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SIPTU MEMBERS AT Roscommon County Council have told management that they will join their colleagues in the Fórsa trade union on the picket lines.
Siptu yesterday served notice of industrial action on the council in support of their Fórsa colleagues.
Fórsa staff have already carried out four one-day strikes in a dispute over the refusal of management to allow staff work up extra hours that would allow them accumulate up to 13 days leave per year.
Council management has argued that there was no business requirement for the overtime in many cases and the system had to be managed.
Siptu organiser Maurice Hearne, said: “Clerical and administration staff represented by Fόrsa have been engaged in four full-day work stoppages since late June. The dispute concerns the restoration of a flexitime scheme which has not been available to staff since early 2017.
“The 14-day notice of industrial action served yesterday by our members will mean that almost 50 engineers and planners employed by Roscommon County Council will be joining these work stoppages unless a fair resolution to the dispute is found.
“Engineers and planners did not have access to the flexitime scheme until the Labour Court in a binding decision in 2016 stated the arrangements should also apply to these grades. Despite this, and subsequent clarifications from the Labour Court, management has effectively suspended the scheme for all staff.
“Our members are very disappointed and concerned that the scheme, which is so important to staff with young families or dependant relatives, remains suspended despite the findings of the Labour Court.”
Fórsa has said it will continue its industrial action if the council does not commit to restarting talks overseen.
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Normally I support union activity, but these public service workers are so pampered and mollycoddled that I haven’t an ounce of sympathy.
They wouldn’t get much “flexi time” in the private sector, they just don’t realise how good and cushy they have it.
@robbie: the point is , the extra time worked is not needed . Staff are coming in at 0730,but start time is 0830, there by accumulating an hour a day, almost a day a week, increasing annual leave, then their isn’t the staff to cover all the extra holidays !
@robbie: Yes you can build up Flexi time, but you cant sit on your rear in an office and claim OT to work up hours if there is no work to do. Also unless the article above is correct, which is very possible on the Journal, it states they are tryiintg to work up an extra 13 days on top of holidays, no Private Complany would allow that
@Irish Bob: if its the same as flexi time across the public sector, that’s basically one extra day per month, that can only be taken in the following flexi period, not in one chunk of 13 days together. I think that’s quite standard for flexitime, public and private
@Edward Smith: This is not a race to the bottom. I support them
@Edward Smith: that all has to be budgeted for, how can a company budget for a potential of every employee taking +13 days?
even in private sector overtime has to be approved
@robbie: that is pure bull…you must work in some handy desk job….shift workers as in printing need to be available at certain given hours..aa i.m sure restaurant staff need to work to given schedules to meet the company.s clients needs…this type of necessity doesnt apply in the public sector…in most cases.. .there is no need for the given departments to earn cash…to survive…plus the public sector can and do hold the country to ransom…in the private sector the workers would lose their jobs due to lack of clients
@Edward Smith: most applying for flexitime are female trying to keep a job and a family life going, if that’s “cushy” I doubt any mother with 2 or 3 young children would agree with you. They could of course always sell or have the children adopted.
And yet zero hour contracts at Guinness Storehouse…ignored by Unions.
SIPTU…… MY A#%E
@Mr Grumble: perhaps the storehouse staff should form a union so.
On the upside, it’s not like the councils do much anyway. They will hardly be missed.
SIPTU, now that is a joke.
Proud sponsors of the labour party, joke 2.
Flexi time is a privilege, not an entitlement. And if there isn’t enough work to justify it people will just waste time in order to build up their flexi leave
Would the journal not hire a professional photographer to do the photos on their stories? A picture of a Roscommon flag in some GAA ground is pathetic just because the story is based in Roscommon.. A six year old child would do a better job..
@Travis: Least they could do is send someone up in a hot air balloon, high enough to get a picture of the whole county so we know to where exactly the article is refering.
@Travis: It’s also pretty inaccurate. The geographical area of Roscommon GAA and Roscommon County Council are not the same. E.g., chunks of Athlone are part of the Roscommon GAA county but part of Westmeath County Council.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: All of Roscommon GAA clubs in the Athlone hinterland are in Roscommon, as Athlone town straddles the Shannon despite an attempt to reconfigure the county boundaries and incorporate Athlone west (which is Roscommon) into Westmeath. Over 30,000 submissions to Westmeath County Council rejected this proposal. However on the west side of Roscommon county many of the clubs extend into Galway.
Such timing by Siptu, annual leave for council staff starts around august bank holiday for two weeks. It’s outrageous that an extra 13 days can be built up giving workers a full month off. With 14 day notice from today that should give 50 engineers and planners a couple of extra days off before ever council closes down for half a month.
How can Roscommon council justify having 50 engineers and planners. Planning has dried up for the last seven years. We are stuck with too many desk jockeys because of unions and not enough labours. Good auld permanent and pensionable, unionised workers who see a few fine days and think to themselves. A couple of days shopping in Dublin is in order. Anyone not present at picket lines should be considered on a holidays. Striking is like sick days they feel entitled to at least a weeks worth every year.
This flexitime scheme is one of an array of schemes offered to Roscommon council staff. It’s not unfair for council management to seek the best value for taxpayer funds instead of pandering to staff social requests. If your not happy find another job or a career that does offer this amazing flexitime scheme it no longer exists at Roscommon council co.
@leartius: You do not understand flexitime. Allow me to educate you. 1) Employees don not get extra leave. They work the same number of hours per year regardless of if they have or have not flexitime. 2) Only one flexiday per month can be taken. They cannot be taken as a group of 12-13 days.
You make a statement “This flexitime scheme is one of an array of schemes offered to Roscommon council staff.” Don’t you realise that this scheme is not available to Roscommon country council staff, and this is the sole issue the dispute is about?
Entitlement Ireland at it again. Ridiculous carry on again from the Unions and their members.
The unions have lost their marbles if they think this case is justifiable. Overtime should always be approved in advance by management.
The unions biggest customers are the civil servants and public bodies. The unions have destroyed our country. They have stopped any progress and held employers to ransom. The public still can’t get real-time information on travel apps because of the unions. The Dart and trains average speed is slower than 1928. All because the unions object to any forward plans and improving infrastructure. Jack O Onner is one of the wealthiest men in the country with all the income and expenses streams from different organisations.
@Cranky: I suggest we all would have zero hour contracts, no min wage, and no paid annual leave without unions…..
If the Staff striking were offered a compromise, Get back to work or you will be transferred to Sewers cleaning it might help focus the mind. Private sector workers do what is needed to keep the company in profits and moving forward. These council workers are more interested in regression and Marxist attitudes. SIPTU should changes its name to Service In Paternal Interest of Union Degenerates.
Surely the crux of the matter is that Roscommon Co Council are ignoring a binding Labour Court finding.
There’s a clue in the word “ binding “
wonder what all our working conditions would be like if there never were unions?
“Council Management stated that there is no business need for the overtime…”
Sounds like a very competent decision from a very competent Management Team.
Wtf…13 extra days worth of leave! Think of the disruption, inefficiencies, and not to mention additional cost of tracking such a harebrained scheme.
have your say