News Archive

In a significant decision, trucking company, Stobart, has been ordered to compensate eighteen SIPTU members who were denied their rights when they transferred their employment from the food distributor Keelings in October 2010. The Employment Appeals...

The proposal by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to put out to tender 10% of Bus Eireann routes and 100% of Waterford city services by 2016 will be the subject of a public meeting which will take place at 7.30 p.m. in the Tower Hotel in Waterford on Thursday...

SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia King, has described the approval by the Government, today (Tuesday, 13th May), of a new law to support the right of workers to participate in collective bargaining with their employers as a “very...

May Day was celebrated in Dublin with a colourful and musical march from the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, to Liberty Hall. Over 1,000 trade unionists and community activists attended the Dublin Council of Trade Unions march on...

An agreement which secures collective bargaining rights for 2000 workers in the Community Sector has been agreed between the Irish Local Development Network (ILDN), the representative body of Local Development Companies (LDCs), and trade unions. The...

The SIPTU Retired Members Section on Wednesday, 30th April, launched the Secure Retirement campaign with the aim of organising retired members of the union under the slogan “It’s time for us to take back what has been taken from us.” At a...

SIPTU Retained Firefighters today (Monday, 28th April) launched a nationwide campaign calling on local election candidates to make a commitment to oppose the implementation of measures that will endanger the lives of the public and firefighters. At a press...

In a statement to address any misunderstandings which might arise from a front page article in today's Irish Independent SIPTU President Jack O'Connor rejected any attempt to pit private and public service workers against each other in the matter of pay...

SIPTU members at the Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarroll, Mallow, county Cork, who have been told they will be made redundant on 31st May, are to ballot for industrial action. The decision to ballot follows the refusal of management to engage with...

The Cork Young Workers’ Network has called on young people to orgainse in order to campaign for decent jobs and decent pay, following the success of the group’s first meeting on Tuesday (15th April) evening. A diverse group of young workers,...

Data published today from the EU-wide Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) confirms a stark reduction for Irish workers and welfare recipients in 2012 of 4.6% in the real value of median income i.e. after accounting for inflation. The income of individuals...

SIPTU members at the Naval Base in Haulbowline in Cork have asked the Department of Defence to provide a medical person with competence in the area of asbestos related diseases and illnesses to answer a series of questions about the nature of their exposure to the...

SIPTU activists from the South Kerry Development Partnership and North and East Kerry Development led a crowd of over 300 people in a protest over plans to privatise Local Development Companies (LDC’s) outside the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council in...

A dispute resulting from a unilateral action by management at Bord na Móna to remove eight workers from the company payroll will be the subject of a Labour Court hearing on Wednesday (16th April). The referral of the dispute to the Labour Court follows a...

SIPTU members in Irish Rail will consider a Labour Court recommendation issued today (Friday, 11th April) in relation to cost containment plans at the transport company. SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen, said: “This Labour Court recommendation does...

SIPTU has welcomed the passing of a motion at a meeting of Dublin City Council on Monday (7th April), calling on Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan, to reject the privatisation of community programmes and services. The...

SIPTU is calling for the public to support a protest by members of the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) Ambulance Service which will take place outside City Hall in Dublin this evening (Monday, 7th April) at 5.30 p.m. SIPTU Dublin Fire Brigade Convener, Gerry...

SIPTU has welcomed the announcement today (Monday, 7th April) of the deferral of the proposed Health Service Executive (HSE) and Dublin City Council review of the ambulance service in the city. SIPTU Organiser, Brendan O’Brien: “Our members in...

SIPTU has moved to clarify and correct a number of comments made by Health Service Executive (HSE) representatives concerning the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) Ambulance Service at a meeting today (Thursday, 3rd April) of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health....

SIPTU has criticised comments made by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, indicating that funding maybe withdrawn from Irish Rail and directed into other transport companies. SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen, said:...

The Bord na Móna Group of Unions has condemned a decision of the management to implement what amounts to a lockout by removing eight workers from the company payroll. At a meeting of shop stewards from SIPTU, TEEU, and Unite in Tullamore, Co....

SIPTU will not tolerate the punishment or disciplinary sanctioning of whistleblowers in the Health Service. In light of concerns raised by some workers following the broadcast on Thursday (27th March) of a Primetime Investigates special on the National Ambulance...

SIPTU and the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) will this evening (Monday, 31st March) announce an agreement between the two organisations that will provide third level students with support in the workplace. The agreement, which will be formally...

SIPTU members in the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) have expressed concern about revelations concerning the provision and inadequate funding of ambulance services contained in the RTE Primetime Investigates programme broadcast last night (Thursday, 27th March). SIPTU...

Management of The Donkey Sanctuary has refused to attend a hearing of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to discuss its proposals to make 16 welfare staff at the charity redundant in June. The UK charity, whose Irish operation is headquartered in...

SIPTU has condemned the payment of a bonus of more than €1 million to Aer Lingus Chief Executive Officer, Christoph Mueller, while at the same time the company is refusing to respect the pension entitlements of its workers. The payment of over €1...

Management of The Donkey Sanctuary has refused to engage with SIPTU concerning attempts to make 16 welfare staff at the charity redundant in June. The UK charity, whose Irish operation is headquartered in Liscarroll, Mallow, Co. Cork, has...

SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of his union at the death yesterday (Thursday, 20th March), of resident historian for the Glasnevin Trust, Shane MacThomáis. Jack...

The National Executive Council (NEC) of SIPTU meeting in Dublin has voted unanimously to reiterate total and complete support for the union’s members and other workers in their dispute with Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) over savage cuts in...

SIPTU and the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) today (Wednesday, 19th March) launched an online social media campaign to highlight racial discrimination in the workplace in the run up to the UN Anti-Racism Day 2014 on Friday, 21st March. According...

SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) are extremely concerned at the contents of a document drawn up by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in March 2013 which proposes to remove the delivery of Dublin's ambulance service from Dublin Fire Brigade, by...

A legal injunction has been granted at the High Court in Dublin to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) which has resulted in the suspension of a planned four hour work stoppage by SIPTU members at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports which was scheduled for Friday...

SIPTU General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn, has expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of his union at the death this morning (Tuesday, 11th March), of RMT General Secretary, Bob Crow. Joe O’Flynn said: “Bob Crow was a...

SIPTU will continue its campaign for pay increases in profitable employments across the economy in order to improve living standards for members, grow the economy and create jobs, Jack O’Connor has said. Responding to a front page article entitled...

SIPTU has expressed disappointment at the decision to close Baileborough Community Training, Baileborough, Co. Cavan. On Friday, 7th March, staff at Baileborough Community Training were told that the centre would close on Wednesday, 30th...

SIPTU has requested an urgent meeting with the management of Bristol-Myers Squibb following an announcement this afternoon (Thursday, 6th March) that the pharmaceutical company is seeking 30 redundancies at its manufacturing plant in Swords, Co. Dublin....

SIPTU has called on the Dublin City Manager, Owen Keegan, to comply with an Emergency Motion passed by Dublin City Councillors on Monday, 3rd March, seeking the suspension of a Review of Dublin Ambulance Services. SIPTU Organiser, Brendan...

Delegates at the ICTU Women’s Conference have overwhelmingly backed an emergency motion calling for the immediate release of 79-year-old peace campaigner Margaretta D’Arcy on humanitarian grounds. The conference in Whites Hotel, Wexford, heard...

The SIPTU Cuban Solidarity Forum has condemned the decision of the UK Government to refuse a visa for former political prisoner René González to attend an International Commission of Inquiry into the case of the Cuban Five to be held in London on...

SIPTU members in the Pension Committees at Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) have decided unanimously to co-operate with the four person expert panel appointed by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to investigate the pensions dispute...

SIPTU has warned Irish Water that several main contractors and sub-contractors working on its Water Meter Installation programme are not honouring agreements in relation to rates of pay and other benefits due to workers. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Martin...

SIPTU has strongly condemned Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, for using “spin and misinformation” in an attempt to undermine Irish Rail and its employees during an appearance on RTE’s Primetime last night (Thursday, 27th...

SIPTU has called on the Department of Education and Skills (DES) to undertake a review of the access provided to trade union organisers to school building sites and its complaints procedure, in order to counter a worrying level of non-compliance by building...

The strong growth in the numbers in employment, with the seasonally adjusted figure of 59,900 more people in work over the year to the end of 2013, is a sign of economic recovery but concerns remain about stagnant wages, according to SIPTU...

SIPTU has condemned the treatment of workers at the G&K (Gurranbraher and Knocknaheeney) Community Training Centre, Cork, who have been denied their redundancy entitlements and access to personal possessions. The staff were told without any prior...

SIPTU and the NUJ have jointly called on the Government to establish a Referendum Commission coinciding with publication of the proposed legislation on same sex marriage rather than waiting until the date has been set for the referendum. At a round table discussion in...

SIPTU members in Irish Rail have voted by 71% to 29% to reject proposals presented by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) in relation to changes to their terms and conditions of employment, in a ballot which was counted today (Thursday, 27th February) in...

SIPTU has served notice of industrial action on Aer Lingus, the Dublin Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority this afternoon (Thursday, 27th February). This followed the refusal of the companies to engage in meaningful talks or to present...

SIPTU has condemned as “shameful” a decision by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to subject the Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) to competitive tendering from 2015. The LCDP delivers job training,...

SIPTU members at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) have voted today (Tuesday 25th February), by an overwhelming majority of 88% to 12%, to enter into a binding resolution process aimed at securing a solution to a dispute...

SIPTU members and their union representative are to meet tomorrow, (Wednesday 26th February), following the shock announcement of the closure of the G&K (Gurranbraher and Knocknaheeney) Community Training Centre on the north side of Cork city. On their...

The SIPTU LGBTQ members’ network is marking LGBT History Month with discussions and a screening of the film ‘Did Anyone Notice Us? Gay Visibility in the Irish Media 1973-1993’ in Liberty Hall on Wednesday, 26th February. A public debate on...

SIPTU members and management in Shannon Aerospace, Co. Clare, have today (Thursday, 20th February) agreed to attend talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) concerning a dispute involving the company’s pension scheme. SIPTU...

SIPTU has warned that the threat by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to withdraw 20% of its funding from St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin would have a major impact on patient services and on staff in the hospital. In a statement on Tuesday (18th...

SIPTU members at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) are undertaking two one-day work stoppages, today (Wednesday, 19th February), and a week later on (Wednesday 26th February), as part of an intensification of...

SIPTU members at Shannon Aerospace, Co. Clare, today (Monday, 17th February), served management at the company with notice of industrial action that will commence on Tuesday, 4th March. The industrial action will start with a four-hour...

Following a record turnout, SIPTU members at Aer Lingus have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, including all out strike, to bring about an acceptable resolution of the dispute on the pension issue. Staff at the airline have been...

Following a record turnout, SIPTU members at the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, including all out strike, to bring about an acceptable resolution of the dispute on the pension issue. Staff at the...

Following a record turnout, SIPTU members at Dublin and Cork airports have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, including all out strike, to bring about an acceptable resolution of the dispute on the pension issue. Staff at the Dublin...

SIPTU has welcomed commitments from the management of Tallaght Hospital, Co. Dublin, to increase staffing levels in order to ensure patient safety at the facility. SIPTU representatives and their INMO colleagues met with management this morning...

SIPTU members at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) will undertake two one-day work stoppages on Wednesday, 19th and 26th February, as part of an intensification of their campaign of industrial action in a dispute of over...

SIPTU members in Irish Rail will begin balloting next week on proposals presented by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) yesterday (Monday, 3rd February), in relation to changes to their terms and conditions of employment. SIPTU Organiser, Paul...

SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has said his union is engaged in a major push for pay increases across the private sector to recover ground temporarily lost during the crisis years. Speaking at the annual Jim Larkin commemoration in Glasnevin...

SIPTU members in the Fire, Ambulance and Rescue service in Dublin Fire Brigade have welcomed the decision by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children to hold a hearing into ambulance response times on Tuesday, 25th February. The have also...

SIPTU shop stewards representing workers at Kerry Group plants have called on the CEO of the company, Stan McCarthy, to intervene in a dispute concerning redundancy payments for BCD Travel workers. The dispute results from the continued refusal of BCD...

SIPTU members in St. Leo’s College, Carlow voted, yesterday (Wednesday, 29th January), in favour of industrial action in a dispute concerning unilateral changes to their terms and conditions of employment. SIPTU Organiser, Bill...

SIPTU has called on the Government and Health Service Executive (HSE) to assist workers being made redundant due to the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital, Dublin, in finding new jobs in the Health Service. SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul...

SIPTU and MANDATE have welcomed the news that the establishment orders for the Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) have been signed. The JLCs, once they are formed by trade union and employer representatives under the auspices of Kieran Mulvey, the Chief...

The SIPTU Local Development Company (LDC) Committee has called on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney, to support rural...

The ‘Pathways to Work’ plan which was published today by the Government has the potential to deliver certain opportunities for young people but must be developed in tandem with a broader apprenticeship system in order to cultivate viable,...

SIPTU has called on the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to immediately enter into serious negotiations with possible buyers of Mount Carmel Hospital, Churchtown, Dublin, and take into account the cost to the State if the planned closure of...

SIPTU representatives will attend an emergency meeting at 4.30 p.m. today (Friday, 24th January) with the joint provisional liquidators appointed to the Mount Carmel Hospital, Dublin, by the High Court. SIPTU Organiser, Kevin Figgis,...

SIPTU members at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) will intensify industrial action over the coming days in a dispute of over pay inequality. SIPTU Organiser, Bill Mulcahy, said: “Following on from a one day work...

SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia King, has welcomed the publication of the ‘Review of Apprenticeship Training’ which proposes the development of an expanded dual-system of education in Ireland, combining on-the-job and class-based training....

Broadcaster, Joe Duffy, was presented with a specially commissioned trade union badge from 1913 to mark his contribution to the commemorations of the Dublin Lockout. The badge, based on the design of the 1913 version issued to union members by Jim...

SIPTU members have placed pickets at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) today (Tuesday, 21st January) since 7.00 a.m. and concluding at 6.00 p.m. The dispute concerns the pay inequity which exists between a large number of...

Following yesterday evening’s general meetings of the staff in Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority it was unanimously decided to conduct immediate ballots for industrial action, including strike action, as a result of the failure of the...

SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia King, has said double standards within the Community and Voluntary (C&V) sector have been exposed with the retirement package of over €740,000 for the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central...

SIPTU members at Liebherr Container Cranes have rejected a Labour Court Recommendation by means of a secret ballot on Tuesday, 14th January. SIPTU Organiser, Marie Kearney, said: “We are now in the process of considering that decision with our...

SIPTU has called on Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, to withdraw his claim that a strike by Irish Rail workers in opposition to cost cutting plans is “inevitable”. SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen said:...

SIPTU representatives appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications today (Wednesday, 15th January) called for a “real public debate” on the proposed privatisation of up to 10% of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus...

SIPTU members employed by Resources Facilities Services Ltd at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, voted on Monday, 13th January, to accept Labour Relations Commission (LRC) proposals to end a dispute at the contract cleaning company. The dispute...

James Connolly and the Re-conquest of Ireland by historian Dr. John Callow is an illustrated book which introduces the political ideas of the labour leader drawing on recently discovered documents from the Marx Memorial Library in London. The Jim Connell Society...

SIPTU has demanded that the terms of reference of a forthcoming Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) review into ambulance response times includes consideration of the resourcing of the ambulance service and those which aim for similar targets. SIPTU Health...

The Live Register figures for December 2013, which were published today (Wednesday, 8th January), show a seasonally adjusted monthly fall of 3,300 people signing on but also indicate continued difficulties for women seeking employment,...

SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has called on the left to unite in providing a “coherent vision” of how Irish society can move beyond “the culture of the quick buck” which has devastated Irish society towards building...

SIPTU has commended the co-operation between the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) and the Dublin Fire Brigade whose members are engaging in a joint operation in Belfast this afternoon (Friday, 3rd January) in preparation for threatened...

The 100th anniversary of the funeral of Alicia Brady will be commemorated in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, on Saturday, 4th January, at 2.00 p.m. A member of the Irish Women Workers’ Union, Alicia was among the last people to die as a...

The SIPTU Arts and Culture Sector has welcomed figures from the Irish Film Board which indicate strong growth of the film, television and animation industry during 2013. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Karan O’Loughlin, said: “According to...

The SIPTU Meath District Council has expressed its sincere condolences to the family of Shane Donnelly who was tragically killed in an accident on Sunday (22nd December). The chief administrator at Meath County Council, and former Navan Town Clerk, Shane...

SIPTU has criticised the decision by the management of Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland to serve redundancy notices on its workers today (Friday, 20th December) while negotiations at the Labour Court on redundancy terms were ongoing. SIPTU Organiser,...

SIPTU representatives have agreed to attend a Labour Relations Commission (LRC) hearing concerning the dispute at Resources Facilities Services Ltd, a contract cleaning company, on Thursday, 2nd January. SIPTU Organiser, Ed Kenny, said:...

SIPTU members in Marks and Spencer have voted by 96% to 4% to accept a Labour Court recommendation in relation to a dispute at the company which resulted from a management decsion to unilaterally close the workers’ defined benefit pension scheme. The company had...

SIPTU has stated that the quarterly national accounts, published today (Thursday, 19th December), show a welcome pick-up in domestic demand with real GDP rising by 1.5% in the third quarter of 2013. SIPTU economist, Marie Sherlock, said:...

SIPTU members employed in Liebherr Container Cranes, Killarney, Co. Kerry, will ballot in early January on a Labour Court recommendation aimed at resolving a dispute at the company. SIPTU Organiser, Marie Kearney, said: “It is...

SIPTU members in Resources Facilities Services Ltd, a contract cleaning company, are to take three further days of action at Beaumont Hospital in a dispute resulting from the company decision to implement a cut to workers pay without agreement. SIPTU...

SIPTU has described the Government’s Medium-Term Economic Strategy published today (Tuesday, 17th December) as a reasonable diagnosis of the challenges facing the Irish economy but more detail is needed on how progress can be made. SIPTU Economist,...

SIPTU has expressed concern at the prevalence of racist incidents as indicated in the first quarterly report from iReport.ie and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) Ireland, published today (Monday, 16th December). Approximately one racist incident...

A limited edition commemorative book outlining the background and production of the 1913 Lockout Tapestry is now available to buy from SIPTU and selected bookshops in Dublin. The Making of the Great 1913 Lockout Tapestry details the background and those who...

SIPTU has called on the management of Beaumont Hospital to intervene in a dispute involving Resources Facilities Services Ltd, a contract cleaning company, which has implemented a cut to its workers pay without agreement. SIPTU Organiser, Ed...