Would you support a new NCHD representative body?

chanste

Just thought I'd post a poll about this because it seems that a lot of people posting recently would agree that something else needs to be set up.

DRPC

Things will never change if we sit back and take it. Eff the IMO by the way.

angrygp

heard about this from a journalist.
i have voted yes.
only problem is it takes 18/12 to set up.
we tried it in the 90s with the NAIGP and GPSSA.
eventually we had to pay the protection money (yearly subs of €1200) to the IMO to negotiate with the HSE.
i need a union right now!
it is possible to rebuild the IMO.
george has left the building with his money. the same people who worked closely with him over those years are still there in control.
they refused us a vote at Mullingar last week.
im trying to organise an egm to get them out.
i need 120 member signatures. info at saveourimo@gmail.com

ThatDrGuy

Hey, thanks for the info. Great work trying to get control of the investigation. I have asked around, the only members left of the IMO seem to be the committee heads and unfortunately a lot dont want any more controversy. There is a facebook group I understand called enough is enough. If you post there, explain what happened in mullingar and what you are trying to do you will get the required support. It has 1900 plus members, you should be able to find some people who are still in the IMO.

angrygp wrote: »

heard about this from a journalist.
i have voted yes.
only problem is it takes 18/12 to set up.
we tried it in the 90s with the NAIGP and GPSSA.
eventually we had to pay the protection money (yearly subs of €1200) to the IMO to negotiate with the HSE.
i need a union right now!
it is possible to rebuild the IMO.
george has left the building with his money. the same people who worked closely with him over those years are still there in control.
they refused us a vote at Mullingar last week.
im trying to organise an egm to get them out.
i need 120 member signatures. info at saveourimo@gmail.com

his_dudeness

Here's the link to the facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/566600706700681/

Someone has already mentioned your campaign, good luck!

angrygp

thanks. yes i will need luck but what i really need are signatures .
any members can e mail me for the EMG form.

ThatDrGuy

Just put up a posting with the story from the EGM and how the body is obstructing you, with your contact details. There is definately a mood for reform.

angrygp

great -thanks - we need all the support we can get.

chanste

I think that with all that's been said in this forum, and the new facebook page, twitter, Joe Duffy, and now Prime Time... it seems like people want to use the existing infrastructure which the IMO has to capitalise on the momentum that has built up in the past week. TBH I'm coming around to agreement with this thinking.

What I really want to hear though, is what are they going to do that is different from before? The HSE have shown tonight that they are entirely clueless about the hours worked by NCHDs - likely wilfully so, and to be fair to Shirley representing the IMO, she wasn't given much of a chance to say her piece.

I would like to see a plan from the IMO which establishes the "what if?" scenario of all this momentum dying out (which would likely be the HSE's greatest hope). I think any such plan should clearly describe what the breaking point is that would lead to strike action, because after so many years of no effective change the message seems to be loud and clear from the powers that be - "well what are ye gonna do about it?"

angrygp

what we as members will do at the EGM is take back control of the organization. we need to alter the structure to allow real imput from members as to who get elected to the council and the excecutive and therefore who gets paid what and how the resources of the IMO are used to serve the members not a select few who appear to have a stranglehold on
at present the line of succession to vice president and president is already decided it seems for 4-5 years to come as is membership of the other controlling committees =--- this needs to change ---now!!!
if we leave them in control even till the AGM in april this organization is over---and we need a union now.
the only way we can change it is with signatures. get info at saveourimo@gmail.com

ThatDrGuy

Hi AngryGP, Im spreadng the word for you I hope you are getting some momentum. Can I ask you to please write a short piece on whats happening ? Most people havent a clue:

IMO monopoly, aparthy to issues, golden circle, graft, mullingar, the PLAN.

Its proving hard to convince people without fleshed out details. A few paragraphs about the situation would be brilliant ( I wan't at Mullingar but i have gotten some feedback about what went on). I know you're busy but it would really help your campaign.

angrygp

of course , however its a long story,
i myself dont know how the IMO got their monopoly and what its legel basis is but when we tried to start a new union in the '90s we went to the congress of trade unions and they at first were very interested but then told us it was not possible.
someone with the time could look up the legel issues but my best information is that it is possible but will take about 18/12 and cost a fair bit.
i need a union now..
apathy to the issues is a problem with people who are burnt out to start with (and that applies to a lot of GPs and specialists too) and have that belief that you cant fight the system and things never really change etc etc.. couple that with a very real fear of putting their head above the parapet (with good reason some will say) and you get a scared apathetic membership (i really dont understand why they have paid the membership €1200 and not be involved) the belief is that if you "play the game " you'll be taken care of. that only works for the golden circle and their acolytes, the silver circle.
these people are themselves scared and apathetic (in terms of real issues eg NCHD dangerous working conditions) individuals who are very good at playing the game and thrive in an organization like the IMO.
the best of them get to be chairs of committees and presidents (who receive substantial financial compensation and stature,look where it got James Reilly). we really dont know who gets what or more importantly who GOT what as i believe things may have changed radically in the last weeks and if the question is asked "what does the chair of one of the committees get, the answer may be true for today but may not reflect the reality last year.
this is why we need a truly independent inquiry directed by people who have no connection with the old regime.
in mulingar they put the Barrister on the podium. his responses to questions were very telling.
he was asked a question about the finances. He said he did not look at the IMO accounts as he was not instructed to do so. for me it was difficult to understand how a legal opinion could be given on George's pension issue without at least looking at the yearly financial statements of the IMO. There were a number of similar instances at the meeting which demonstrated to me that the right questions were not being asked .
Then the President refused to allow motions be proposed and voted on. he said it was not an EGM. on reading the rules i believe it says that all general meetings outside the AGM are considered EGMs.
so members were allowed to shout and stamp their feet and let off steam (and i believe there were even a few stooges in the audience who did this and then appeared to be convinced by the president) but members were nor allowed to influence in any way the outcome. we were told that this was the way it was going to be --like it or lump it.
some members of the remuneration committee stood up and actually told us "yes we approved a doubling of George's salary and as a result his pension over 9 years but we did''nt know how much we were giving him" one of them used the excuse that he was not an accountant -- i heard a seasoned GP behind me mutter " Yes and i'm not an f'in idiot".
i believe the problem is a complete lack of democracy in the IMO. The vice president, who become president the next year seem to just pop up out of nowhere at the AGM in Killarney. there is no membership voting on any position higher that membership of committees and some have even questioned the fairness of this.
Who counts the votes you send in? is there any scrutiny of the counting? there are a lot of changes needed.
This means that any higher position in the organization is decided by a very small group of people and the higher you go the smaller it gets .
i believe that the cause of George's pension debacle was that in effect he had the giving of many of these positions and benefits and those in his circle cooperated (and it may well be that they did not all have full knowledge) with what happened.

the plan. firstly we must find out what happened.
Then we must review the rules and structure of the iMO AND VOTE IN CHANGES AT THE AGM IN APRIL TO ENSURE THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN AND THAT THE CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES OF THE IMO ARE USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MEMBERSHIP AND NOT FOR THE PERSONAL BENEFIT OF A SMALL SELF SELECTED GROUP.
i dont believe most of our members are f'in idiots --they just dont believe what we were fed at Mulingar and after what's happened and the drip feed of information about payments no one seemed to know existed, they just dont trust the old regime to investigate and ask the right questions. if we do not get an EGM and the chance to have a voice in the running of our union then i believe it is will colapse.