I wish to update you on activities that the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) has been involved in on behalf of our members in the Coastguard.
There have been a number of personal cases referred into the Union arising from disciplinary and grievance claims. I am happy to report that the Union has represented Coastguard members in these cases and, as such, the management of the IRGC has not objected to our Officials attending these meetings. This is a significant and positive development and I would ask all CWU members in the Coastguard to let their colleagues know that they can benefit from CWU representation in disciplinary or grievance procedures.
Arising from our experiencing in representing staff in these circumstances, it has come to the attention of the CWU that the Coastguard management can sometimes operate in a somewhat heavy-handed manner, whereby suspensions are applied in circumstances where they may not ultimately be necessary. The Union is very concerned at this approach and will be conveying these concerns in writing to the Director of the service. In circumstances where staff who volunteer for the Coastguard service may also seek to volunteer for other roles within the community, a suspension from the Coastguard would adversely impact on their ability to be considered as suitable candidates for other volunteering positions and the Union views this as a very serious issue.
Redraft the Code of Conduct
It is the firm view of the CWU that the Code of Conduct must be redrafted and a number of elements must be included in this process. Firstly, the use of suspension as a way of dealing with issues to be considered very carefully and the current arbitrary use of suspension is, in the view of the CWU, unacceptable. The Code does confirm in Clause 14 that volunteers are entitled to natural justice, but the view of the Union would be that arbitrary use of suspension is in breach of that principle.
Suspension should only happen pending the investigation of a serious incident. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that suspensions last any more than 2-3 weeks, which is ample time in which to conduct an adequate investigation into matters under consideration. It is unacceptable that suspensions run for months and months at a time. Not only is this damaging to the credibility and standing of the individual in the community, it unnecessarily prolongs a process that might ultimately be required to deal with a serious issue.
It is also the view of the Union that the Code of Conduct should clarify, in specific terms, the right to Union representation throughout the procedures. This would further underpin the right to fair process and procedure, as suggested in the entitlement to natural justice.
In addition to this, it would be most welcome if the procedures included the right to refer an issue to an independent third-party for consideration as part of the appeals process.
CWU Meeting with Department of Transport
An informal meeting took place between the CWU and representatives of the Department of Transport and the Coastguard service in September. The Union outlined its thoughts in relation to the growing membership it has in the coastguard and suggested that the Code of Conduct would have to be reviewed in light of this development.
The CWU stated that it had conducted a number of meetings around the country with Coastguard volunteers and that clearly there were a number of important issues playing on the minds of those present, and that the Code of Conduct was mentioned on several occasions, along with a number of other issues. The Union made it clear that it did not wish to in any way change the excellent service that the volunteers provide, nor did it want to interfere in a negative way in the dynamics of the organisation. It would be the Union’s intention that, ultimately, Coastguard volunteers would, with the assistance of the Union, be in a position to represent themselves and that the Union would act in a support and advisory capacity. It was agreed at the meeting that these views would be shared with the Director of the service, Mr Chris Reynolds, and that further contact would be made. To date no further contact has been made, although it is the intention of the CWU to convey its views in writing to the service.
It is the view of the CWU that the role of the Coastguard volunteer should be celebrated and cherished by the State, given the willingness of those involved to put their lives on the line on a voluntary basis without personal gain or reward. Volunteering in this way is a massive asset to the State and, as such, this asset should be treated with the highest level of respect and appreciation.
It is unacceptable, in the view of the CWU that people who give so freely and selflessly of their time, energy, and commitment, should not be afforded what is considered a basic human right, and that is the right to a collective voice in the workplace. It will be argued of course that you are not workers and you do not have a workplace. However, there is nothing to prevent the Department of Transport and the IRCG accepting the right of Coastguard staff to represent themselves with the support and guidance of a trade union. It is a simple decision that, in our view, should be made in the best interests of the volunteers and the service itself.
I would like to welcome the many new members that have joined the CWU since our last communication and I look forward to welcoming many more over the coming weeks.
DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION