SIPTU has welcomed the progress that has been made by the Our Union, Our Team campaign and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Senior Leadership Team on issues concerning staff at the national sporting organisation, including pay and conditions following talks between the sides.
SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Greg Ennis, said: “We welcome the proactive engagement between the FAI and our FAI Shop Stewards. This has resulted in a commitment from the FAI to provide end-of-year pay increases for staff for a further two years and further engagement on other issues of concern.
“This collaborative approach will benefit the organisation and the development of football in Ireland. This Leadership Team have shown more respect to its workforce than many others our members have sought to engage with over the years in the FAI. This bodes well for the long-term planning and investment which football needs in Ireland at all levels.”
He added: “This outcome is also most appropriate as we move towards the deadline in November for Ireland to transpose the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. This specifies that governments promote collective bargaining in their economies in States where the level of coverage is below 80%. Ireland is well below this level and more action is needed to ensure workers are provided with this fundamental right.”
FAI Football Development Officer and SIPTU Shop Steward, Paul Keogh, said: “The Our Union, Our Team campaign has suspended any further public actions. As SIPTU Shop Stewards we will engage with the organisation through the new FAI staff consultative structure that was established during the summer.
“We hope that we can now progress to working as a united team at the FAI where the voice of the workforce is represented by an independent trade union. All of us have one goal, which is the improvement of football in Ireland.”
FAI Football Development Officer and SIPTU Shop Steward, Paul Whelan, said: “The future of football in our country is best served by the creation of a culture of shared expertise and cooperation within the FAI. It is heartening the support received from domestic football supporters around the country for the Our Union, Our Team campaign. While the League of Ireland is more popular than it has been in decades, we in the FAI must work to bring that energy and enthusiasm into the long-term development of the game at all levels.”
FAI People and Culture Director, Aoife Rafferty, said: “We are delighted that the local SIPTU Shop Stewards have agreed to join the FAI Staff Engagement Group and we are committed to having continuous, collaborative discussions. We thank Paul Keogh and Paul Whelan for their input to date and we look forward to working together.”