SIPTU Sector Organiser, Adrian Kane, has said that workers in St. Colmcilles's Credit Union in Kells, county Meath, have been left no option but to commence a campaign of industrial action after management refused to implement the terms of a Labour Court Recommendation issued in May. “The Labour Court recommended that management at the Credit Union recognise SIPTU for the purposes of collective bargaining. The workers at Kells Credit Union joined SIPTU over a year ago and the union has been attempting to engage with it ever since,” Adrian Kane said. “However, management has refused to engage in direct talks with the union over the issue of collective bargaining rights and has ignored efforts by the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court to resolve the dispute,” he said. Adrian Kane said that it is unprecedented that a co-operative movement would refuse the most basic human right to its workers which is to be represented collectively by a trade union. SIPTU represents over a thousand workers across 100 Credit Unions throughout Ireland and has been expanding its membership across the sector over the last two years. He called on the Government to implement its commitment in the Programme for Government in relation to collective bargaining rights. “Our members would not have to take to the streets if the Government lived up to its pledge in the Programme for Government,” Adrian Kane said. The industrial action will commence on Friday, 28th June, with a one-day stoppage and will escalate until such time as Kells Credit Union Management agrees to implement the terms of the Labour Court Recommendation, the SIPTU Organiser said.
Industrial action at Kells Credit Union over trade union rights
