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THIS WEEK WE saw members of the country’s largest public sector union Impact voting to accept the proposed Lansdowne Road Agreement.
Some 75% of Impact members voted to accept the new public pay deal, putting it firmly on course for majority approval by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Most public servants under the new deal will receive an increase in their earnings of around €2,000 between January next year and September 2017. This includes small pay rises and a reduction in the pension levy.
The agreement will also provide for the restoration of pay to those earning more than €65,000.
These changes will be across the board but there have been a number of reports of so-called ‘side deals’ in the last few weeks with workers in certain sectors securing extra commitments on smaller issues. Unions have also begun balloting members revealing a number of divisions within sectors.
Here’s what we know so far…
Health
The Irish Medical Organisation has voted overwhelmingly to reject the proposals. A whopping 93% of doctors said No.
This is despite the organisation’s reportedly securing a deal to limit re-deployment for consultants within hospital groups.
Elsewhere in the health sector, the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO) has recommended acceptance of the agreement. Nurses will see their annual registration fee frozen until 2018 and the deal includes commitments on discussing certain industrial relations issues.
A pilot to measure additional (unpaid) hours worked by nurses will also take place to discuss the possibility of offsetting them.
Provision has been made to regularise 1,300 interns in the health service whose jobs will be made permanent over an agreed period.
Education
Teachers are divided on the agreement. The INTO which represents primary school teachers was the first public sector union to return a ballot result on the deal, with 64.7% voting in favour of it. It had recommended approval of it, it said, in order to begin to recover the income lost through pay cuts and the public service pension levy.
One positive for them is the restoration of salary scales of a supervision and substitution payment which had been abolished under Haddington Road
However the other two teachers’ unions, the ASTI and TUI, have both recommended their members reject the deal. TUI President Gerry Quinn said teachers at second level are “frustrated and disillusioned” by the extra hours of bureaucracy and administration required under the two previous agreements.
He also said the additional ‘flex’ hours for lecturers were causing high levels of work-related stress.
The delivery of these two hours of lecturing requires a multiple of hours in terms of preparation and associated work. This imposition is disproportionate, unfair and unsustainable.
Quinn said it is “unacceptable” that neither of these issues are addressed under the new deal.
Gardaí
This year’s Garda Representative Association’s (GRA) annual conference had the theme ‘Pay Back Now’ with speakers saying some officers were worse off than people on the dole.
The association’s president Dermot O’Brien said some members were sleeping in their cars overnight because the only accommodation they could afford was miles from their station and the shift work would only leave them with a couple of hours in their beds.
To a small degree, they are getting some of their pay back as they will receive the overall pay bump of €2,000 over the three years that other public servants will be entitled to. One other gain for gardaí if they accept the agreement will be access to the dispute resolution process under the agreement and where necessary the Labour Court to ensure it is properly implemented.
It is unclear at present whether the association’s central executive committee will recommend acceptance or rejection of the deal.
Other sectors
SIPTU which represents various public sector workers including community welfare officers, firefighters, ambulance service workers and local authority staff has recommended acceptance of the proposals. It said the agreement “achieves the essential objective of fairness, while at the same time offering greater benefit to lower paid public servants by using a flat rate pay adjustment”.
Meanwhile the union representing higher-grade public servants, the AHCPS, rejected the proposals saying they “actively discriminate” against members in terms of the final outcome.
The Civil Public and Services Union which represents lower-paid administrative workers endorsed the deal last month, though it admitted pay rises were not sufficient. For members of the civil service there was some movement on flexi carry-over with a six month pilot which will allow staff to take 1.5 days flexi leave per period.
As discussions within unions continue, further declarations in favour or against the deal are expected in the coming months, with ballots for some already planned for the autumn.
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Signage tradition has all but disappeared which is a real shame. Spar and the like get away with murder with their tacky shopfronts.
Those photos display a wonderful authenticity that we can only appreciate now with the benefit of hindsight. Sometimes the past feels like a better time and a simpler place. Whether that is the experience for each individual is a different story I suppose.
Nicely said! :)
Every one will see something different in a photo depending on their life experience. Where you see a simpler happier life someone who was homeless at that time will see a nightmare. It’s called constructivism. We all see the world thorough different coloured lenses depending on the environment we experienced life in
Nostalgia and sentimentality has alot to answer for lol.
Nope, people still are better off nowadays!
Imagine if we had no corruption. We’d have our fishing waters, our oil and gas, a developed rich farmland and an efficient local government. Our currency would be ours and strong. We’d be way ahead of where we would be now and have no debt. We would have cheap fuel and energy. Our water would be one of the best in the world.
We’d have an excellent education system, health system and plenty of jobs in all sectors. Everyone would have opportunity. We’d have very few social lifers and low crime.
Imagine if we had no corruption.
Why would our water be any better? What countries have a better water supply than us?
And that is what we call utopia masked with non sense falacy!
John Lennon
Smash the elites.
#rhetoric
Those pictures show the Dublin we need to rebuild. The quaint shopfronts and architecture are the heart of the Joycean/Georgian theme that can make Dublin great again.
Time to obliterate all the ‘modernist’ architectural mistakes and recreate something special that people want to visit and locals want to shop in. No more mega-malls, fastfood chains, mobile phone repair streets, Liberty Halls, Central Banks, ESB offices.
Dublin looked like a rundown kip in 1991.
Some modern buildings look great. I love the “Italian” street off the quays. Those Ulster bank buildings near Tara street look great as does most of the IFSC and the national convention centre looks beautiful.
A combination of old and new can look great.
Dublin was a horrible kip in the 80s.
Equally there’s no point reverting to pastiche of some Dublin that never really existed. Avoiding soulless malls is fine but let’s also avoid any pseudo-Georgian “revival”.
It still is.
yeah you think junkie problem was bad now??? back then it was worse. best thing we can do with dublin is knock most of it. parts of it are modern and beautiful from the ifsc to the o2 is wonderful same goes for across on sir john rogersons.
the like of Moore street, parnell street are absolute eye sores as is liberty hall. When i chat to people visiting Ireland i instruct them that if they come too Ireland do one day only in dublin and get the hell out. its filthy its dirty, go to belfast, wicklow, galway, clare, cork, kerry, waterford and throw in newgrange before they go. that’s it.
They would be bored with your instructions. I like to travel around West Cork and Kerry at least once a year, but I do love your Capital. What you say I totally disagree. I look forward to my next trip to Dublin. Anyone I speak to that travel over for a weekend love it. And return over and over. It’s one city I never get bored with.
The junkie problem wasnt as bad at all! Now there’s dealers and junkies on EVERY street in the city centre. In the 80s and 90s you could walk up Dawson st, O’connell st,Grafton st and through Temple Bar and not see a junkie. There’s no escaping them now plus we are over run with Roma pickpockets now. Our own obviously werent bad enough so we imported them by the thousands and gave then housing and passports!
Your comments are great, you’re like the Daily Mail, Star and Sun combined in human form. While I acknowledge there is a serious drug problem in Dublin the streets aren’t as riddled with addicts as some seem to believe.
Up Wickla’
drug problem inner city streets was nowhere as bad then and also the people in general were friendlier. its become like london now, too diverse and stuck up.
My first trip to Dublin was in1992. It was a very different place back then. Friendlier people yes. But I do like the buzz about the city today. All cities have drug problems, it’s not unique to Dublin. One thing the city council should do is close all those clinics down in central Dublin. Give the addicts methadone from the local chemists in the area they live. That way they wont be meeting up on the same street each day. Why they get a free travel pass is crazy. Junkies in London wont get that.
Grew up in Stoneybatter and those photos bring back some wonderful memories. Being brought to Martin and Joyce’s butchers and Downings grocers on a Saturday morning, then walking over the bridge and up to Meath St to the Bazaar for a pair of runners or tracksuit bottoms. Thankfully I never got dragged to the Ellis barbers for a 50p skinhead!! The stick ye’d get in school on a Monday morning! “Where’s ye get yer hair cut? The mad Ellis?” Strange seeing the Ormonde Multimedia Centre too, many a good night had there in the ’90s. We may not have had much growing up around there back then, but we were all happy. Has regeneration made us any happier? I don’t think it has.
Luckily roland the tracksuits and runners remain – now with added hoodies. Ah those were the days… i remember the tenements around the inner city with families living on top of one another.. ah i fondly remember carrying the family ‘bucket’ down 3 flights of stairs to the one outside toilet for the building.. i remember me and my four brothers in the one small room until our mid-teens – you can’t beat the closeness and bonding we all had. I remember the filth of the inner city and the dilapidated buildings – all fond memories scavenging with my mates for merriment… i remember my dad out every day looking for work and getting a bit here and there – those were the days at least we were all together. #smashtheelites
Although now-adays there’s rent supplement, fuel allowance and child benefit, unemployment assistance and retraining – but where;s the heart #dublinintherareaulnostalgictimes *sniff.
Very well said. I grew up in dominick street our playground was the old decaying buildings in the area. From Parnell Square to capel street o we had fun.
If it wasn’t for Fianna Fáil we’d still be stuck in the 80s. At least no one can deny that.
If it wasn’t for EU funding and opening up our trade opportunities we’d be stuck in the 80s
Th EU is great.
EU funding, are you crazy. The EU have benefited so much more financially from Ireland than the other way round. Up to €600 Billion taking out of Irish waters since 1973 when you handed over your fishing grounds to Brussels. Don’t be fooled to think you done well.
I honestly don’t have words to comment on the utter stupidity of that remark so I’ll say nothing
Dizzy!!
Thanks to Fianna Fail we actually are back in the 80s
Shane – agreed
Interesting!
the EU got well fed out of it, well fed. our produce is gold and still is, they still want more of it, every last drop.
Really? You really think that EU makes tons of money of your resources? Where do you think you live? In a diamond mine town in Tanzania?
So if you had those numerous resources why was the economy so bad before the celtic tiger? Ireland has been incredibly smart with establishing the preferential company tax rates…that has brought lots of tech companies which have invested here and had made the crisis not as hard.
You obviously have no idea of how EU works at all…
I don’t think Ana, we know!!!! Read the link, educate yourself. Your home countries fishermen do very well from Irish waters……..
Where was the spanish economy before and after the celtic tiger? not much change was there?
The Celtic Tiger also had nothing to do with Tech industry. It was booming long before Google and Facebooks, theyre only 9 years old anyway. The EU bought our resources, they are sought after. Our beef is the best in the world, our agriculture is the best in the world and our waters have been fished to death by impostors, worse if we’d have no Navy. Sorry now to break that to you.
The city has become hostile in a way over the past couple of decades, mind you the satellite towns are no different. 15 years you would say hello to everyone you passed by in my town, if you were to do so today you would be made out to be a lunatic. Our culture is fading and no one seems to care.
Grocery shops that where you could pay for your stuff without fear of being asked whether you have a loyalty card or want to donate to save hearing-impaired bats. Those must have been the days.
Back then you would not be asked for a loyalty card and goods were priced at a sufficiently high level to ensure a good wage for the working man… multinationals come in now and destroy the unions and working man.. long begone the days.
Mr Downing, auld Tom. An absolute gent and a great character.
Absolutely one of natures gentlemen !
No mention of the Red Corner Shop….
Mentioned every five minutes on 253 Radio Dublin…
http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/1980s-red-corner-dublin-public-libraries-2.jpg
RCS was owned by my Grandfather’s Brother. I was born in Mountjoy Sq . Dublin was rundown but there was character about the place unlike today. Sad really.
Horrible horrible flashbacks – now I know why I drink! Dublin in the 80s was like walking through Berlin in 1945
Is that your excuse :)
Actually Kingstown, I feel Dublin has lost its sense of community since the fake Celtic tiger period. People looked out for each other back then, they shared what little they had. Nowadays it all “keeping up with the Joneses”. Gimme the old days anyday.
Tell that to the guy that owned the hairdressing shop in the photo it looks like Fort Knox.
I bet you like that song by Gladys Knight. Memories
@Kingstown why have you not got involved in the wonderful nostalgia? Dublin back then may have been unsafe to visit; dereliction and rotten housing, no inward investment, the northwall was a wasteland, heroin at epidemic levels – but you know what we were happy and although we had a monoculture no competition in any form – we were happy… the working man could get a break.
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.
Dirty ‘oul town…..
Is that NAMA’s portfolio ?
kip ;)
Love them
Shame Dublin is now about either a carjacking or a murder every week
Galway is the place for a drunken fight.
Unfortunately today Dublin has been deliberately turned into nothing more than an out of city shopping center- a run down one at this stage. Red brick suited the city, but now all we have is this white stone and concrete that looks depressing in the rain, and is invariably filthy. Red brick hid a wealth of dirt. White stone looks great in Spain or in architects 3d computer models but IMHO doesn’t suit Dublin. Generally I don’t think DCC or the Govt care a toss about the city. It’s character has been lost for good at this stage.
The Docklands may look modern to some but it could be any city. To me it’s just bland, lifeless and depressing. Especially when you consider how great it could gave been.
i can’t see the difference with 30 years ago
Most of those building no longer exist……..
Dublin has always been full of T Leaves nothing has changed even with the Celtic Tiger.
They are one being joined by Romanian thieves.
The foot paths are still the same s–t 3rd world as compared to the UK
When they opened that umbrella manufacturers they thought it would always have a market in the Irish climate.
Look at the metal security on the hairdressing shop nothing has changed in 30 years or so.
You’re a tool. Though I presume you always have been. No change there so.
Markova, look up J.J. Sheehy, traditional sign writer on U tube. Thanks for appreciating the tradition of sign writing – a true craft. :)
Once a kip always a kip
Fantastic input. You should be proud.
I was born and raised in Dublin City. 75 years of my life I have spent here. I am fortunate to have been able to visit many places in Europe, Africa, Middle East,North and South America. For me, Dublin and Ireland are very nice places to have a life. It is good that people care enough to complain about what is wrong. We must balance our views by considering what is right.
Having grown up in the “good old times” I would not have any desire to revisit the 50s,60,70,80, or some of the 90,s. Dublin is a much better place to-day than back then.
A walk through any city in the world reveals what you are looking for.
I had forgotten how badly run down the city centre was in the late 80′s and early 90′s. Ok some of the regeneration could have been done a lot better. Like the borg cube on Dame street between city hall and the AIB bank. But no doubt in 100 years there will be some arguing for the preservation of these buildings. How they are an important part of out heritage. Blaa blaa.
When we talk about Modern building. We should try to remember that once the GPO, City Hall etc were all considered modern. In fact I think I remember reading an article about the Custom House and how people of Dublin rioted because of its design. At the time of its construction.
loved the 80s in ireland
I think the kid in the pictures is Keith graham from st Mary’s place. He moved to the gloster diamond. And sadly he went on drugs
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