official. The Tribunal, in their
unanimous determination, said: ‘The manner in which the matrix results were considered and implemented and communicated to the respondent [Patrick Richardson] were also defective.” Divisional organiser John Carty told Shopfloor: “As the employer has yet to pay the award and has failed to appeal the Employment Appeals Tribunal determination to the Circuit Court, the matter is now with Mandate solicitors who are following up on the payment of the award to our member. “Should the employer fail to pay the compensation, Mandate will instruct its solicitors to initiate legal proceedings against the employer for failure to pay the award.”
Union Representatives Introductory Course The Union Representative Introductory Training Course is for new shop stewards/union representatives. The course aims to provide information, skills and knowledge to our shop stewards/union representatives to assist them in their role in the workplace. Course content: • Background to Mandate. • The role and responsibilities of a Shop Steward/Union Representative. • Examining disciplinary/grievance procedures. • Developing negotiating skills. • Representing members at local level. • Communication skills/solving members’ problems. • Organising, Recruitment and Campaigns. • Induction presentations. Certification and Progression: Members who successfully complete this course will obtain a Mandate certificate. They may progress to a Union Representative Advanced Course and to other relevant training courses offered by Mandate. If you are interested in this course, please contact your Mandate official or Mandate's Training Centre at 01-8369699. Email: mandateotc@mandate.ie 7