Precarious Work: Trade Union Perspective

Transcription

1 Precarious Work: Trade Union Perspective

2 WHAT DOES PRECARIOUS WORK MEAN No ability to plan your life Insecurity less willing to stand up for your rights Less involvement in community and family life Stress, mental health issues

3 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Collective Bargaining a solution for Precarious Work Some successes: e.g. 10,000 home care workers organised and secured guaranteed hours contracts Empower workers in companies, or across industries to negotiate better contracts Precarious work partly due to an imbalance of power between employers and workers 2015 legislation amendments to Industrial Relations Acts re-established some collective bargaining mechanisms. First sector-wide agreement recently established in construction sector, unions seeking others. Sector wide agreements fell in 2010/2011 when supreme court struck down parts of the legislation after a legal challenge by the fast food industry (the Quick Food Alliance) New legislation established Industrial Relations (Amendments) Act 2015

4 SECTOR WIDE AGREEMENTS sectoral employment orders Labour Court can issue binding agreements on terms and conditions of employment, if union density high enough. Labour court must take into account many factors, including economic situation of industry Final agreement must be signed by minister A means of organising workers across industries made up of many small employers, or with high employee turnover. Prevents a race to the bottom, establishes industry standards First agreement under new legislation passed recently, in construction

5 STATE POLICY OFTEN PROMOTES PRECARIOUS WORK Home Care workers Zero hours contracts Mostly funded by HSE SIPTU organised directly employed home care workers (HSE employees), and secured an agreement for banded hours contracts Still many workers in private companies treated poorly no sick pay, no guaranteed hours, little or no mileage payments. SIPTU currently organising these workers. HSE slow to act

6 STATE POLICY AND PRECARIOUS WORK Childcare workers Funding for some govt schemes only 38 weeks. Many workers must sign on the dole for 1-2 months over the summer due to this Very low pay in the sector, despite increasing requirement for qualifications Govt officially supportive of SEO for the sector SIPTU s Big Start campaign with providers, Barnardos, Childrens Rights Alliance and others. Need for more funding current level of funding cause low pay

7 LEVEL PLAYING FIELD Michael Martin at Fianna Fail Ard Fheis: zero hours contracts discriminates against good employers Example: unionised security contractors continually being undercut by small, anti-union, very low pay companies SEO for the sector a means of tackling this

8 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Collective agreement with employer can provide for: Guaranteed hours Flexible contracts that still allow for stability for employees Example: SIPTU-G4S agreement, guarantees hours but requires employees available for work minimum notice given for offer of shift; procedure for seeking payment if hours not provided

9 SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM Example of worker, a young woman working for a chain of restaurants Was asked to come in on her day off, said no Was punished by having her hours cut Complained to HR, hours cut again (by manager) Asked for hours to be spread over 3 days instead of 6, so could apply for social welfare Social welfare then refused her request as she had sought less hours Eventually Social Welfare appeals officer overturned decision, after 5 months

10 YOUNG PEOPLE AND UNIONS ISSU survey positive views of unions Young people often not aware of unions Unions need to be easier to join! SIPTU-USI partnership all USI members are members of SIPTU for the purposes of accessing SIPTU s Workers Rights Centre TUC survey: lower expectations a barrier for organising young workers- any job is an improvement after unpaid internship, unemployment, etc. Need for Unions to raise expections and demand decent work for all

11 POLICY PROPOSALS FOR GOVT Right of unions to access staff for meetings Referendum on collective bargaining rights? Promote good employment conditions through service-level-agreements Trade union recognition/permanent contracts/guaranteed hours a factor in tendering? Promote Sectoral employment orders Don t reward bad employers e.g. hospitality sector and VAT reduction

12 THE PATH FORWARD FOR UNIONS AND YOUNG PEOPLE Be more open and accessible to new members no bureaucracy Highlight individual benefits of joining union, while also promoting collective power Work with schools (ICTU education program) and colleges Social media strategies Reach into growing employment sectors with no union density Explore offering training eg FETAC courses Put young workers voices at the forefront of campaigns Other ideas? Bring together union organisers to share ideas