Breaking news SIPTU leadership call for yes vote

by Used2bSnowWhite Tue Apr 13, 2010 23:45

After today's announcement I am completely outraged with the colluding behaviour of the union leadership especially my union SIPTU. They betrayed their members as they slithered out of negotiations saying 'it's the best we can do' with no cast iron guarantees. They have plenty of time to try and secure new SIPTU premises but no time to secure guarantees to reverse wage cuts to low income earners and stop future pay cuts. I can see a lot of people from my organisation leaving siptu because of their union's treacherous dealings with the government. They are still desperate to walk the corridors of the Dail securing the high-powered bureaucratic bonuses based on membership fees. What happened to their 10 point plan which included protecting the vulnerable and not giving into the bankers? Nothing has been organised or followed up.They say there's no alternative, sure there is, vote these union leaders out!

by johnny on the tear Tue Apr 13, 2010 23:52

can anyone tell me how much these slithering siptu officials get paid???
saw jack o conner on the news talking mumbo jumbo which basically sounded like
they were selling out their membership because they are a bunch of highly paid weasels.

by Used2bSnowWhite Wed Apr 14, 2010 00:28

Johnny, regarding leader's pay, I believe it's in the region of €120,000.00 for Jack O'Connor, siptu, for Peter McLoone, representing Impact 170,000.00 and David Begg, ICTU, €130,000.00. Not sure about the others. Like many union members I do not believe they need such exorbitant salaries to do their job. Let's face it, they couldn't cope with the recent Croke Park debacle so why are they getting paid so much?

by Michael Gallagher Wed Apr 14, 2010 06:15 libertypics at yahoo dot ie

.....

As I was saying..... © Michael Gallagher 2009

by puisin Thu Apr 15, 2010 21:01

which side are they on?
author by puisinpublication date Déar 15 Aib 2010 20:56:49 CDT

james is understating the magnitude of the sellout. This agreement is a straight forward unconditional and surrender of every condition or gain workers have attained over generations. There is no climbdown by the unions. The basic element of this deal were put on the table by the unions themselves last November/ December in the previous talks. The end of the 8 hour day the 5 day monday to friday week and a free hand for the govt.to implement its wrecking of the plan for the puplic services were the unions proposals, the only major new elements are the rescinding of the right to strike or protest any of the restructering of the public sector plus the explicit blanket approval of government economic policies and these flow naturally from the nature of the unions proposals.

The no further pay cuts 'guarantee' is dependendant on the govt.s policies succeeding, that is bailing out anglo and the rest of their cronies through NAMA. Presumably a blue moon and flying pigs could just as credibly have been includedl.

Clearly we are in a bad situation which pre- existed the latest deal, even if there is a no vote we have a huge problem. The same union leaders who campaigned for the deal are virtually unchallenged by organised workers with many uncritically supporting the work to rule campaign which was waged to produce just such a result.

The unions have proved to be the main prop of the govt and its bailout which are both opposed by massive majorities of the population. A government which should have fallen as a result of its total corruption recklessness and rotteness is instead being feted in Europe and its success in waging naked class war against the working class and poor and indeed the middle class is touted in Europe's capitals as a model strategy for making workers pay the price of rescuing capitalism. The key element of this strategy is the underwriting of it by the basic defence organisations of workers.

As long as the union bosses collusion remain unchallenged the more the attacks will continue and such collusion will become more openly adopted by the trade union bureaucracies across Europe.

by Seán Óg Fri Apr 16, 2010 09:40

It is now very clear that whatever workers decide the decision is going to be made over their heads by the unelected ICTU leadership and others such as Jack O'Connor who masquerade as champions of workers rights but are in fact sellout merchants. Even if the "deal" were to be rejected they will go straight back into talks and sign another one with a few minor tweaks. If anything it resembles Lloyd George's 1921 threat of "immediate and terrible war" to the negotiators led by Griffith and Collins - and we know where that led!

Workers must realise that their only option is to fight. The threats will be carried out anyway regardless of whether they crawl in and accept this insulting deal or reject it. Either way the government will extract its pounds of flesh and hand them over to the bankers and speculators who have destroyed this country. Time for the yellow leadership of the trade union movement in this country to step aside or be swept aside.

by truth - ranks of the unemployed Sun Apr 18, 2010 17:01

Down there in the south what can you expect from yes men only a yes vote. Up here in belfast we don't have siptu where once we had thousands. The forerunner of siptu in my grandfathers day yes'd themselves out of a job and the union out of the north. The only reminder of JIM Larkin is a statute of him. Thats whats going to happen down there

by Outraged - SIPTU Tue Apr 20, 2010 12:48

I'm sick and tired of O'connors statements that nothing better can be achieved. Have they tried. Why does he not want to upset the employers and the goverment. Where is the partnership that we endured for years while the employers made a fortune. Partnership ever only suited the employers. it was completely one sided. The goverment and employers and O'Connor and the union were against the workers. We got nothing when the employers made billions and the union and ictu were very well paid w8th perks and backhanders

by Not Dumb - not siptu - yeah! Wed Apr 21, 2010 14:42

Obviously the deal will be made over the workers heads. What they want does not count. No-one in the trade union movement ever agreed for Beggs to sit with employers or corrupt bankers in the central bank. Although he claims not to have been paid for for his monthly meetings at central bank, does this excuse his refusal to question the bankers. Or did he not have to because he agreed with them