Over 100 Community Employment (CE)supervisors discussed an escalation in their industrial action aimed at forcing the Government to implement a Labour Court recommendation regarding their right to a pension, at a meeting in the Midlands Hotel in Portlaoise, County Laois, today (Thursday, 21st March). SIPTU Sector Organiser, Eddie Mullins, said: “At the meeting there was considerable anger expressed in relation to the hypocrisy of the Government in failing to implement a recommendation by the Labour Court, the State’s highest industrial relations body. “These workers took strike action as a last resort for one-day on 18th February in an effort to persuade Government to negotiate with them so that they can have access to an occupational pension scheme and a decent income in retirement.” He added: “Their claim for a pension scheme has been supported by the Labour Court and by Dáil Eireann who passed a motion calling on Government to put in place pension arrangements for these workers. These workers now intend to escalate the dispute.” Fórsa Assistant General Secretary, Brendan O’Hanlon, said: “CE supervisors play a key role in the provision of much-needed community services such as crèches, meals on wheels, upkeep of community halls, GAA and soccer pitches, Tidy Towns support and maintenance of green areas around the country. “They have been waiting more than ten years for the Government to provide them with a pension scheme in line with a Labour Court recommendation.” Mullins added: “CE Supervisors believe they have waited patiently for long enough. They will now escalate their campaign of industrial action in order to get the Government to respect the Labour Court ruling and provide a pension scheme for them. The exact details of this escalation will be announced shortly.”
Over 100 CE Supervisors gather in Portlaoise to discuss escalation of industrial action
