To:    Each Branch Secretary – Attention All Members
Date: 30th June 2015
News Update: 014/15
RE: LRA

 Dear Colleagues

Please bring this Media Release and attached Motion to the attention of all CPSU members in your area.

MEDIA RELEASE

CPSU RECOMMENDS MEMBERS TO VOTE YES ON BASIS OF ‘COMPELLING NEED’ TO GET SOME LIMITED RELIEF FROM FINANCIAL BURDEN OF AUSTERITY CUTS

The Executive of the CPSU which is the largest union in the Civil Service and represents lower paid administrative workers today decided to recommend a YES vote to its members in the forthcoming ballot on the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA). It did so not because it believes the amount of pay restored is sufficient or appropriate but because the financial hardship imposed on its members by years of savage cuts will at least be partly alleviated by the deal.

The union engaged in a wide consultation process with its Branches in the last month and General Secretary Eoin Ronayne said today that there was great disappointment at the level of pay restoration in the LRA. He said “this clearly resulted from the failure of the Government to provide sufficient funds to ensure the pay of all lower paid public service workers was restored to 2008 levels” He added that the consultation process was hugely critical of Government for not allowing negotiations take place on removing the additional unpaid hours imposed under the Haddington Road Agreement.

The Executive Committee  welcomed the use of a flat rate mechanism to distribute what funds were made available by Government as this resulted in the prioritisation of lower paid workers. Ronayne said the use of a flat rate approach had long been sought by the CPSU and that its use in the LRA was a positive development.  He welcomed the support of the Public Services Committee in securing a flat rate approach and urged that it be used as a model for future pay negotiations.

The Executive again criticised the hardship imposed by the last two Governments on their workers through unfair and unjustified cuts in pay and conditions using Emergency Legislation to secure its will regardless of the effects of those cuts. Ronayne said that in coming to its decision the Executive understood that the limited pay restoration now on offer was greatly needed by the union’s members to help reduce the heavy burden imposed on them by their employer.

The Executive committed the union to continue to actively campaign for the full restoration of all pay and conditions cut since 2008 and to join with like-minded unions to highlight the imperative of its members, their friends and families voting only for candidates in the forthcoming General Election who have demonstrated and continue to pledge their support to our Public Services and the restoration of the pay and conditions of public service workers.

Ends

For More Information and Comment: Eoin Ronayne 0872520603

Eoin Ronayne

General Secretary

To:    Each Branch Secretary – Attention All Members
Date: 19th June 2015
News Update: 013/15
RE: LRA, Clery’s, Garda News, General Council News

 Dear Colleagues

Please bring the attached information to the attention of all CPSU members in your area.

1. Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA)

Head Office Officials are currently meeting members at Branch Meetings across the country in advance of the Executive meeting on June 30^th which will consider what recommendation will be given in the Ballot which will be held at the end of August and early to mid-September. No decision on the LRA will be made by the Public Services Committee of the ICTU until later in September. Details of the proposed Agreement are on our website Restoration.cpsu.ie and our Facebook Page CPSU Ireland. Please endeavour to attend your local Branch meeting where one is scheduled and if one is not please speak with your local Branch reps about organising one. The next edition of Aontas will cover the draft agreement’s terms in detail also.

2. Circular e-mails

It has come to the attention of Head Office that a former Executive member has circulated an e-mail to large numbers of members suggesting no ballot on the LRA is planned by the Executive. This borders on the mischievous and is completely inaccurate. The CPSU has always balloted on National Agreements and in our very first comment on the LRA we stated clearly there would be a members’ ballot.

Further the same member has widely circulated that e-mail and another e-mail to an outside commentator who has forwarded the mails to many others outside the union. The content of this second mail much of which is inaccurate and offensive was circulated within the union and then selectively edited to remove content prior to onward circulation to the outside parties. It is particularly damaging to the union in that it appears to equate the pay cuts suffered by our members with the heinous crime of Rape. This is an unacceptable use of language in material publically emanating from a union which is so committed to equality and women’s rights.

3. Clerys Closure

The CPSU fully supports SIPTU in its struggle to protect the rights and future of its members who worked in Clerys in Dublin. The behaviour of the old and new owners is an appalling attack on a loyal workforce and is morally indefensible. It is important that public sector workers stand in solidarity with their private sector colleagues and we are urging members to sign the online petition at http://clerysworkers.nationbuilder.com/

4. Garda Area and Department of Justice

A detailed Information Circular no. 091 /15 has been sent today to all Garda and Justice Representatives. This Circular covers Garda resource issues and related staffing matters, Garda PMDS roll out , Garda Flexi Roll out, GNIB,  Garda area Work sharing issues, ORAC and Immigration Control in Dublin Airport

5. General Council issues

The General Council, as members should be aware, is the central industrial relations council for the Civil Service and it operates under the Conciliation and Arbitration scheme. It is where all discussions take place on the terms and conditions of our members within the Civil Service. It meets monthly, bar last month because of the pay talks, and it is currently addressing a number of very significant issues for members, including;

• The introduction of an external appeals system for PMDS following the recent arbitration outcome which recommended appeals to include rating 3
• The extension of our incremental progression Agreement arising from discussions on the Lansdowne Road Agreement
• Serious issues to do with backlogs in payroll and HR shared services
• Shorter working year review
• Grievance and disciplinary code review

We are also working on claims and submissions on other matters dealt with in a side Agreement at the Lansdowne Road talks including restoration of marriage leave levels and compensation for bank time.

Eoin Ronayne

General Secretary