Workers Solidarity Movement

It is no great surprise that the SIPTU NEC have recommended acceptance of Croke Park II. But in their statement they admit far more than the should have and point not only to why it should be rejected but also what is needed to win.  That is the willingness to threaten effective industrial action aimed at bringing down the government if they attempt to impose Croke Park II after we vote no.

The entire tone of the NEC statement (at end) is defeatist and follows that phrase made infamous by Margaret Thatcher 'There is No Alternative.'  But one part in particular should be singled out.  Point 4 opens with a claim that may well be close to the truth 'The proposals which have emerged are the best that could be obtained through negotiation.'  But an obvious alternative is hanging in the air and somewhat strangely in brackets after that point the NEC try and reply to the suggestion that combative unionism was the alternatives to negotiation when they write "There is, of course, a wider issue of fairness in the Country as a whole because the wealthy are not contributing to the degree that they can or should. This is a consequence of the political choices made by the voters at election time'

Here boldly stated is the problem at the heart of modern trade unionism in Europe.  Deeply built into its ideology is the acceptance that we have to accept the policies of whichever parties happen to win each subsequent round of the X-factor like electoral circus.  Even if, as is the case here, the parties that came to power did so by lying about what their policies would be on these same issues. Both parties promised to 'burn the bond holders' in their election campaign, a promise which if acted on would have forced the wealthy to contribute.  Instead they bailed them out and are attacking public services & public sector workers.  SIPTU NEC wants us to accept that we cannot, indeed should not challenge this but wait until the next election to elect another buunch of liars.  Almost every union in Europe accepts this no political strike line, it why the so called general strike in Spain, Greece & Italy have not changed policy there.  Those 'general strikes' are not aimed at bringing down the government but rather on just making it very visible that the workers are unhappy.

As long as workers across Europe accept this limitation we will have austerity imposed on us.  Token one or two day actions no matter how militant or noisy cannot force the reversing of austerity.  If we want to see that it's not token action we need, its striking to win.  It's not a one day strike but the announcement of the intention to strike until the policies are reversed, and when striking to disrupt every aspect of the economy through mass civil disobedience such as the blocking of transport systems.  With every aspect of the economy brought to a halt the governments of Europe would have to give in within a few days.

We need to give up pleading with the  wealthy 1% to treat us fairly.  Their strength is in their enormous wealth though which they literally buy politicians and the media.  Our strength is in the fact they are 1% and we outnumber them 99 to 1. Our strength is in the fact that unless we work they make no money.  And our strength is in their fear that if we act together, if we organise together, if we strike together we will realise that we have no need for the 1% at all.  We may realise that we could build a very different society without them, one based on need and not greed.

The SIPTU NEC statement ends with a watery statement about what will happen if we vote No to Croke Park.  "In the event that the proposal is accepted by the membership and that it becomes an Agreement, we in SIPTU will not participate in any renegotiation of it which would entail any further diminution of Pay and Terms of Employment and we will actively oppose same."  It's watery but it still shows there is an alternative to Voting Yes out of fear.  That alternative is getting organised in every workplace so that if the government tries to impose  further austerity after we vote No we can defeat that attempt through effective industrial action, action that will almost certainly require at least the credible thread of an indefinite strike backed up with mass civil disobedience. 

WORDS: @Andrew Flood

Text of SIPTU NEC Statement

15th March 2013

Statement by the National Executive Council of SIPTU on the Labour Relations Commission’s proposals for a Revised Agreement on Pay in the Public Service – 2013 to 2016

1.     The Labour Relations Commission’s proposals for a revised Agreement on pay in the Public Service to extend over the period 2013-2016, are the result of unprecedentedly difficult negotiations. They have emerged in the context of the on-going consequences of the most serious economic collapse in the history of the state and the Government’s decision to reduce the Public Service pay and pensions bill by a further €1bn.

2.     We firmly believe that the best way Public Service Workers can protect their interests is through a single centralised Agreement, prohibiting compulsory redundancies, limiting redeployment and restricting outsourcing.  Otherwise each group, grade and category, irrespective of how strong they believe themselves to be, is vulnerable to being isolated and attacked in the desperate quest for “savings”.

3.     That is why we supported the original “Croke Park Agreement” with the previous Fianna Fail/Green Party Government.  It was for that reason and for no other that we participated in the recent negotiations to try to rescue the concept of a single centralised Agreement.

4.     The proposals which have emerged are the best that could be obtained through negotiation.

(There is, of course, a wider issue of fairness in the Country as a whole because the wealthy are not contributing to the degree that they can or should. This is a consequence of the political choices made by the voters at election time).

5.     Voting No will not make the problem go away. The “Croke Park Agreement” will collapse and we will still be faced with the cuts agenda without the protections it provides. The Country is subject to the Troika imposed schedule for reducing the deficit, (which is still the highest in the Eurozone). That entails cutting the gap between tax revenue and spending by a further €4bn to €5bn between now and 2015.  Public Service pay and pensions account for 35% of all state spending.

6.     It is not clear how things will unfold if the proposals are rejected. Government spokespersons have declared the intention to legislate for pay and pension cuts. However we do not know what form such legislation might take. Some say backbenchers could be dissuaded by intensive lobbying from voting for such a law. Certainly a number of them would not want to do it. However, they would be faced with the alternative of voting through even more draconian measures on top of those which are already pencilled in for 2014 and 2015, under the Troika Agreement, if they do not do so.

7.     The hardy annual of legal action has also been rolled out as a potential way of stopping pay and pension cuts. However, the Financial Emergency Measures in Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation has proved impervious to all such challenges to date.

8.     Undoubtedly if a protracted industrial campaign involving the membership of all Unions across the Public Service could be maintained it would present major difficulty for the Employer, which in this case is the Government. It would become a gigantic trade dispute which would challenge both the Government and Public Service Union memberships generally.

9.     Ultimately, the real danger is that Public Service Workers could end up with the worst of both worlds, i.e. legislated pay cuts on one hand and no Agreement on the other. Then workers would suffer the cuts but they would have no protection against compulsory redundancy, redeployment or outsourcing. This in turn would open the way for one group after the other to be isolated and attacked, potentially forfeiting far more than what is envisaged in the LRC proposals. (For example, the Employers’ Organisation IBEC has been consistently calling for the effective dismantlement of the Public Service Pension system). One way or the other we must not allow this to happen.

10.   The purpose of Trade Unions is to advance the interests of Workers in times of prosperity and to defend them during downturns.  Doing so entails making the best judgements we can in each given circumstance. We believe the best strategy for these extraordinary times is to keep the Centralised Collective Agreement in place for the period envisaged.

This would enable all Public Service workers to retain the protection it affords against compulsory redundancy, redeployment and outsourcing, (as well as the defence it provides against other agendas), with the objective of working to recover lost ground later when there is a better prospect of success. We should at least try to pick a time and place when we wouldn’t have to take on the entire European establishment as well as our own.

Accordingly we urge each member to consider the proposals carefully and assess the degree to which they would actually be affected by them. It is for each individual to decide whether they can go along with them for the period envisaged with the objective of recovering lost ground later, or whether they have no alternative but to make a stand now. This can only be determined by each member based on their own circumstances.

The outcome will be decided by a majority vote in the secret ballot to be conducted over the next four weeks.

In the event that the proposal is accepted by the membership and that it becomes an Agreement, we in SIPTU will not participate in any renegotiation of it which would entail any further diminution of Pay and Terms of Employment and we will actively oppose same.

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