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Don't ask what your union can do for you...

  • 23-02-2010 10:24pm
    #1
    the_syco
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,316 ✭✭✭✭


    ...ask how willing you are to strike from your union? Usually, when you hear "union" you think of the Public Sector, but a lot of the private sector are also in unions.

    I see that
    the President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Jack O'Connor believes that its still not too late for negotiations with the Government.
    Seems "industrial action" is what's on the cards these days. For those who still have a job, that is. And Jack O'Connor, who earns €124,000 seems to think it's the way forward.

    When times were good, we had strikes every so often. And in bad times, yup, more strikes: 4000 electricians striked in July there last... It seems blackmail works best. Unfortunately, I wonder does Jack get a pay cut if any of those strikers loose a job if the company goes down the hole whilst they're out striking?

    If a company was considering a place to locate to saw how stike happy certain sectors of our ecomony are, I wonder would it make them think twice?


Comments

  • #2
    Kensington
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,683 ✭✭✭Kensington


    Difference with the Private Sector unions is that they are down on the ground in the real world unlike O'Connor, McLoone, Beg et al, and hence don't resort to lunacy tactics in the belief it will lead to the government bowing to their every demand.

    Could you imagine the utter uproar that would arise if the IBOA led a motion of strike action over the curtailment of all bonuses for banking staff? For impending paycuts which are now bound to be imposed on all staff? For redundancies? Yet seemingly its perfectly fine for the public sector unions to strike.

    Socialists on capitalists wages. You really need to ask whether O'Connor will be getting a paycut? In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if O'Connor got a pay rise proportionate to the amount of noise and disruption he could create about these "unjust cuts".


  • #3
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    the_syco wrote: »
    I wonder does Jack get a pay cut if any of those strikers loose a job if the company goes down the hole whilst they're out striking?

    No, but as far as I know his wage is tied to a certain pay scale in the public service. Public service wage cuts mean Jack O'Connor wage cuts.
    the_syco wrote: »
    If a company was considering a place to locate to saw how stike happy certain sectors of our ecomony are, I wonder would it make them think twice?

    Of course it would. But we're talking about Trade Unions, so discussion about economics is strictly discouraged. If the Unions campaign for higher wages and this lowers employment (the "law of demand") then thats not their fault. Its the fault of the greedy employers who are just out to get the "vulnerable".

    But let us not tar all Unions with the same brush. The Association of Electrical Contractors in Ireland today stated:
    "Labour Court Hearing on Friday the 19th February 2010 - Application to vary the REA for the Electrical Contracting Industry. A delegation from the AECI attended the above Hearing and again, our position clearly understood by all, that the AECI does not support the request by others for a ‘Rate Increase’ and will not be in support of an increase for the foreseeable future."

    Rather interesting - if I understand correctly the AECI is campaigning against wage increases to maintain employment.


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