#tradeunionism hashtag - Bluesky

Jones Engineering in Belgium: MEPs support Unite campaign against union-busting **_Unions and parliamentarians raise ‘social dumping’ concerns_** **_Jones warned not to export shoddy labour practices_** Belgian trade unionists and MEPs joined Unite this week in Charleroi to send a clear message to Irish company Jones Engineering: Union-busting will not be tolerated. As part of the General Labour Federation of Belgium – FGTB’s day of action against social dumping, a protest was held at the Google site in Farciennes, just east of Charleroi, where Jones Engineering is a sub-contractor. In addition to Unite representatives, speakers included MEPs Estelle Ceulemans and Johan Danielsson from the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs as well as FGTB National Secretary Arnaud Lévêque. Unite has been in dispute with Jones since 2023, when union members took industrial action in pursuit of a claim for ‘travel time’ restoration. Instead of engaging with Unite to resolve the issues in dispute, Jones Engineering pursued the union and – in an unprecedented move – individual named shop stewards through the courts. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: **_“This week’s day of action against social dumping sends a clear message: The union movement will make sure there is no hiding place for companies engaged in anti-union activities. Multinational companies must remember that workers are organised globally and will not tolerate union-busting”._** Notwithstanding court defeats and an OECD finding that a complaint submitted by Unite and the global federation Building and Woodworkers International in respect of Jones Engineering and its US parent merits further consideration, the company refuses to engage meaningfully with Unite to resolve matters. Instead, Jones has continued a campaign of anti-union activities against Unite. Speaking in Belgium, Unite regional officer James McCabe said: **_“Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency has been touted as an opportunity to showcase the best of Irish business. It’s unfortunate that Unite members in Jones have been left with no option but to take their fight to Brussels and highlight anti-union activities by an Irish business. European unions are very clear: Jones will not be allowed to export its shoddy labour practices”._** ### Share this: * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Print (Opens in new window) Print * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _Related_

2 weeks ago

unitetheunionireland.org/2026/03/26/jones-enginee...

#BEpol #IEpol #JonesEngineering #UniteTheUnion #TradeUnionism

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SIPTU General Secretary warns cost-of-living crisis will impact wage negotiations SIPTU General Secretary, John King, has warned that the added cost-of-living increases, resulting from the crisis in the Middle East, will mean additional pressure for wage increases in negotiations with employers across the public and private sectors of the economy. SIPTU General Secretary, John King, said: “In its recent cost of living announcements, the Government has failed to provide meaningful support for the low-paid and average income households who are currently facing the sharp end of spiralling energy costs and general price inflation. The impact of the global situation on Ireland has been made clear, with the ERSI announcement that it is revising its headline inflation rate to an average of 3.2% this year, up from a previous forecast of 2.1%. “While the Government’s additional support for those reliant on social protection payments is welcomed, the reality is that the majority of workers will see limited benefit from the measures it has announced.” He added: “Workers cannot be expected to carry the burden of this crisis alone. The Government needs to start preparing a follow-up series of supports immediately but this time the focus must be firmly on the low-paid and average income earners who have been ignored. Otherwise, the only course of action for workers to protect their livelihoods is through their unions’ engagement with employers.” SIPTU Researcher, Michael Taft, said: “The Government’s failure to adequately assist workers during the current crisis comes as no surprise to our Union. It has been a consistent pattern of this Government to prioritise corporate interests over the welfare of workers. While the implementation of the Living Wage and the extension of statutory sick pay have been postponed, the Government has moved to provide VAT cuts for the hospitality sector and property developers, alongside new subsidies for owners in the haulage sector. “It is deeply disappointing to see excise duty cuts that disproportionately benefit higher income groups while tax credits remain frozen for the average worker. At the same time, the Government has failed to establish a robust price monitoring mechanism to identify opportunistic pricing by energy companies. He added: “The current increases in the cost of home heating oil are baffling; we need a system that requires energy companies to justify price hikes and prevents blatant profit margin inflation Share on Social Media xfacebookemailwhatsapp

2 weeks ago

www.siptu.ie/siptu-general-secretary-...

#IEpol #EnergyCrisis #CostofLivingCrisis #SIPTU #TradeUnionism

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Sunday Read: You need your Union in this crazy world “The whole world is in a terrible state of chassis”, is Captain Jack Boyle’s famous declaration at the end of _Juno and the Paycock_ , written by the famous playwright and early member of our Union, Seán O’Casey. Capt. Boyle’s declaration of dismay was made as he saw his tenement community impacted by a worsening Civil War, which pitted once friends against each other. However, it is also a view that speaks to our own era, as the world seeks to deal with a rogue USA under the leadership of Donald J Trump. Whether it is threats to seize Greenland, or his roulette wheel approach to economically crucial tariff regimes, to kidnapping heads of state in night-time raids, the world is certainly a highly volatile place. Thankfully, the impact of the theatrical threats of the Trump regime has not hit Ireland too severely economically, yet. With our scale of US multinational investment, the open nature of our economy and the obvious cultural links we share with the US, it is unlikely that it will remain this way. At times of global instability, workers are often the first to feel the consequences, through job insecurity, rising costs of living, and pressure on wages and conditions. When international tensions translate into economic shocks, it is ordinary working people who are asked to absorb the impact. This is precisely why being part of a strong, collective organisation such as SIPTU is more important than ever. A union provides not only protection in the workplace, but also a collective voice in shaping how employers and governments respond to uncertainty. Through solidarity, organisation and collective bargaining, workers are far better placed to defend their livelihoods, protect hard-won rights, and ensure that the burden of global instability is not unfairly placed on those least able to carry it. In uncertain times, union membership is not just advisable, it is essential. Share on Social Media xfacebookemailwhatsapp

1 month ago

www.siptu.ie/sunday-read-you-need-you...

#IEpol #SIPTU #TradeUnionism

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Joel/Johnrodge

@jr19930312.bsky.social

2 months ago

Song of the United Front (English Version) YouTube video by GETchan

#Anarchist #History #TradeUnionism #Cover #Music #Anthems
youtu.be/ATb7CXX-Kc0?...

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National protocol and fair pay for extreme weather work needed As Storm Chandra continues to batter Ireland with heavy rain, high winds, and flooding, resulting in travel disruption and power outages, SIPTU has renewed its call for a binding national protocol to govern how Local Authority and State Agency workers are deployed, protected, and paid in response to extreme weather events. SIPTU is demanding fair and additional remuneration for work directly associated with extreme weather emergencies, including extended hours, emergency callouts, standby duties, redeployment, and high-risk tasks carried out during weather alerts. SIPTU Public Administration and Community Divisional Organiser, Brendan O’Brien, said: “Local Authority and State Agency workers are at the forefront of the State’s response to events like Storm Chandra, which has led to widespread disruption across the island of Ireland today. “Our members in Local Authorities and State Agencies are out there dealing with flooding, fallen trees, travel disruption, and damage to infrastructure. They are keeping roads clear, restoring services, and protecting communities. This is emergency work, carried out under very difficult conditions, and it must be recognised and fairly compensated. “SIPTU’s Local Authority Sector members are already campaigning for a comprehensive review of their terms and conditions. This broader campaign seeks recognition of the wide range of additional duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills now required of members across Local Authorities and State Agencies, beyond what historic terms and conditions reflect.” He added: “The nature of Local Authority work has changed dramatically over time. Members now take on a far broader range of duties, higher levels of responsibility and qualification, and complex tasks that go well beyond what their terms and conditions cover.” SIPTU Local Authority Sector Organiser, Con Casey, said: “We are calling for a clear, sector-wide protocol that guarantees fair pay for extreme weather work and removes the current reliance on ad hoc local arrangements. We are also calling on the Government to formally recognise Local Authorities as the central coordinators of the State’s response to extreme weather, with responsibility for cross-departmental cooperation, resource sharing, and the deployment of skilled public sector personnel.” He added: “Workers deserve certainty and respect. They must know in advance how pay, health and safety protections, rest periods, and recovery time apply when they are asked to respond to emergencies.” Share on Social Media xfacebookemailwhatsapp

2 months ago

www.siptu.ie/siptu-calls-for-a-nation...

#IEpol #Mastodaoine #StormChandra #SIPTU #TradeUnionism

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3 months ago

picture of a door with a lot of posters, including the front page of the guardian journal with an article about QMUL illustrated by an image of scrooge, which gives an indication about the read it gives of the managerial culture.

picture of the very same door, with a tiny sliver of a newspaper remaining to bear witness to the tearing off of the article

Hey! @qmul.bsky.social where's the article?

You can censor doors all you want, you can't scrape the internet: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

#UKHE #CensorshipOnCampus #EmploymentLaw #WorkersRights #TradeUnion #TradeUnionism #TradeUnionActivity @ucu.org.uk

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Further work stoppages at Carroll’s Cuisine following failure to engage with Union SIPTU members employed at Carroll’s Cuisine in Tullamore, County Offaly, will undertake two additional 12-hour work stoppages on Friday (21st November) and Saturday (22nd November), following the failure of management to engage in discussions on pay, working conditions and union recognition at the meat processing plant. The announcement comes after SIPTU members undertook initial 12-hour stoppages yesterday (Sunday, 16th November) and today (Monday, 17th November), with pickets placed at the facility in Tullamore. SIPTU Manufacturing Divisional Organiser, Neil McGowan, said the decision to escalate industrial action follows weeks of management delays and an abrupt refusal to continue talks. “Workers in Carroll’s Cuisine voted last month in favour of industrial and strike action but agreed to suspend planned stoppages to allow for negotiations. At our meeting on Friday, 31st October, SIPTU representatives presented a constructive proposal aimed at ensuring the company’s financial stability while also addressing pay improvements and securing union recognition for collective bargaining,” McGowan said. “Management requested time to consider this proposal before stating it was not prepared to engage further on the outstanding matters with the workers’ chosen SIPTU representatives. Management has chosen confrontation rather than compromise. Our members will not be denied their basic right to fair pay and to be represented by their Union. This left them with no option but to escalate the industrial action at the plant.” He added: “The workers have been heartened with the support from the local community for their action. It is in the interest of all workers in Ireland that union recognition is respected and people earn a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” McGowan added that Carroll’s Cuisine’s parent company, Sofina Foods, has publicly acknowledged shortcomings in how it has engaged with staff, yet has failed to address the core issues at the heart of the dispute. “This conflict fundamentally stems from the company’s refusal to respect workers’ right to collectively bargain through their Union. Ireland remains an outlier in Western Europe in this regard. Working people, like those in Carroll’s, should not be forced into industrial action simply to secure fair treatment,” he said. SIPTU members will maintain pickets during all stoppages, including the two additional 12-hour actions scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, both commencing at 7.00 am. Share on Social Media x facebook emailwhatsapp

4 months ago

www.siptu.ie/further-work-stoppages-a...

#SIPTU #TradeUnionism #CarrollsCuisine #IEpol

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Mandate Endorses Catherine Connolly for President of Ireland - Mandate Trade Union Ireland The National Executive Committee (NEC) of Mandate Trade Union – which represents over 20,000 bar and retail workers across the country – at its meeting yesterday (Sunday, 5 October) decided to endorse Catherine Connolly’s candidature for President of Ireland. In making its decision, the NEC cited Ms Connolly’s consistently supportive stance on collective bargaining and […]

6 months ago

mandate.ie/2025/10/mandate-endorses...

#IEpol #Aras25 #Mandate #TradeUnionism

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David Gilmour

@davidjgilmour.bsky.social

8 months ago

Largest Strike in History, 250 Million Workers, Brings India to a Standstill - MLToday facebook Twitter Like Gmail By Roger McKenzie, International Editor, Morning Star (UK) July 10, 2025 INDIA was brought to a standstill today as around 250 million workers took part in what many are ...

Largest Strike in History, 250 Million Workers, Brings India to a Standstill

mltoday.com/largest-stri...

#India #Socialism #TradeUnionism #Strike

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@basildonparty.bsky.social

8 months ago

#coordinatetheaction #strikingworks #unions #NHS #SaveourNHS #renationalisetheNHS #costoflivingcrisis #capitalism #socialism #socialist #marxism #marxist #labour #redtories #newworkersparty #tradeunionist #tradeunions #tradeunionism #tradeunionandsocialistcoalition

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Andrew Northall

@andrewnorthall.bsky.social

8 months ago

The Durham Miners Gala - The Big Meeting 2025

#DurhamMinersGala #Durham #Miners #Gala #DurhamMiners #Solidarity #Socialism #TradeUnions #TradeUnionism #NUM

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11 months ago

They were invited to talk at a Health & Safety conference, which is a bog standard bit of #TradeUnionism, and sex workers know a lot about that.

#LawyeringForWorkersRights

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11 months ago

lawyering for workers' rights: an evening co-hosted by QMUCU, QMUnison, and the Centre for Law and Society in a global context Wednesday 7 May 5-7pm Law 313 QMUL Mile End campus or online

Coorganising with QMUnison and @cclas1.bsky.social: Lawyering for Workers' Rights

7 May, 5-7pm, @qmul.ac.uk Mile End Campus & on zoom. Free, but register for your spot: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

#WorkersRights #EmploymentLaw #TradeUnionism

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