Nuacht na nOibrithe

Massive victory for port workers

As An Phoblacht goes to print news is coming from Brussels that the European Parliament has rejected the controversial Ports Directive that would have liberalised port services across Europe. Large trade union mobilisations across Europe had their effect with the Directive being rejected by a surprisingly large margin of 532 to 120 as Conservative MEPs changed position under increasing pressure.

On Monday over 10,000 workers took to the streets outside the European Parliament offices in militant demonstrations while across the rest of Europe ports were closed by striking harbour workers. Speaking at the protest Frank Leys from the International Transport Workers' Federation said: "We have come to make clear our anger at the fact that the parliament is again planning to debate and vote on the plan it has previously refused."

On the same day Sinn Féin met with a delegation from the European Transport Workers' Federation and the International Transport Workers' Federation and made clear its absolute opposition to the Directive.

Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún voted against the proposal and congratulated workers on their campaign. "I want to pay tribute to those workers who have campaigned hard to defeat this proposal and who have won a massive victory against the forces of neo-liberalism.

Longford crisis

Up to 500 workers from across the midlands face financial crisis this week following the devastating fire at the C&D petfood factory in Edgeworthstown, County Longford.

In what's being termed "an unfortunate industrial accident" by the Gardaí, the plant became engulfed in a blaze on Sunday night 15 January.

C&D was founded by former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, but has since passed into the hands of his son Philip.

Up until Sunday it employed 450 full-time staff and 50 casual labourers. They turned up for work on Monday morning to be greeted by the shocking scene.

On Tuesday, workers gathered at the local Park Hotel to meet with union leaders and officials from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Some face a drop in income from more than €700 a week to just €165 on social welfare.

C&D is now looking into offers of help and ways of sustaining its business. The company had a turnover of €100m last year and makes own-label pet food for supermarket chains, including Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury, and Asda.

Ill-treatment of Filipino workers

Filipino workers employed in a factory in Blessington, County Wicklow have been being threatened with redundancy for daring to complain about low pay and poor working conditions.

Rhonda Donaghy of SIPTU said that Filipino workers in Sturdy Products are not being paid overtime or premium rates for 12-hour shift working unlike their Irish colleagues and management is making unlawful deductions from their wages for administering work permits and travel arrangements.

"Management at Sturdy Products has failed to sit down and negotiate in any meaningful way with SIPTU on pay and conditions of employment on behalf of our members," said Ms Donaghey. "This is yet another example of gross exploitation in return for profit at the expense of vulnerable migrant workers."

Double-Time for Sundays

Members of the Dublin Branch of the Independent Workers' Union picketed the Labour Court on Tuesday morning where a meeting between the Joint Labour Committee and representatives of the security industry was taking place. Activists were demanding the introduction of double-time rates for employees working on Sundays.

"After almost 20 years of so-called 'partnership' agreements a situation has now developed where 40% of Irish workers now work on Sundays while our research shows that not even half of these workers get Sunday Double Time," said Dublin Organiser Ray O'Reilly. "Although there is a legal obligation to pay a 'premium' for Sunday, we find several employers who are defying the law and paying nothing extra for Sundays.

"The security industry is an especially appalling example with workers governed by Joint Labour Committee agreements getting a premium of just €1.94 per hour for Sunday work. It is sad to note that some trade union representatives, those who favour partnership agreements, sit on the committees that set these atrocious Sunday rates."