News
UNI Global Union 2023 New Year’s Message (video)
Europe moving forward through collective bargaining in 2023 View video of this New Year’s message here In 2022, trade unions made the EU change course. We now have a European Union objective that 80% of workers should be covered by collective bargaining. The EU is not only talking about Social Europe but is once again … Continued
Are you interested in travelling to the West Bank in February 2023?
Would you like to see for yourself the situation in the West Bank? Would you like to stay in Bethlehem city and visit Jerusalem, Hebron and Ramallah? Would you like to meet with Palestinian and Israeli groups and individuals, working for peace and justice in the region, and hear what they’ve got to say? A … Continued
Message of Solidarity to CWU (UK) Postal Members
To: Dave Ward General Secretary Communications Workers’ Union Dear Dave, I am writing to express the heartfelt solidarity of the Communications Workers’ Union in Ireland, and of our members across all sectors, with your important industrial action. We observe with admiration the manner in which your members are conducting their campaign and the strength and … Continued
Royal Mail workers to go ahead with strikes before Christmas after rejecting pay offer
CWU members to strike on dates around Black Friday and Christmas after spurning ‘final’ pay offer up to 9% CWU union says Royal Mail proposals will spell ‘its degradation from a national institution into an unreliable, Uber-style gig economy company’. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA Strikes by postal workers around Black Friday and in the run-up to Christmas are … Continued
Raise the Roof Public Meeting on Housing: November 23rd Woodquay Venue, D.8
Raise the roof is organising a public meeting on housing in the Woodquay Venue, Dublin 8 on November 23rd at 18.00 hrs. If you would like to attend the meeting, you can register here: https://forms.office.com/r/wur0DaJ3KZ The following is the list of speakers on the night: Rebecca Moynihan – Labour Party spokesperson on housing Bríd Smith … Continued
Keep Water Public Campaign: Sign the petition
Privatised water services result in higher costs and poorer services for the public. Public ownership of water services ensures safe and sustainable access to water for everyone. A referendum would help protect Irish water services from any future attempt at privatisation, providing a constitutional guarantee of public ownership. Opinion polls show that a huge majority … Continued
Memorial Services – Association of eircom Pensioners
Clare: A Memorial Mass for deceased members of eircom staff will take place in Christ the King’s Church, Cloughleigh, Ennis, Co. Clare on Friday 4th November, 2022 at 9.30am Cork: The Cork Mass for former deceased colleagues is on Saturday 5th November, 2022 at 11am in S.M.A Church, Wilton with tea/coffee, sandwiches and a chat … Continued
Royal Mail workers walk out in first of 19 days of strikes
Royal Mail workers are holding the first of 19 strikes in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 115,000 members across the UK would walk out in a 24-hour strike on Thursday, starting at 04:00 BST. General Secretary Dave Ward said workers faced the “biggest ever assault” on jobs, … Continued
DPD Workers in Kerry win Union Recognition, Sick Pay and Pay Increases of up to 20%
The win comes on the back of a worker led organising campaign that began in March 2022. Workers identified three main objectives as part of their campaign. Collective Bargaining Sick Pay Living wage €12.90 All three of the objectives have now been achieved and has resulted in workers seeing their pay packets increase by up … Continued
Closure of Ulster Bank Accounts
Ulster Bank have confirmed that they are exiting the market in Ireland and closing all of their Bank Branches. They have advised customers of this and requested they move their business to another bank, before the 8th of October 2022, at which point customers were faced with their accounts being frozen. They specified accounts will … Continued
ICTU Women’s Conference “Women in Trade Unions – Shaping the Future of Work”
An All Island Women’s Conference took place from 29th -30th September 2022 in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co. Down. It was well represented by delegates from across the Island of Ireland where lots of Motions were debated. It was great to hear lots of debates and CWU’s motion “Promoting Women in ICT” (Information and … Continued
Ulster Bank Closure – CWU Account Details Form
We would kindly ask all of our members who are in the process of changing from Ulster bank to an alternative bank to submit their new bank details to CWU as soon as possible in order to avoid any disruption especially if you are currently claiming from any of the CWU funds e.g. Social … Continued
Palestine Solidarity Action: Irish civil society letter re. EU-Israel Association Council
After 10 years, the EU is preparing to resume its Association Council with Israel in early October. If this high-level meeting takes place, it would further normalise authoritarian and oppressive Israeli practices and crimes against the Palestinian people and Palestinian civil society. Recently, the EU has also signed a new gas deal with Israel and … Continued
Minimum Wages & Collective Bargaining: EU Directive shows the way forward
The European Parliament has adopted the directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining, which now enters into EU law. UNI Europa celebrates the concrete steps towards strengthening democracy at work. Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa, said: “This directive is an important step forward. It opens the path towards a Europe in which everyone … Continued
New minimum wage of €11.30 set to be introduced in January, but union officials wanted it increased to €12 per hour
Last week the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, in its pre-Budget Submission, restated the view of the trade union movement that the minimum wage should be raised to the living wage. The value of the national minimum wage has been falling since 2016. In 2016, the minimum wage equalled 57 percent of the median wage. … Continued
CWU confirms Pension Increase granted
You will be aware from GS Circular, GSP 12/22 issued on the 24th June 2022, that arising from the Pay Agreement with An Post and the Pension Accord, a 2% increase in pensionable pay applies from the 1st January 2022. An Post previously applied the increase to staff and pensionable pay scales. The Union, working … Continued
Talk on the Postal Strike of 1922
The centenary of the 1922 Postal Strike is celebrated this month and the subject of a talk at 3PM on Saturday 10th September 2022 in Pearse Street Library. This will also see the launch of the Labour History Collections on the Digital Repository of Ireland, including historic Post Office Workers Union material relevant to … Continued
Payment due to An Post Pensioners
Re: Payments due to An Post Pensioners Dear Minister, At the outset, I wish to offer you my sincere condolences on the recent passing of your mother, Mary. My thoughts are with you and your family at this difficult time. It is necessary that I write to you again as a follow up to … Continued
NUJ postpones strike to enter talks with Reach
The National Union of Journalists has postponed tomorrow’s (Friday 26 August) strike action at Reach Plc and accepted a proposal by the company to enter into immediate negotiations under the auspices of ACAS with a view to achieving a negotiated settlement. The decision to postpone the one-day strike action was agreed by the Reach Plc … Continued
Support for striking NUJ members, 26th August
Tomorrow is an important day for the NUJ across Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales as we begin strike action at media group Reach Plc and we are seeking your support. I would appreciate if this request could be circulated widely. Many trade unions may not be familiar with the name of the company, but you … Continued
CWU Finances Review
You will be aware from previous correspondence and the Biennial Conference, that the Union engaged Fóla Partners to conduct a detailed review of the CWU financial activities over the past four years. The purpose being to comprehensively review our financial operations to ensure they are placed on a sound footing going forward. Fóla found, that … Continued
Amazon ‘must respect’ workers’ rights at new Dublin warehouse
Amazon, which opened its first Irish fulfilment centre in Dublin this week, must respect Irish industrial relations mechanisms and its workers’ rights to organise a union if they choose to do so, a trade union has said. Opening the new warehouse in Baldonnell Business Park this week, the global ecommerce giant said it will create 500 … Continued
Amazon urged to engage positively with workers who organise into a trade union
AMAZON has been warned it “must engage positively with workers who organise into a trade union” as it opened its first fulfilment centre in Dublin. Seán McDonagh, general secretary of the Communications Workers Union, said the online retailer’s expansion in Ireland could potentially have a negative impact on other carriers, most notably, An Post. “The … Continued
Cost of Living Coalition – National Day of Action, June 18th
I wish to advise you that the Cost of Living Coalition – comprising a broad spectrum of unions (including ICTU), trades councils, NGOs, and political parties – is planning a number of rallies around Ireland on Saturday, 18th June 2022. The details of events scheduled to take place are as follows: Dublin: 1.00pm at the … Continued
RTÉ News: CWU calls for greater investment in An Post
Reprinted from RTÉ News, article by Brian O’Donovan WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY 2022: The Communications Workers’ Union has warned that the future of An Post is “gravely uncertain” without Government investment to protect and maintain vital services. Addressing the union’s biennial conference in Athlone, CWU General Secretary Seán McDonagh said that the financial impacts of Covid-19 … Continued
Irish Independent: An Post’s future is ‘gravely uncertain’ without major government investment
Reprinted from The Irish Independent, article by Anne-Marie Walshe WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY 2022: An Post’s future is “gravely uncertain” without major government investment, a conference will hear today. Communications Workers Union general secretary, Seán McDonagh, will urge the state to “step forward” to protect and maintain post office network services and letter and parcel deliveries. Speaking … Continued
Irish Examiner: Future of An Post ‘gravely uncertain’ without Government investment, union warns
Reprinted from The Irish Examiner, article by Rebecca Laffan WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY 2022: The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) has warned that the future of An Post is “gravely uncertain” without Government investment to protect and maintain its vital postal services. The 11th biennial CWU conference is to begin in Athlone today. CWU General Secretary Seán … Continued