20 August 2009 Edition

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Nuacht na nOibrithe

Tipperary ambulance strike to begin on Thursday

Crews of the North Tipperary Ambulance Service will begin strike action on Thursday. Drivers at stations in Nenagh, Thurles, and Roscrea who are members of SIPTU will continue to provide an emergency service but will not be carrying out other duties. The crew balloted for strike action in July after management decided to impose new work rosters unilaterally rather than address issues through normal industrial procedures.
The new rosters require changes in the on-call system that could add up to 25 minutes to response times for the service. Management is imposing the changes in breach of long standing agreements going back to 1993.
In line with the agreed code of conduct SIPTU gave three weeks notice of strike action. Members will ensure emergency services will be provided in line with agreed contingency arrangements during the strike.
“Our members have tried to resolve this issue through local negotiations and, if necessary, through the services of a third party”, SIPTU Organiser Paul Gavan said. “We have sought compromise in the interests of protecting response times for the public as well as members’ conditions, but unfortunately HSE management has consistently stated that no compromise is possible. Members have been shocked by the decision to depart from established practice and to impose a roster which is detrimental to the needs of the service. Even at this late stage SIPTU remains available for talks and we hope that the planned strike action will not be necessary.”

 

Ó Snodaigh calls for support for Carroll’s workers

Dublin Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has called on workers and tradesmen to boycott Carroll’s Joinery in solidarity with workers there who are being laid off with no offer of redundancy despite many years of loyal service to the company. Deputy Ó Snodaigh accused the company of using the recession to undermine workers pay and conditions despite being a very profitable company with big orders and massive advertising campaign.
Speaking as workers picketed the company’s head office in Park West, Dublin and its plant in Ballingarry, Kilkenny Deputy Ó Snodaigh said:
“The Labour Court has already ruled that these workers are entitled to four weeks redundancy for every year worked. This is the very least that they should be afforded. We are talking about fifty workers here with an average service of twenty-five years. Carroll’s Joinery is a very profitable company with big orders and a massive advertising campaign currently running on our television screens. The company is engaging in a brazen attempt to use the recession to undermine the workforce. We have seen this practice occurring at other companies in recent weeks and it must be stamped out.”
The Dublin TD is calling on the public and other workers in the trade to boycott Carroll’s Joinery and their subsidiary companies Door Store and Door Depot in solidarity with their fellow workers. We must not allow this or any other company to undermine the hard won rights of workers throughout Ireland.

 

Awards of €30,000 in sexual harassment case

The Equality Tribunal has awarded €30,000 in compensation to a waitress who was sexually harassed by a customer in a hotel where she was employed. The woman was making food in the hotel kitchen when a man came in and put his arms around her in a way that she found “sexually offensive, humiliating, and extremely intimidating.” She then refused to serve breakfast to the man and made a complaint to the general manager which was not dealt with.
During the next month she saw the same customer talking to the manager and she asked if she could be moved to the bar. She told the tribunal that after this she received a “hostile” phone call from the manager and then she went on sick leave and subsequently resigned. The tribunal stated that the hotel did not take “reasonable and practicable steps” to prevent her sexual harassment and ordered the hotel to pay her €30,000 in compensation.


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