Latest news with #SIPTU
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
ICTU calls proposed VAT cut 'economic vandalism'
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has urged the Government to drop proposals for a €1bn cut in the VAT rate for the hospitality sector, calling it "economic vandalism". Following the publication of the Summer Economic Statement yesterday, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said that the cost of the VAT cut would be almost €1bn, using the majority of the €1.5bn identified for tax measures. "The proposal to cut the VAT rate at a time of huge economic uncertainty flies in the face of all available evidence, and would amount to nothing less than economic vandalism," said General Secretary of ICTU Owen Reidy. "Hospitality is a sector rife with low paid employment and poor conditions, and all evidence suggests that the reduction in VAT will not be passed on to consumers or staff, but pocketed by employers," Mr Reidy said. SIPTU said private sector workers have been short-changed by a Government which has broken commitments on pensions, increased sick days and measures to offset the cost of living crisis while announcing tax breaks for business. "This morning on national radio, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, stated that there was a prior commitment to the hospitality sector on a VAT reduction," said SIPTU Deputy General Secretary Greg Ennis. "However, what about the Government's prior commitments to workers with regard to increasing statutory occupational sick pay from five to seven days in 2025, progression towards a living wage in 2026, which has now been shelved until at least 2029, and the abolition of sub-minimum wages for young workers," Mr Ennis said.
RTÉ News
08-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Committee hears concerns over outsourcing content at RTÉ
Offering existing RTÉ programmes "out to tender" to outside production companies "does not enhance the cultural life of this nation", a Dáil committee has heard. Co-chair of the RTÉ Trade Union Group Trevor Keegan was among representatives from trade unions at the broadcaster, including the National Union of Journalists, SIPTU, Connect and Unite, who appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Communication and Media. The committee is scrutinising the Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill. The potential impact on RTÉ staff from a provision in the bill, which would require the broadcaster to spend a quarter of its annual public funding on programming commissioned from the independent sector, was a central theme in the discussions. Mr Keegan said that while many independent production companies make "great television and radio", apart from a small number of larger firms, the content is generally provided by workers on "short-term contracts with fragile protections". He added that "this is not conducive to long-term careers in TV and radio production". Mr Keegan described moving programmes such as 'The Late Late Show' and 'Fair City' to the independent sector as RTÉ "exploiting" the requirement of the act for increased production spend to "pursue its goal to dismantle and privatise" whole sections of RTÉ. He said that while there are "many laudable elements" of proposed amendments to the bill, they should not "come at the cost of breaking up the national broadcaster". Adrian Kane from SIPTU said that increased funding should support new content and employment and "not a reallocation of work already being undertaken by RTÉ workers". Mr Kane and President of Equity, the live performance and theatre trade union, Gerry O'Brien raised concerns over "buy-out contracts " by RTÉ and TG4. Secretary of the RTÉ TUG Sorcha Vaughan said that the 25% requirement is already "being quoted as a reason that things are being moved out of RTÉ". Ms Vaughan added that staff were "blue in the face" asking for consultation with management. She said that "we had this issue with religious programming" in relation to the recent announcement by RTÉ that it was sending elements of religious programming outside to a commissioning process within the independent sector. Ms Vaughan also said that her members had "had it again" with the current affairs programme Upfront with Katie Hannon when it was recently confirmed that the show was not returning in the autumn schedule. Mr Keegan told the committee that programme teams were told "late in the day" about the situation. He described as "horrific" the morale in RTÉ and Ms Vaughan said it was "awful". The Unite union also raised concerns about the provision and said that it is "often the case" that smaller independent companies will offer "short-term contracts, precarious employment arrangements, lower pay and often misclassify workers as self-employed". Seamus Dooley from the NUJ asked the committee to consider "what happens" when a public service programme which is outsourced "ceases to make enough money with the shareholder?". Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne said that concerning issues of workers being "misclassified" as self-employed that it was RTÉ rather than independent producers who were "guilty of that". He stated that public service broadcasting is not "just" going to be provided by RTÉ, and that it can be provided by TG4, and Virgin Media and "an increasingly diverse media landscape". He added it is critical to ensure that "Irish stories get told". Mr Byrne said that that can be done "very professionally by RTÉ" but not "exclusively" by RTÉ and he stated his view that he was a "little concerned" about "dismissing and challenging" what goes on in the independent sector.
Sunday World
26-06-2025
- Sunday World
Anti-social incidents on Drogheda bus service raise ‘serious concerns'
SIPTU want to meet with the Gardaí to discuss the increase in incidents Anti-social incidents on Bus Eireann's services in the Drogheda are have raised 'serious concerns', SIPTU have said. Representatives from the union are set to meet management from Bus Éireann to discuss the 'adverse impact' of anti-social behaviour following a marked increase in issues, particularly at the town's main bus depot. It comes after SIPTU members in the County Louth town raised concerns about the behaviour on late-night and early-morning services. Stock photo News in 90 Seconds - June 26th 'These incidents occur across services, but more specifically, there has been an issue resulting from gangs of youths preventing buses from leaving the depot, which has caused major delays,' SIPTU Organiser, Andrew Quigley, said. 'Last week, SIPTU wrote to the company requesting that it convene a meeting with union representatives to discuss what measures must be taken to ensure the continued operation of these vital community transport services. Mr Quigley added that while an agreement has been made to discuss the issue with management at the transport provider, they will be seeking to meet with the Gardaí. 'We will also be seeking a larger meeting of all the relevant stakeholders, including the Gardaí, service users and elected representatives. 'However, it is our members' firm belief that the issue of worsening anti-social behaviour and abuse on the public transport network necessitates the establishment of a transport policing service.' Meanwhile, SIPTU Sector Organiser, John Murphy, branded the issues as a 'crisis' as he called for a standalone transport police service. 'SIPTU has been calling for the introduction of such a service as part of our Respect Transport Workers campaign,' he said. 'The Government has accepted our case on this issue and included the creation of such a body in its Programme for Government. Our members stand ready to work with all stakeholders to make the creation of such a service a reality in as short a time frame as possible.' Mr Murphy added that services must, and will continue, to operate in all communities as they try to resolve the issue. 'We believe the engagement with stakeholders to immediately bring greater safety for workers can be done in tandem with the work necessary to establish the foundations of the new transport policing service.' Last month, Gardai carried out spot checks on Dublin Bus over the bank holiday weekend in a bid to reduce the number of anti-social behaviour incidents on the service. In 2024, there were 1,054 incidents of anti-social behaviour on Dublin Bus reported, more than doubling since 2019.
BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Bus Éireann recorded €4.2m loss in 2024
Bus Eireann has told the Labour Court that it has made a loss of €4.2 million last year 'and was projecting similar losses for 2025'. That is according to the Labour Court which has recommended a combined pay increase of 6.75 per cent over a two-year period to the end of December 2026, along with a pay voucher of €500, for Bus Eireann's 3,200 workers. Advertisement The pay-row came before the Labour Court after the 3,200 workers represented by the NBRU, SIPTU, UNITE THE UNION, TSSA, CONNECT rejected pay proposals put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) by 64 per cent to 36 per cent. The unions stated that the 3pc pay increase on offer for each year of the pay proposals was not sufficient or adequate to meet their aspirations. The unions were looking for a straight pay increase comparable with other CIE companies and one that would provide pay parity with Dublin Bus. The unions valued pay parity as requiring an increase of 12.7 per cent. Advertisement In response, Bus Éireann stated that the current pay proposal represents the very limit of what can be offered in a pay proposal and is reasonable, if not significant, in the context of what is affordable to the company. Bus Éireann told the Labour Court that they believe that in terms of the marketplace it was a very reasonable offer. Bus Éireann set out the cumulative cost of the proposal that was balloted on 'and stressed that it had made a loss of €4.2 million in 2024 and was projecting similar losses for 2025'. Bus Éireann also submitted that the proposal included other improvements to terms and conditions which were valued at 1pc of pay per year with some groups benefiting from other changes and stated that the percentage increases should not be looked at in isolation. Advertisement In its recommendation, deputy chairwoman at the Labour Court, Louise O'Reilly stated that the pay increase is made up of a 3.5 per cent and a €500 voucher effective from January 1st this year. A further pay increase of 3.25 per cent to be effective from January 1st 2026 and the €500 voucher to be payable to those employed on January 1st 2025 and remaining in employment at the date of acceptance of recommendation. Ms O'Reilly said that the pay deal is to expire on December 31st 2026 and the parties agree to engage no later than four months before the expiry of this deal to secure a successor.
RTÉ News
18-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Strike at Bord na Móna Recycling called off
Strike action by SIPTU members at Bord na Móna Recycling, which was planned for tomorrow, has been called off. Union representatives met with management this afternoon in a bid to resolve a dispute over the planned sale of the business. SIPTU said the company offered significant improvements to the terms contained in a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) proposal. According to the union, Bord na Móna offered improvements to transfer payments and commitments regarding the protection of terms and conditions. SIPTU said it will meet with members next week ahead of the proposals being put to ballot with a recommendation for acceptance. In February, Bord na Móna said it had reached an agreement to sell its recycling business to KWD Recycling, subject to regulatory approval. SIPTU had accused the company of failing to agree to a Registered Employment Agreement (REA), which would guarantee worker protections for terms and conditions in the event of a sale. SIPTU Divisional Organiser Adrian Kane said that while the strike has been called off, the union still wants to meet with the Government to discuss the privatisation of the waste collection industry. "We are seeking an urgent meeting with Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O'Brien, to discuss this issue which is of major concern to our members who are both employed in this industry and its customers," Mr Kane said.
