SIPTU supports council bullying claim against Ind Socialist Cllr
sligo |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Friday November 28, 2008 22:23
by Ray
In a new twist in the ongoing dispute between members and officials of Sligo Borough Council, that has resulted in no borough council meeting having been held for four weeks. It has emerged that more than ten staff have lodged formal complaints with management alleging bullying and harassment by a member of the council.
A series of complaints have been made in separate letters to the County Manager, who has forwarded them to the person at the centre of the allegations, Clr. Declan Bree, for his consideration and response.
SIPTU, representing most of the officials who have made the allegations, has also made formal contact with council management expressing grave concern about the treatment of staff at council meetings.
While the letters from officials to the manager list a series of allegations of bullying against Clr. Bree, it's also believed they detail serious health and safety issues concerning the impact the councillor's alleged actions have had on the officials and their families.
Given the strength of the letters and the involvement of a trade union, it's understood the County Manager is steadfastly holding to his position that he cannot instruct his officials to attend council meetings, and unless a resolution can be found in the next 48 hours it's now highly unlikely that the December meeting of the borough council will go ahead on Monday night.
It's understood that what officials require in order to return to meetings is a guarantee that they will be protected from 'bullying, abuse and harassment'.
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However Cllr. Bree has said he stands over everything he has said and will not be withdrawing any comments he has made.
Speaking to The Sligo Champion, Cllr. Declan Bree said he expected the monthly meeting of the council to go ahead next Monday. "it is the view of all the councillors that if the manager and his officials refuse to issue the notices for the meeting that the mayor would step in and issue the relevant notices and agenda," he said.
Clr. Bree added: "Over the past number of weeks the county manager has treated the borough council with contempt. He has treated the elected representatives with contempt and in essence he has treated the people of this community with contempt. He has shown a complete disregard for our democratic institutions.
"I stand over everything I have said on this issue and I will not be withdrawing any comments I made. The recommendation by council officials that the borough council should hand over €1.3 million to a private development company for this bridge can only be described as outrageous.
"We have now reached a stage in Sligo that if councillors are in any way critical or ask the hard question they are accused of offensive or oppressive behaviour.
"The county manager obviously thinks he can now dictate to elected councillors. He certainly won't silence me. He didn't elect me; the people of Sligo did. I am proud to represent them and I will not be dictated to by the county manager or any council official," said Cllr. Bree.
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http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/weve-been-treated-with....html
http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/ten-staff-claim-bullyi....html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1110/1....html
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/89862
http://www.sligoweekender.com/news/story/?trs=mhgbidgbe...=news
http://www.sligoweekender.com/news/story/?trs=mhgbidgbo...=news
http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/walkout-protest-i-did-....html
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8If you ask awkward questions at Sligo Corpo meetings,that dont suit the establishment.And if you expose a fellow Councillor also a S I P T U member who passed a picket in order to claim expenses,all you can expect from the local Branch Secretary is a cover up job and a Red Card.
SIPTU'S Leadership bully everyone. During the glory years no-one cared but now things should be different. Union members will now demand that O'Connor and the other Leaders actually LEAD - and not just pocket members dues for doing nothing.
With the economy going down the pan because SIPTU genuflected to Big Business - union members deserve a change. O'Connor and the others should be told - " Look what your sucking up has got us. We listened to you and got the least from the Boom - and now the Boom is over, we still listen to you and we lose our jobs"
Bullying is what SIPTU is very good at. Anyone who can think for themselves is stamped upon as a potential threat to their supposed agenda of defeating the employers by sucking up to them. This so-called strategy is a corruption of Karl Marx thinking of defeating the enemy from within. Trouble is {as proved by the Fas corruption} that when Trade Unionists get WITHIN they are struck dumb and blind. and lose any principles they ever had
In sympathy with members who lose their jobs, will the ICTU and SIPTU Leadership take a cut in salary to help sacked members?
Who is the Independent Socialist Councillor?
He is Declan Bree Independant . Ex labour party TD and CC.... Always a fair person. Never afraid to show up injustice.. The Sligo County Manager wants to hand over !.3 million Euros to a developer to build a bridge that no one wants and it is up to the developer to build it as part of his planning conditions. Bree inquired about it and a letter from the Councils solicitors advice that it wasnt up to the council to help pay for the bridge. The Manager and his staff walked out,and still havent turned up for the last 3 meetings of the council
Sounds like the county manager is in the wrong job - he should be a UNION OFFICIAL. Although, it seems pig feed will save SIPTU's and McLoone's bacon as they pretend to represent workers who lose their jobs.
Back to the point: Surely this county manager is duty bound to allow council meetings to take place on council property - to stop this is a denial of democracy? There's obviously more here than meets the eye. Why would the manager be in favour of this bridge and attempt to force it through?
Why not use the weapons of the employers and serve the county manager with an Injunction? He must then allow the meeting to take place or stand in a Courtroom and give his reasons for preventing it.
I support freedom of speech. As my posts will testify
Unfortunately, the so-call champion of freedom of expression and editor of The Irish Times,Geraldine Kennedy, cherry-picks which denial of this fundamental Human Right she will allow to be printed in Irish Times.
Also, how very convenient {for her} that this case coincides with the 60th anniversary of the publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - AND... coincidentally - with the publication by her paper of the collective reflections of 31 writers on the said declaration - which shows just how manipulative of Public Opinion Ms Kennedy is.
For Kennedy and her reporters to cite and claim Public Interest and the protection of the Convention on Human Rights, while cynically ignoring the biggest story since the founding of this state: which is - the corruption of Larkin and Connolly's union at the Belfast Docks, is pathetic and beneath and beyond contempt.
What did the Citizens Army led by Connolly take over the GPO, for...?
This corruption and denial of Human Rights was compounded by the 'then' Dublin leadership of the union - which is being carried on today by Jack O'Connor. What greater denial and betrayal of Human Rights can there be, than for a Trade Union (and one with such a great antecedence) to persecute and deprive its own members of their livelihood's, and thus the means for which to feed their families?
Obviously, this is what Geraldine Kennedy thinks James Connolly and the Citizens Army fought for...?
When Geraldine Kennedy takes the stand, Bible in hand, maybe she will enlighten her readership why she claims the protection of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - but will not practice them.
So Cake Scanlon has finally come to his senses and finally resigned from the Green Party today ,he cites his main reason s as being the lack of support from the Greens for the retention of Cancer Services in the NorthWest and their poor performance in Government.Cake is a longtime SIPTU activist and a former Councillor for the Labour Party in Sligo.Cakes true spiritual home is in the Sligo labour Party , which im sure, if he reapplies for membership any application would be looked on favourably,as the Party are looking for suitable candidates to contest the upcoming local elections.The Labour Party in Sligo is a very much a changed organization since he was last a member,under the outstanding leadership of Jimmy Mc Garry, Labours frontrunner and his deputy Veronica Cawley the Party locally is now more viberant, energetic and go ahead.Im certain that Cake would on his past record be an ideal candidate to contest the East Ward for Labour.
Heard Cake on the Radio,he sounded very despondent,unlikely he will run for any Party ,not even the All Night Party.
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