WINTER 2013 VOL: 15 NO. 4

Season’s Greetingsto all our Members

2

Dear Colleague,On behalf of the National Executive

Council of the Communications Workers’

Union, I would like to take this opportunity

to wish you and yours Seasons Greetings

and very best wishes for the coming year.

Your Union faces into the New Year

having lost many members across all

sectors to voluntary redundancy and early

retirement schemes. In particular, there

has been a massive exodus from eircom

and it seems likely that by the year-end

over 1,000 members will have left through

voluntary schemes. It has long been the

policy of this Union that we deal with

reductions of employment for whatever

reasons only on a voluntary basis and in

the main we have managed to continue to

fulfil that policy. It is, however, of little

consolation to us as a Union as our

membership and activist base will be

severely impacted. I am happy that you

will join with me in wishing all of those

members the very, very best in the future

for both them and their families and we

hope that they will remain active within the

Union through the Retired Members

Section. There is always an on-going

debate as to how trade unions should deal

with redundancy situations, but there is no

doubt that in almost every case our

members have received packages that are

over and above the norm. There is also no

doubt that the reason for those packages is

the very existence of our Union, as we

have seen ample evidence as to how

Editorial

Editor: Steve FitzpatrickSub-Editor: Imelda WallIssued by: Communications Workers’ Union,575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1.Telephone: 8663000 and Fax: 8663099E-mail: info@cwu.ieIncorporatingthe PTWU Journal, THE RELAY andTHE COMMUNICATIONS WORKERThe opinions expressed by contributors are notnecessarily those of the CWU.Photographs: John ChaneyPrinted by Mahons Printing Works, Dublin.

ContentsEditorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Telecoms Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Postal Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11

Health & Safety Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

Organising Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17

ESCCU Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

UNI Global Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Youth Committee Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-31

Equality Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33

Education Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35

CWU Charitable Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37

CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy to Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . . 38-39

An Post Employees’ Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

FM Downes Insurance & Mortgage Brokers . . . . . . . . . 41

CWU People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-52

Orphans’ Pensions Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

CWU Membership Application Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-56

3

workers without those protections are treated

in this society. Early in the New Year, we will

begin rebuilding the Branches and Sections

that have been damaged through this process

and we must now ensure that all remaining

members in eircom are placed in meaningful

long-term work and that all work contracted

out, is only contracted out to trade union

members.

These momentous events happened to

coincide with the publication of the first part of

the CWU History “Connecting Communities”,

which has been written by Francis Devine (the

foremost Labour Historian in the country)

assisted by John Chaney, our own

photographer. A much larger book will follow

this pictorial history sometime next year, which

will be the main work on the Union’s history. It

is important that as a Union we recognise the

efforts and the work of our forefathers who

planted the seeds of this Union and negotiated

terms and conditions for members many of

which still apply to this day. A copy of the

History of the Union will be sent out to each

Branch and Section Secretary and copies of

course will be made available at a much

reduced rate to members who wish to

purchase it.

In recent weeks, Head Office hosted a UNI

Global World Executive Board Meeting in our

recently refurbished Headquarters. Almost

150 delegates representing in excess of 20

million workers from service industries across

the world, gathered here for their annual

meeting. The delegates stayed for over a

week and were booked into Hotels who are

members of the Fair Hotel Group, generating

much needed revenue for the city. In

preparation for that meeting, our PR Company

in conjunction with the UNI PR Department in

Nyon bombarded all media outlets outlining

what was a key event in international industrial

relations. It is interesting to note that not one

media outlet gave any mention whatsoever to

this massive event in what almost amounts to

censorship of a key international trade union

event. This is against the background where

the opening of a fast food restaurant with 20

precarious jobs got headline mention from the

same media. The result of this type of

censorship is that the issues being discussed

on a worldwide basis are being denied

coverage and therefore, ordinary citizens are

not aware of those issues or of the alternative

policies developed by Unions internationally in

their opposition to the present policies on

austerity. It also underlines the fact that many

of the media outlets owned by industry moguls

peddle what can best be called their version of

the truth in order to further their own ends

resulting in a view from society that has little

basis on fact. Indeed, it was for that very

reason that we commissioned our

documentary in relation to the CWU

Humanitarian Aid Convoy and a lesson to be

learned for us is that if we want a message

delivered, we have to find some method of

delivering it ourselves.

We face into the New Year with hope and

determination and believe it is now past time to

deal with the stagnation of wage rates across

the economy. Workers have made sufficient

sacrifices and it is now time for employers to

play their part.

Steve Fitzpatrick,General Secretary, CWU

4

Telecoms Update

1. Context

This document is a collective agreement between

eircom’s Networks Business Unit and the

Communications’ Workers Union (The Parties) which

sets out how circa 830 employees will be granted early

release under the current incentivised exit scheme.

The context of this agreement is that the current

scheme had been designed to allow for a series of

phased exits over a twelve month period. However the

profiles of the applications are focussed to an exit date

in December 2013 to facilitate employees claiming of

Top Slicing Relief which is to be abolished from 31 51

December 2013 under the Finance Bill.

The parties in response to this challenge have

agreed that it is in the best interest of all stakeholders

that flexibility measures be put in place to enable the

maximum number of early exits.

2. Agreed flexibility and change measures

The following flexibility and change measures are

agreed:

• The provider of service provision activities i.e.

PSTN, e Fibre, TV and Broad band products will

be external contractor resources, other than

periods of reduced FAST workloads in which

circumstances the provision work will default to

FAST team members as appropriate. Workflow

to the contractor will be via the Works

Management Centres (WMCs).eircom resources

will be utilised on this activity also in order to

maintain and drive productivity and efficiencies.

• External contractor resources will also be utilised

as a response capability to peak faults and storm

situations;

• Core Field Engineering will be focussed in the

first instance on service assurance activity. In line

with current practices resources will be

reassigned from Core delivery (including build)

and Core Network integration to sustain the

assurance capability. Thereafter any shortfall in

the delivery and build capacity will be met from

external contract resources which will be

communicated to the union on a regular basis.

• Immediate discussions for full implementation of

the Access National Support Centres strategy

plan;

• Immediate discussions for the Deployment of the

new GIS system known as “Small World” to

improve the effectiveness of the design process

delivering efficiency; and

• The standard Network Build work management

methodology where by work that cannot be

delivered by internal resource to meet the

required due date will be assigned to external

contractor resources will continue. This

methodology will be applied across the full

programme range of access and NGA to best

utilise the resource skills, effectiveness and

efficiency.

3. Future engagement between the parties

The parties will engage in January 2014 on a

reorganisation of Networks post the release of the

incentivised exit applicants to deliver the following:

• Span of Control in line with agreed parameters

• An appropriate operating structure

• Streamline of work flows

The key principle of the reorganisation will be that

business and customer requirements will be the

primary driver and guide for all resourcing and

assignment decisions for the new organisation.

As part of this engagement the parties note the

objective of the Union side is to maximise the number

of employees assigned to the FAST teams while

meeting the needs of the business and ensuring that

the remaining organisations e.g. Build are maintained

at a critical mass in order to be sustainable into the

future.

1.1 Scope of the reorganisation

The scope of the reorganisation will include the

following:

• Fixed Access Operations

• Access FAST teams

• Fixed Access Build teams

• Access Design

• Core Field Engineering

1.2 Design criteria for Fixed AccessOperations

The design criteria for Access Operations will include

the following:

• Apply a span of control of 1 : 18

• Assign available resources having consideration

for

• Business and Service level requirements

Networks flexibility and changes measures

55

Telecoms Update

• Preserving normal customer repair

capability

• Existing geographic location

• Existing discipline

• Recorded skill set

• Efficient and effective utilisation of all

available resources

• Align Operational Support Systems (OSS)

with new structure

1.3 Design criteria for Access Design

The design criterion for Access Design will include the

following:

• Apply the existing agreed span of control.

• Assign available resources having consideration

for

• Business requirements

• Existing location

1.4 Design criteria for Core field Engineering

The design criteria for Core Field Engineering will

include the following

• Apply a span of control of 1:25

• Assign available resources having consideration

for

• Business and Service Level Requirements

• Preserving normal assurance and repair

capability

• Existing geographic location

• Skill Set

• Existing discipline

4. Employee Training and development

Training and development programmes will be put in

place to meet the needs of the business and ensure all

product skillsets are maintained.

5. Governance

This collective agreement was signed by

On behalf of eircom On behalf of CWU

Una Stafford Jimmy O Connor

Briah Walsh Jim Browne

131h November 2013

Agreement has been reach with KNN management to restore 2% pay to peoplewho had it deducted; this restoration is to take place for the December payrollrun.

Discussions are taking place with KNN management as a result of KNNbeing the new provider of service provision activities i.e. PSTN, e Fibre, TV and Broad band.

It is hoped to conclude these discussions in advance of them taking up these new functions.

Wear yourUnion Badge

Get into print!Anyone wishing to submit articles or

photosto appear in the Connect journal,

please, either:

email to imelda@cwu.ieor post to Imelda Wall,

Communications Workers’ Union,575 North Circular Road,

Dublin 1.

Telecoms Update

6

UNION SECURES PAY DEAL AT FIRSTSOURCEIn June/July of this year, the Union engaged in negotiations with Firstsource at local level with a view to securing payincreases for our members and some progress was made. However, the situation changed in September when the UKbased Firstsource Management informed the Union there would be no increases in pay and furthermore, they weredissatisfied with the levels of productivity at centres in Dublin and Cork and intended to introduce changes with a viewto increasing productivity. The Union organised meetings of members in Dublin and Cork. It became evident thatnot alone were members dissatisfied with the Company’s failure to increase pay, but also with their working conditionsand numerous examples were given of the types of pressure members are working under. Following these meetings,the Union conducted a ballot for industrial action and an indication of the level of anger felt by members is borne outin the ballot result.

The Union organised a plan for industrial action, which included a 24-hour work stoppage at the Centres. Followingthe intervention of the Labour Relations Commission, a number of meetings took place attended by the Union andFirstsource and the Commission issued settlement proposals, which were accepted by the members.

In the Journal is an article from one of the members involved which gives a good insight into the dispute. We takethis opportunity to salute the members concerned, the majority of whom have never been involved in any type ofindustrial action and it is to their credit that they were prepared to stand up to the Company and act in solidarity.

7

Telecoms Update

PadraicJennings

Praise Chinwego

Felicia Ogunrinde

Lorraine Barkley

CWU FirstsourceMembers voting on therecent ballot

8

Postal Update

C&DPhibsboro Complete and occupied 25/11/2013

Cavan Complete, heating upgrade complete and new canopy installed.

Ballyhaunis Alternative premises identified.Commercial terms agreed. Architect appointed.

Ballymote Alternative premises identifies.Commercial terms agreed. Architect appointed.

Bray/Greystones Planning FC/DAC received.Contractor agreed.Legal’s to be completed.

Caherciveen New building complete.

Clonakilty Architect preparing feasibility study to extend existing office.

Enfield Planning permission DAC/FC received.Tenders received. Legals to be completed.

Fermoy Premises identified.Commercial terms agreed subject to contract.Architect working on fit out.

Kilmallock Construction complete and building occupied

Kinsale Potential premises identified.Layout approved. Architect working on planning issues. Commercialterms agreed subject to contract.

Listowel Planning DAC/FC received.Landlord to do certain works. Leases now complete. Contractor appointed.

Roscommon Premises identified.Scope of works being developed by architect and engineer. Commercial terms to be formally agreed.

Roscrea Potential property identified.Architect working on plan to fit out and due diligence. Commercial termsto be formally agreed.

Thurles Construction complete.

Westport Fit out almost complete.

The following C&D offices are being currently assessed.Athenry, Bantry, Cashel, Castleblaney, Clifden, Dungarvan, Skibbereen and Youghal.

RETAIL

Arklow Most likely a new premises.

Athy Relocation to relocate to premises across from existing office

New Ross Plan to relocate subject to discussion with local branch.

New counter positions in Loughrea and Letterkenny.

Feasibilty study ongoing in 10 retail offices into providing an extended retail space.

Ballina Branch Office gets a lick of paint as Retail lights up for Xmas

BallinaBranchOffice gets alick of paintas Retaillights up forChristmas

9

Postal Update

New Claims• Study LeaveThe Union has raised concerns about the manner inwhich study and exam leave is handled within theCompany and has sought a review of this. Currently inorder to qualify for Study & Exam Leave employeesmust either be engaged in:

• A third level course approved by the Company’sEducational Support Scheme

• A Second level course approved by the Dept ofEducation

• Other specified courses of study approved andfunded by the Company

Given the Company decision to cease the EducationalSupport Scheme and not to fund courses this, in reality,means that the Company has ceased paid study and examleave for third level and other specified courses. As aresult Union has sought a review of paid study and examleave with a view to providing study and exam leave tostaff availing of all third level courses and courses run byprofessional bodies. As part of this review the Union hashighlighted particular difficulties being experienced bymembers.

Other IssuesSun CreamFor some time this issues has been the subject ofdiscussion at the JCC Health and Safety Sub Committeebut unfortunately we have been unable to resolve it andfor a considerable period of time we were unable to geta response from them. The Company response when weeventually received was in our view unacceptable. TheCompany position is that:

• The provision of sunscreen at DSU’s may seemsimple to undertake. It would be extremely difficultor almost impossible to enforce compliance

• The level of supervision required would beexcessive

The Union has responded to the Company and advisedthem that we are not seeking that Sun Cream be treatedas an item of PPE. We have requested the Company toprovide a bottle of high factor sun cream in each officeand this could be utilised by staff on a voluntary basisand replenished when it is empty.

Flu VaccinationsThe Staff Side recognises that the Company provide staffin some of the larger locations with the flu vaccinations.

However, there are many other areas where staff wouldlike to avail of the flu vaccination but unfortunately it isnot available. The Staff Side is seeking the extension ofthe vaccination to all areas. We have discussed this onand off at the Health and Safety Committee without anyprogress.

The Company stated that the flu vaccinations havebeen scaled down over the last number of years due tolimited interest from the staff. The company has onlyrecently supplied the information for 2012 as follows:

• DMC 300• GPO 300• Others 24 (Company Doctors in Tralee, Cork,

Cavan, Tallaght and Wexford)

The figures for 2013 are similar and we are currentlyreviewing the operation of this with the Company

Review of Materinity-Related IssuesOn a regular basis the Union receives queries frommembers with regard to Maternity Leave and how itshould be handled. In addition it is our view that not allManagers understand their role. As a result the Unionhas sought a review as to how maternity related issuesare dealt with in the Company andlt this issue is underdiscussion at the Diversity Sub Committee of the JCC. Itis the intention that the outcome of any review to issue acomprehensive guide for both employees and managers.This guide should cover areas such as :

• Confidentiality• Risk assessment • Protective or preventative measures • Health and Safety Leave• Night and shift work• Possible hazards• Sick Leave • Doctor check ups• Ante Natal Classes

Discussions are ongoing.

Acting Up ArrangmentsA Sub Committee has been established to examineActing Up Arrangements in the Company with a view toagreeing one circular which would cover all aspects ofActing Up. Our discussions cover the following issues:• The Lead in Qualification period for payment of

Acting Allowance• Rotation of actors to cover the following:

• Calculation of Acting Allowance• Overtime

Update on JCC Issues

10

Postal Update

Pay ClaimAt the last Joint Conciliation Council Meeting theUnion lodged a claim for a pay increase within AnPost. In support of its claim the Union highlighted thefact that Postal staff had not received a pay increasesince the 1st August 2008 and throughout this periodthere has been a significant reduction in the level ofovertime and allowances, which in real terms is areduction in take home pay.

The CWU recognises that An Post faces significantthreats the biggest of which is Comreg as well asReduction in Mail Volumes, Pricing and Funding ofthe USO. However, all of these are outside the controlof the Union. The cost to An Post to maintain theUSO equates to €60 million. The staff in An Postshould not be held accountable for such shortfalls asthey have contributed immeasurably to the Company.Given all of these and the fact that the review of the2016 Agreement did provide for pay rises of 6% theUnion is seeking a 6% pay increase for all memberswith effect from the 1st January 2014

The Company is considering this claim and willformally respond to the Union’s claim at the nextmeeting of the JCC in December.

Consolidation of ChangeAllowance – An PostThe CWU referred to the Labour RelationsCommission its claim for the Consolidation of the

Change Allowance into basic pay. A hearing tookplace on the 23rd September 2013.

The Union outlined that members had co-operatedfully with the implementation of the various changeagreements. In April 2012, the Union soughtconsolidation of the Change Allowance, which inalmost all cases is 12.5% (83.67 of which ispensionable).

Furthermore approximately 40% of An Postemployees are obliged to co-operate with majorchanges predominantly in the Mails Processing andthe Collection and Delivery Areas although they arenot in receipt of the allowance.

The Union further advised that the success of theChange Agreements, coupled with the huge level ofcooperation has resulted in significant savingstogether with improved service levels, mainlyachieved in joint working:

• A reduction of 1284 FTEs• 110 delivery service units have been resigned

(some on a number of occasions.).• Company Automation Programme 2011-2013

fully implemented• Parcels Reengineered• Quality of Service all time high of 94. %• Absenteeism rate has significantly reduced• Industrial peace since 2005

Unfortunately we were unable to resolve the matter atthe LRC and as a consequence issue has been referredto the Labour Court with a hearing expected inJanuary.

Pay in An Post

It is expected that discussions will be finalised early inthe New Year.

IB Policy and ProcedureThe Union has for some time had difficulties with themanner in which the IB has operated where they appearto operate with impunity and believe that are above thelaw. We are in discussions with the company on this issueas we believe at times the IB are involved ininvestigations that should be more appropriate to HR/IRpersonnel.

Equally the Union is concerned at reports of bully boy

tactics by members of the IB e.g. refusing breaks,intimidation etc.

The Union expects to conclude a Code of Practiceshortly which will be included as an appendix to the NewGrievance and Disciplinary Procedures. Once that iscompleted this will issue to all staff.

Under Discussion• Extension of Drug Refund Scheme • Review of Mileage Rates• Review of subsistence

11

Postal Update

Royal MailSold Off!In early October, the British government sold a majority ofshares in Royal Mail, on the London Stock Exchange. Thisbrought to an end the public ownership of an industry datingback to the seventeenth century.

The sale was massively oversubscribed. This will was notsurprising, as the government had guaranteed a two yeardividend of 7% - despite the fact that Royal Mail’s currentprofit margin is around 3%.

In addition, the price of shares was dramatically undervalued. At the time of writing the shares are trading at 70%over the flotation price.

Taken together, the guaranteed dividend and the undervalued price meant that the government were, in the wordsof Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, “selling£10 notes for £5”.

The CWU has no doubt about the impact of privatisation.It will lead to higher prices, particularly for domesticcustomers and small businesses. It will lead to the newowners lobbying for a reduction in the universal serviceobligation - currently with 6 day deliveries at a uniformtariff. Postal workers are likely to face efforts to cut andworsen existing terms and conditions, as the new owners arebound to want to push up profits.

All of which explains why the CWU has campaigned sohard against this measure, over a period of 30 years. Therehave been four previous attempts to sell the company in thelast 20 years. On two occasions, the CWU put together acoalition strong enough to defeat 2 Parliamentary Bills. Onone other occasion, the union defeated a three-year lobbyingcampaign of government by Royal Mail management. Therewere also secret negotiations in 2001 to sell the company tothe privatised Dutch post office, which simply fell through.

Over these years, the CWU has utilised many differenttactics. We organised meetings and lobbies inside all thethree major parties. We did the same for the nationalistparties in Scotland and Wales, and we worked closely withall the parties from both communities in Northern Ireland.

We organised countless local and national events -meetings, pickets, petitions, demonstrations, street stalls,lobbies of MPs surgeries, and so on. The public remainedon our side. The last opinion poll before privatisationshowed that 70% of the public opposed privatisation. But, aswas evident by the terms of the sale, it was never aboutserving public views or interests. Rather it was a benefitsboost to the Coalition’s government’s rich friends in the UK,and abroad.

The CWU is now facing a number of serious questions.The most pressing has to be how to guarantee the existingagreements that the union has with the employers.

The union balloted its members for strike action inpursuit of a claim to improve wages, and to guarantee

existing agreements. This was carried with a 78% vote forstrike action on a 63% turnout. At the time of writing,negotiations are continuing with it being unclear whether adeal can be reached or whether there will be strike action.

In a parallel dispute, CWU members working in the localPost Office counters branches, (POL), are about to conducttheir 13th day of strike action. This is in a campaign tosecure a wage rise, and oppose the downgrading of CrownOffice branches, which currently directly employ labour.

POL is to remain publicly owned, and has beencompletely separated from Royal Mail. It is subject to alarge government subsidy, and is losing money. Royal Mailis becoming very profitable with £403 million profit in themost recent financial year. As so often in neo-liberal policy,we see the losses being placed upon the state, while theprofits are privatised.

Securing a settlement for Royal Mail workers, and anagreement from POL workers, is the immediate priority ofthe union.

But we also need to develop policies to protect theuniversal services currently being provided by Royal Mail.We know that the Coalition government is not interested inthe service. So we are concentrating on securingcommitments from the Labour leadership for the anticipatedLabour government in 2015.

These include a commitment to place in legislation anextended protection for the universal service; an extendedcontract between Royal Mail and POL; and a commitmentto regulate prices to protect customers.

The union won a unanimous vote at the Labour Partyconference to support the re-nationalisation of Royal Mail.The Labour leadership said it cannot give a commitment onthis, as it is refusing to make un-costed spendingcommitments whilst in opposition.

We do not accept this rationale here, and the union willkeep pressing for an incoming Labour government torenationalise. We regard this as the most cost-effective wayfor the government to guarantee a service to the public, andvalue for the taxpayer.

The CWU has been supported from many quarters. Thecommitment of our comrades in CWU Ireland is one thatwe have particularly valued. Our two unions have a sharedhistory in many respects. Problems facing postal workersconcern us, wherever they work, and especially for ournearest allies. We enjoy a common bond of friendship andstruggle. Go raibh maith agaibh.

12

Health & Safety Update

Driving inAdverse Weather ConditionsDuring periods of adverse weather the

hazards that are associated with driving forwork increase greatly. This is particularly true

in winter especially during the darker and shorterdays. Bad weather such as hail, rain for and snowcan reduce visibility and high winds, slush and icecan make vehicle control more difficult. Inaddition winter sun tends to be low and can causeglare.

The Union on a regular basis issues advice tomembers on how they should approach adverseweather conditions. The Road Safety Authority isan invaluable source of information with regard todriving in the winter. It is important that you donot get caught out if bad weather strikes. By takinga number of precautions now you can ensuresafety on Irish Roads during the winter.

RSA TOP 10 TIPS FOR WINTER DRIVING

R Check your tyres…they are your onlycontact with the road. Tyres should be atleast the minimum legal thread depth of1.6mm but need to be changed before theyget this worn. Tyres need to be to the correcttyre pressure to give the motorist the bestchance in extreme conditions.

R Use your lights. As we come into the wintermonths, motorists are advised to use dippedhead lights during the day so you are easilyseen. Headlights and taillights should be inworking order.

R Understand your brakes. Check your carmanual and find out if your vehicle hassafety assist technology such as ElectronicStability Control (ESC) or Anti LockBraking System (ABS). Learn how thesetechnologies can assist your driving in harshweather conditions.

R Safe Distance. It takes longer to stop a carduring the winter weather so slow down andallow extra distance between you and the carin front.

R Make sure you can clearly see. All toooften motorists do not de-fog or de-icewindows and mirrors which cancompromise visibility. This winter ensurewindows and mirrors are clear, and carry ade-icer and screen scraper. Do not useboiling water as this can crack thewindscreen.

R Beware of “Black Ice”. Black Ice is one ofwinter’s biggest hazards as it is difficult tosee. Watch out for sheltered/ shaded areas onroads, under trees and near high walls.

R Be prepared. During these winter months itis advised that motorists carry a number ofessentials in the boot of their car.• High visibility vest• Spare fuel• Appropriate footwear in case you need

to leave your vehicle e.g. boots• A hazard warning triangle• Spare wheel• Tow Rope• A shovel• De-icing equipment (for glass and door

locks)• Spare bulbs• First aid kit• A fire extinguisher• A working torch• A car blanket, additional clothing &

some food and water

R In the event of a breakdown. Drivers needto ensure their vehicle is well in off the roadso as not to obstruct other vehicles. Thedriver should also put on their hazardwarning lights. If the vehicle breaks downon the motorway pull in as far as you can,alerting traffic behind you with hazardlights. The driver should leave their vehicle,get behind the barrier (on theembankment) and call the Gardaí,on their mobile phone or roadside

13

Health & Safety Update

telephone.

R Keep up to date.Listen to local weather and

traffic reports. Pay heed to theweather warnings alerting drivers of

unsafe and dangerous driving conditions.

R Check out the RSA’s publication ‘SevereWeather Advice for Road Users’ for moredetailed advice on what to do if severeweather strikes!

RSA TOP 10 SAFETY TIPS TO AVOID ASLIP OR FALL IN ICE AND SNOW

While walking on footpaths and in public places,or entering and exiting your car or truck, DONOT underestimate the dangers of snow and ice.Each winter slips and fall accidents cause seriousinjuries. Even when surfaces do not lookespecially icy or slippery, it is very possible thata thin sheet of transparent ice or “Black Ice” iscovering your pathway putting you at risk. Whenyou approach a footpath or roadway that appearsto be covered with ice or snow, always useextreme caution.

Many slips and falls happen in places peopleregard as safe and secure, typically outside theirfront door, on the door step, on the path or whilegetting out of the car.

If you are out walking in snow or icyconditions wear appropriate footwear, don’twalk with your hands in your pockets, walk withyour hands out and wear gloves so you can breakyour fall if you do slip. It’s better to have abroken wrist than a cracked skull!

The RSA has the following “Top 10 SafetyTips for Pedestrians” to help avoid the possibilityof a broken bone that could easily lead to anoperation and a long recovery:

R If a journey cannot be avoided walk on afootpath, not in the street. If there are nofootpaths walk on the right hand side ofthe road (towards oncoming traffic). Beextremely careful as frost, ice and snowwill make walking on footpaths verydangerous.

R Remember that footpathsmay not be treated so walk with extremecare, make sure you are wearingappropriate footwear and in extremeconditions consider an appropriatewalking stick or walking pole

R Avoid walking in the streets at all costs ifpossible. Remember, cars and trucks slipand slide, too! If it’s an emergency, andyou can’t avoid the street, wear bright orreflective clothing.

R Visibility is reduced in snowy condition sowear high visibility clothing or carry atorch

R Wear clothing that does not restrict yourvision. Stay warm, but DO NOT impairyour vision with hoodies, ski masks,scarves, hats, etc. This type of clothingcould prevent you from spotting icyconditions that may lead to a fall or notenable you to see a car that is spinning outof control.

R Snow and ice cause havoc quickly, so useextra caution when crossing roadways, andalways cross at pedestrian crossings.

R Ice can easily hide under a light dusting ofsnow. Just because you don’t see the icedoesn’t mean it’s not there waiting foryour unsuspecting footfalls.

R If you can’t avoid the ice and snow, bendyour knees slightly and take slower,shorter steps to help reduce the chance ofa slip and fall and an injury.

R If forced to use the steps at someone’shome, apartment, or other public building,walk slow and take shorter steps whendescending. The same is true of drivewaysand other hilly terrain; these areas can bevery dangerous when they becomeslippery with ice or snow. Steps especiallycan be hard to clear and build up ice easily.

R Be aware of overhead hazards!Fallingicicles and chunks of snow pose a seriousrisk. In extreme cold weather icicles canbuild up in size very quickly and are lethal.Their size and dagger-like formation areextremely dangerous for pedestrians. Beaware of what’s happening above you, andstay clear from the edges of buildings.

14

Members’Meetings Held

Meetings have been held in Dublin and Limerick for O2staff to discuss workers’ concerns surrounding theupcoming sale of Teléfonica’s Irish O2 operation to 3.

These meetings were open to members and non-members. Both meetings were well attended and a broadrange of topics were discussed. Among the issues raisedwere general redundancy queries, questions around termsand conditions after the sale and team-specific issuesrelating to duties and processes. The discussions werevery open, with contributions from across various areasof the business.

Members have expressed deep concerns about theimpact of the sale on their working lives and agreed thatit is vitally important for O2 staff to organise themselvesand invite their colleagues to join the union.

In a very positive step, some members have volunteeredto act as points of contact in the coming months and thosewho did will be hearing from us shortly.

So what can you do to encourage your colleagues tojoin with you?

Helping your union in the workplace doesn’t have tobe a huge commitment. You could help in several smallways that ensure that there is vital communicationbetween the union and its members. You could do this by:

* Distributing union circulars and membership forms* Encouraging non-members to join* Telling members about union events and campaigns* Making sure members’ views are heard

One area of the business of concern is the network ofmobile retail stores. Due to the fact that O2 and 3 bothhave retail stores, often in the same shopping centre orstreet, it raises the question of how these duplications willbe dealt with when the sale goes through. The Union willbe engaging with staff in the retail stores to ensure thatworkers in these vulnerable areas are giving theopportunity to prepare for the potential impact on eachstore and individual.

We will continue to engage with the company onbehalf of members in O2 and will keep you updated onany developments. If you would like to take a more activerole in your union please feel free to contact Marie Dantein Limerick or Fionnuala Ní Bhrógáin in Head Office.And remember - Strong membership numbers meanmore influence and strength at the negotiating table andfor this reason it is vitally important that as many of yourcolleagues as possible are members of the union.

One Direct Activists enjoyWorkplace Leader Training

Activists from One Direct recently took part inWorkplace Leader Training in Athlone.

Some members of the Committee had alreadycompleted the course and with this session completed, theentire Committee has now received the training. The daybegan with a discussion on what being a unionrepresentative means. Activists were encouraged toexplore what the role entails and look beyond the basicfunctions of a shop steward to consider their role asorganisers in their workplace. The session then moved onto practical guidance on dealing with members’ issues,how to deal with management and negotiating skills,including a step by step guide to handling cases. Finallythe members were brought through the process of talkingto their colleagues about joining the union and thecommon objections that are often given.

The day was designed to allow the maximum amountof participation and debate to encourage members to thinkabout their workplace and what changes might be made toimprove the working lives of their colleagues andthemselves. The day was very positive and enjoyable andwe look forward to working with our colleagues in thefuture.

Would you like to find out more about WorkplaceLeader Training? If you would like to become moreactive in your union and learn about the benefits of takingpart in Workplace Leader Training contact Fionnuala atfnib@cwu.ie.

One Direct Pay DiscussionsReferred to LRC

The CWU Branch Committee in One Direct submitted apay claim on behalf of their colleagues late last year witha view to, among other things, securing an increase in thebasic pay of our members in line with increases in thecost of living.

In conjunction with the claim, which was initiallyrejected without any meaningful discussions, the staffsubmitted a petition signed by the vast majority of staffasking the management team to recognise the merit oftheir claim. Subsequent meetings failed to make anyprogress on the claim with the company steadfastlyrefusing to make any concessions at all.

Realising that further discussion at a local level werefutile the Committee decided to refer the matter to theLabour Relations Commission (LRC) for conciliation. Atthe time of writing no date had been set for a meeting.

1515

Parcel deliveries in London could be severely hit in therun-up to Christmas, after staff at UPS Parcels votedoverwhelmingly to strike in a dispute overunreasonable workloads and alleged bullying.

Approximately 120 drivers and loaders,who work at the Camden depot – the biggestUPS depot in Europe – have voted by amassive 91 per cent to take strike action.

The drivers and loaders are protesting aboutexcessive workloads, forced overtime andbullying. The dispute has now escalated following thesuspension of a Union Shop Steward after the notice ofballot was issued to the employer.

An initial 24 hour strike took place on Friday 22ndNovember with further stoppages expected.

Union reps in depots across London -Barking,Croydon, Dartford and Feltham -have asked for theirunion to ballot members on the same issues.

The Union representing the workers stated “Ourmembers have sent a message, loud and clear, to the

company that we will take strike action, if our members’legitimate grievances are not addressed.

“The company’s action in suspending our rep is aclear case of victimisation. This is the true face

of UPS parcels – forget the smiley faces in theadverts.

“Profits come first. If that is achieved bybullying and stopping our members having a

decent work-life balance with their families,then that is clearly a price that UPS thinks is

worth paying. We will not stand by and allow ourmembers to be treated in this appalling way.

“During the ballot period, UPS used every trick in thebook to try and get members to vote ‘no’ to a strike. Thisincluded threats of dismissal, but threats combined withbribes, such as breakfasts on selected mornings when theemployer wanted to put its propaganda across, didn’twork – they still voted overwhelmingly for strike action.

Last ditch discussions are expected in an attempt toavert further strike action in the run up to Christmas.

Industrial Action likely at UPS Depots in London

UPS and the Communications Workers’ Union arecommitted to working together on all Health andSafety issues with a view that in so far as is possibleemployees of UPS can work in an environment that issafe, healthy and free from accidents.The Union continues to work with UPS to improve theawareness of Health & Safety in the workplace. Inthat regard UPS Management has made the Unionaware of breaches of Health and Safety regulationswith regard to the use of mobile phones in Companyvehicles and the non wearing of seat belts.The Company has advised the Union that thesepractices are completely unacceptable and that theCompany would regard the above to be a consciousdecision by an individual to deliberately circumventthe Company health and safety policy in addition tobreaking the law of the land. Apart obviously fromthe most serious matter of placing the driver and othersat risk, the failure to wear a seatbelt and comply withthe law potentially voids the company insurance on

the vehicle. The Union for its part believes that thesafety of our members is of paramount importance andwe place this above the inconvenience of wearing aseatbelt.In addition it is an offence to hold a mobile phone inyour hand or support it with another part of your bodye.g. between your head and shoulders, when you aredriving. This will result in a fine and the imposition ofpenalty points.Members who drive company vehicles shouldunderstand that there are no exemptions to UPSdrivers from the requirement to wear seatbelts nor canindividuals use a mobile phone while driving. TheUnion is supportive of the Company in its efforts toraise awareness on these issues. The Union is alsoanxious to have individuals avoid having themselvesembroiled in the company disciplinary proceduresbecause of any deliberate decision to circumvent theseatbelt wearing policy or to use a mobile phone whiledriving and in that regard we are issuing this advice.

Use of Seatbelts and Mobile Phones inCompany Vehicles

16

ESCCU StaffSecurePay Rise

The staff at the E-service and Communications CreditUnion (ESCCU) who organised themselves into a unionin recent years in order to get recognition for the CWU astheir union to represent them in the workplace have goneone step further and secured a pay rise for themselves.

After several months of discussion the board ofmanagement accepted that there was merit in the payclaim lodged by the CWU on behalf of the members. Theagreed terms of the deal are as follows:

• 2.5% increase in basic pay• 1 additional day of annual leave• €250 One for All voucher at Christmas

The wage increase will be applied from 1st October2013 to run for a 12 month period until September 2014.Whilst the Union reserves the right to seek to enterdiscussions with the ESCCU in relation to pay beforeSeptember 2014, it is understood that no furtherconcessions in relation to pay will be made in the 12month period from October 1st 2013.

For their part the staff have agreed to co-operate withany potential future mergers or strategic plans as well asfacilitate the introduction of staff appraisals. The CWUanticipates that there will be discussions on productivityand cost control measures in the future.

The pay rise that has been agreed is proof once againthat there is power in a union. When staff come togetherto represent their interests in the workplace they givethemselves the best chance to improve their workinglives. ESCCU shop steward, Emma Lusk, who led thediscussions on behalf of the staff described the outcomea great result for all concerned and thanked her colleaguesfor their support through out the discussions.

1HSQ visit agreat successThe organisers visited 1HSQ OnThursday 28th November to set up a stalland distribute a communications survey.

Leading up to this visit, as part of anoverall strategy to improvecommunications, in the last few monthswe have been engaging with our membersin eircom’s 1HSQ building to examine ways to betterhelp staff communicate with each other and with theirUnion. Members’ feedback was extremely constructiveand it was agreed that a communications survey shouldbe conducted in the building.

It was decided that it was important for the organisersto visit the building and set up a stall to give staff theopportunity to talk, in person, about their ideas forimproving communications. Both members and non-members were invited to visit the stall, have a cupcakeand a chat and to take the survey. Anyone completing thesurvey was automatically included in a draw to win aSamsung Galaxy 8” tablet.

The survey (and the cupcakes!) were a big hit and thestall was crowded all day with members catching up,people filling out surveys and non-members enquiringabout joining the union. Lots of other goodies were alsogiven away including mints, stress balls and pens. Thelocal 1HSQ activists were on hand all day to offer insightand lend a helping hand. There was a real buzz about the

stall with friends catching up telling stories, questionsbeing asked and membership forms being filled out!

The organisers would like to sincerely thank the localactivists and their branches for being so welcoming andhelpful throughout the day. Without them the visit couldnot have been such a great success. The plan is that thesevisits will be repeated to increase the Union’s visibility onsite and to look at ways to continually improve ourpresence in the building.

The information assembled from the survey will becompiled into a report on the communicationsinfrastructure of the union in general and in 1HSQ inparticular. Look out for the results of this survey in futureissues of Connect. The closing date for returning surveysis the 12th of December and the winner of the SamsungGalaxy tablet will be announced then. Good luck toeveryone who entered!

If you would like more information about this survey,or the visit to 1HSQ, please contact Fionnuala onfnib@cwu.ie.

17

Two lucky CWU members win prizes!

CWU members recently had the opportunity to enter twofantastic competitions. The first competition was for a€500 voucher to be used at any “Fair Hotel” which waskindly provided by one of our insurance partners, FMDownes. This wonderful Prize was won by PJ

Consindine from Clarinbridge in Galway. PJ is amember of the union for over 30 years. He joined theunion back in 1980 when he commenced working as atrainee installer at the then Department of Posts andTelegraphs. A committed Union member, PJ previouslywas a local CWU section secretary. PJ is currentlyworking as a centre manager in Galway. Congratulationsagain, PJ, and we send a special thanks to Frank Downes& co. for providing the prize.

Yvonne Duffy wins €300 to spend onCWU Groupschemes members website

Your CWU GroupScheme website is provided for you asa member benefit. The CWU has teamed up withGroupschemes to provide hundreds of discounts to CWUmembers and their families, which means you haveaccess to a wide range of savings on day-to-day items aswell as great savings on products and services.Additionally, there are occasional competitions that areexclusive to CWU members. Most recently a €300voucher was up for grabs, just in time for Christmas. Allmembers that have signed up atwww.cwu.groupscheme.com were included in the draw.This splendid prize was won by Yvonne Duffy.Congratulations to Yvonne, the winner of a €300voucher to spend on your members added benefitswebsite www.cwu.groupscheme.com. Any member ofthe CWU can sign up to the dedicated members’ website,visit www.cwu.ie for details.

Organising Campaign commences inRigney Dolphin, WaterfordUnion organisers have initiated a campaign in the RigneyDolphin contact centre in Waterford. Workers at Rigneyraised concerns with CWU organisers regarding termsand conditions of their employment. Workers wereparticulary concerned that they had been informed bymanagement that they would not be allowed to avail ofunion representation at grievance and disciplinarymeetings.

Initially, workers were nervous about meetingorganisers but attendances grew at each meeting and nowover 30 workers have sought information about joiningthe union. Furthermore, reps from the CWU haverepresented a number of workers at disciplinary meetingsat the company. The message is clear although there arestatutory provisions relating to employees’ rights in theworkplace, it is up to workers themselves to assert theirrights and ensure the compliance of their employer. Theonly way for workers to do this is by organisingthemselves collectively into a union. The workers atRigney Dolphin have just taken their first steps on thisjourney. The support, assistance and dedication oforganisers matched with the courage and commitment ofRigney workers will ensure a successful campaign.

Rigney Workers attend workplaceleader trainingA key element of our organising strategy is to identifyworkplace leaders. Once potential workplace leaders arediscovered organisers, in conjunction with the educationcommittee, deliver training. The Workplace Leaderprogramme is divided into a number of modules whichcan be interchanged in order to suit the specific needs ofeach training group, thus recognising that differentgroups of workers have different needs and developingappropriate training. In November, a number of workersfrom the Rigney Dolphin Waterford centre attendedtraining.

At this session, the Organisers covered a number oftopics including the role of the union in the workplace,the Anger-Hope-Action framework and objectionhandling. These are some of the issues that are targeted atworkplaces where there is currently no relationshipagreement between the union and the company. Thefeedback received from participants enables Organisersto improve concepts and at the same time ensure that ourUnion offers activists high quality training, encouragingthe development of an organising union which supportsyour representatives.

Over 30 Waterford workers seek to join CWU!

18

55 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Phone: 01-6792344 Fax: 01-6790802 Email: info@esccu.ie Web: www.esccu.ie

e-services & communications credit union ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Early Retirement & Voluntary Severance Schemes

Members who are leaving employment are advised to contact the credit union to discuss the most suitable option for both themselves and the credit union for repaying their loan. Members may clear their loan fully or may partially clear their loan and set up a direct debit to pay the balance.

We wish to advise you that members availing of voluntary severance or early retirement schemes are entitled to remain members of the credit union and may continue to avail of our services. We value your loyal and long service membership to the credit union.

If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Avril or Pauline at the credit union office on 01-6792344 to discuss the most suitable option for you.

19

Commenting at the meeting UNI Global Union GeneralSecretary, Philip Jennings, said: “The case for unions hasnever been more clear. A growing body of economicopinion is linking the decline in union density to thedramatic increase in income inequality across the globe,posing the biggest threat to social stability and asustainable economy. This is driving down economicdemand and sapping the chance of an economic upturn.Without representation through the trade unionmovement, an increasing number of workers have andwill be left out of any improvements to economicconditions. It has become a world of wealth andadvantage for the 1%.”

Mr. Jennings said: “Corporations around the worldcontinue to frustrate and deny workers the right toorganise and negotiate on pay and working conditions. Infact, the financial and economic destruction of the lastfive years, and the orthodox austerity policies prescribedto fix it, are seen as an opportunity to roll back on manyof the hard fought improvements to pay and conditionssecured by workers and their unions down through thedecades.”

CWU General Secretary, Steve Fitzpatrick said, “The

CWU is hugely proud to host this meeting of UNI’s globalexecutive. This group represents over 20 million workersthroughout the world and we are delighted to have theopportunity to welcome the delegates to Ireland and wishthem every success in their deliberations. Their agendareflects the fact that the challenges the union movementfaces in Ireland are echoed throughout the world and isa stark reminder of the need for solidarity in these toughtimes.”

UNI Global Union has developed a “BreakingThrough” strategy among its affiliates to grow unions andconvince employers to respect the right to organise. Thisstrategy employs capital strategies, “soft-law” tools suchas the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises,customers and the supply chain, linking businessexpansion to responsible conduct and social media toconvince multinationals to respect workers’ rights toorganise. UNI Global Union’s capital strategies includeengaging with Socially Responsible Investors whoincorporate responsibility criteria into their portfoliomanagement and with an estimated $32 trillion in assetsnow managed by signatories to the UN Principles ofResponsible Investment.

UNI Global Union campaigns on rights to organiseand union recognition at its Executive Boardmeeting in Dublin

160 delegates representing 20 million workers attended UNI’s World Executive Boardmeeting at the CWU Conference Centre from 11 - 13 November, 2013. International tradeunion, UNI Global Union, is strengthening its campaign to ensure workers have the rightto organise and be represented by a union of their choice with employers.

JobBridgeProtest

On the 5th October, the Youth Committee participatedin a protest at the extension of the JobBridge schemefrom 9 to 18 months. This protest took place outside theFÁS offices in D’Olier Street and was supported byother groups including ICTU Youth, Scambridge,Unfinished Business 1913 (now We’re Not Leaving),the Young Workers Network and Unite Youth.

20

Youth Committee Update

The CWU Youth Committee have been extremely active over the last few months and haveorganised, and taken part in, several high profile events. Just some of these events arereported below:

Pre-Budget DemonstrationOn 12th October, the Youth Committee formed a sizeablepart of the ‘Youth Bloc’ at the DCTU pre-budgetdemonstration from Parnell Square to Kildare Street.

Post-Budget DemonstrationFollowing the budget announcement that social welfarepayments were to be cut for people under 26, a protestwas organised for the 16th October outside LeinsterHouse. A letter campaign and online petition were alsoorganised as part of this campaign.

ICTU Youth Conference 2013

Photos l to r: ICTU President, John Douglas, opens ICTU Youth Conference.Dave Gibney and Derek Keenan at the Conference; Youth members have their say.

2121

Youth Committee Update

ON THE DÁIL QUEUE

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?

On 23rd October the Committee jointly organised and participated in a publicity stunt at theDáil where young workers were pictured queuing at doors to represent the numbers of youngpeople both on the dole and emigrating.

Another publicity stunt was held on 1st November following comments that young people sitaround on couches watching flat-screen TVs

PUBLICITY

STUNTS

PUBLICITY

STUNTS

22

Youth Committee Update

EMIGRATION LETTERS

Letters from the Department of Social Protection advertising jobs abroad were torn up in a stunt outsidethe Dáil on the 8th November. This attracted great media attention and members of the CWU YouthCommittee were interviewed by RTE News, The Financial Times, Newstalk, FM104, 98fm, Spin103and many more. Chair Derek Keenan was a guest that evening on the Last Word with Matt Cooper andwas interviewed by various regional stations including Castlebar Radio.

PUBLICITY

STUNTS

PUBLICITY

STUNTS

On Saturday and Sunday 16th and 17th November, theCWU Youth Committee were involved in organising anICTU Youth Conference, held in CWU Head Officeattended by approximately 60 young people includingtrade unionists, students and unemployed.

The conference was opened by Derek Keenan, who alsointroduced ICTU president John Douglas, and coveredtopics such as Co-ops, discussions on austerity measuresand building the youth movement.

ICTU Youth Conference

23

Youth Committee Update

International eventsYouth Committee member Barry Gorman attended theETUC European Youth Forum in Paris (11th – 13thNovember) in his capacity as delegate from the ICTUYouth Committee. He has previously attended a YouthConference in Berlin organised by the DGB union inGermany.

Young People’sAssemblyOn Saturday 9th November, members of the CWU YouthCommittee attended the Young People’s Assembly inLiberty Hall - day-long open meeting for young people tocreate a young peoples’ charter. The event was organisedby the “We’re not Leaving” campaign, a group supportedby youth committees of several trade unions includingCWU Youth, the Union of Students in Ireland andorganisations such as SpunOut. Around 200 youngpeople turned up to the event and the #werenotleavinghashtag was trending in Ireland for nearly 3 days as aresult.

A draft Charter has since been published and can befound on the CWU website under Activists/YouthCommittee.

Regional assemblies were also held and Vice-ChairBarry Gorman was a speaker at the Galway event.

The day started at 11am and finished at 6:30pm. Theaim of the day was to discuss the many differenteconomic policies affecting young people in Ireland thatultimately lead to people having to emigrate. Some of theissues discussed looked at the impact of fee increases andgrant cuts as well as the problems of housing, mentalhealth and unemployment benefit.

Laura McKenna of the Young Workers’ Network,along with Shane Fitzgerald and Moira Murphy fromWe’re not Leaving gave opening speeches to the crowdwhere they called upon young people to becomeorganised in order to fight back.

Shane Fitzgerald said in his opening speech “Forcedemigration is not a lifestyle choice, it’s a Governmentpolicy”. This became more apparent when we broke intoworkshops and people discussed their own stories,including receiving letters from the Department of SocialProtection advising them of job opportunities abroad inplaces like Canada and England.

After the opening speeches we broke into smallergroups where we were tasked with making a list ofdemands that we would put to the state, employers,representative groups and societies. The demands wecame up with were brought back to the main hall andvoted on along with the other groups’ demands. This

information then led to the creation of a charter that wasvoted upon by all the people in attendance.

One of the most impressive parts of the day was howcommitted everybody was to organising the variousdifferent groups that represent young people includingtrade unions, student unions , mental health groups,women’s groups and youth workers to name a few. Therewas strong solidarity shown amongst all the groups tocome together to support each other’s various campaignsand try to make a difference for young people acrossIreland.

By the end of the day we left with a draft Charter anda new found sense of optimism. The group is growing,gaining momentum and getting a lot of high profilemedia attention including articles in national newspapersand even having members of the group on a panel fordebate on national television. The hope is that byorganising and standing in solidarity with each other thatyoung people will become a group that Government lookto for support, rather than being an easy target for cuts.

The draft Charter that the Young People’s Assemblycollectively agreed on and produced on the day was

• PRECARIOUS WORK & CORPORATEINTERNSHIP CULTURE

We demand:1. That companies be barred from displacing current

paid workers with internship positions.

24

Youth Committee Update

2. That a day’s work should equal a day’s pay – aliving wage.

3. An end to the institutional normalisation ofinternship culture and the commencement ofindependent monitoring of internship schemes.

4. Stability and security in the workplace in terms ofhours, income and location.

5. That the concept of “experience” should not replacepaid work.

• MENTAL HEALTH

We demand:1. Universal access to free, local and high-quality

public mental health services.2. A collective and social approach to the de-

stigmatisation of mental health issues and thatpositive mental health be promoted in thecommunity, workplace and education system.

3. Recognition of the impact of precarious work,internship culture, unemployment and poverty onthe mental heath of young people in Ireland.

• YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT & FORCEDEMIGRATION

We demand:1. That young people who have been forced to

emigrate must have the right to vote in elections inIreland.

2. An end to the recruitment embargo within the publicsector.

3. The recognition of our status as adults in society.4. That our trade unions be recognised and be allowed

to collectively bargain on our behalf.5. Real job creation from the government instead of

token measures.

• HOUSING

We demand:1. That quality, accessible housing be recognised as a

universal social right – free from discriminationbased on gender, sexual orientation, age and/orethnicity – and that this right is guaranteed by thestate.

2. Strong regulation of landlords and developers inorder to control housing costs and ensure access toadequate housing.

3. That the state utilise the existing social-housingstock, as well as properties belonging to NAMA andthe bailed out banks, in the interest of the public.

• FEE HIKES & GRANT CUTS

We demand:1. A third-level education system that is truly free at

the first point of entry, that is funded by a system ofprogressive taxation.

2. A grant system be put in place for all stages offurther and higher education, which enables accessto education for everyone in society and reflects thecost of living.

3. The recognition of the broader non-economicbenefits of education, as well as the recognition ofthe economic and social role that the students oftoday will play in the society of tomorrow.

4. Solidarity between all student representative bodiesand the encouragement of political learning andengagement at all levels of education.

This opening draft will be further developed in thecoming weeks and months, but we hope this inclusivecharter by and for young people will help us to finallycome together in solidarity to organise and fight for analternative Ireland for young people – for a profoundlydifferent vision of social justice for this society

If you are interested in supporting the campaign, youcan contact the CWU Youth Committee via the YouthCommittee facebook or twitter page.

James MooreC.W.U Youth Committee

25

Youth Committee Update

On November the 9th the Youth Committees of the CWUand the TEEU held a protest outside the gates of the Dáilin order to draw attention to the fact that the Departmentof Social Protection had sent correspondence tounemployed workers relating to job opportunities abroad.Innocuous enough some might say, but when oneconsiders the letters within the context of the recentbudgetary decisions taken by the government a far moreinsidious picture begins to emerge. In the weeks leading up to the budget it was clear thatyoung people were going to be in the firing line. The kite-flying had begun early and the ideological groundworkprepared, as the government sought to justify an attackon those who had no hand, act or part in creating thecurrent economic mess. But someone needed to be blamed for the stubbornly highrate of youth unemployment and political expedience onthe part of the government dictated that blame was to beplaced solely at the door of the unemployed themselves.Unemployment was de-politicised, presented as anindividual problem and not a structural problemOur young were vilified, crudely depicted as layaboutswho couldn’t be dragged away from their flat screen TVsfor long enough to notice the line of employers who werebeating at their doors offering them jobs.‘Incentivisation’ became the new buzzword in debatesabout youth unemployment and formed part of the

justifying spin employed to explain why it was necessaryto cut the rate of Jobseekers’ Allowance applicable tothose under 26. This, the Government argued, wouldencourage young people to get “off the couch” and getback into work, education or training. The message from the Government was clear, if you wereunemployed and not engaged in any of the above it wasbecause you were staying on the Dole as a lifestylechoice. What made this assertion particularly galling wasthe fact that few in government actually believed that thiswas true. They knew well that it was patently untrue.They knew well that, before the economic crisis, Irelandenjoyed one of the highest youth employment ratesacross the Eurozone. They knew well that there were now32 unemployed people for every 1 job vacancy and theywere acutely aware that there was nowhere near enoughrelevant training or education places for the unemployedto avail of. Furthermore, by acting as an unofficialrecruitment agent for international employers, theGovernment implicitly recognised that, despite therhetoric, they had nothing to offer young people and yetthey still cut their dole. The government showed that they may have been bereftof ideas but certainly not of scapegoats. Unfortunately,politics in Ireland has always been a cynical game and awhole generation of young people are now learning thatthe hard way.

Emigration is Not a Jobs Policy!by Derek Keenan,

Chair CWU Youth Committee and member of the Dublin Postal Drivers Branch

Derek Keenan andJames Moore, CWUYouth Committee, outside Dáil Éireann.

26

Youth Committee Update

On November 11-13, the European Trade UnionConfederation (ETUC) Youth Committee, along

with the European Youth Forum, held a youth summit forquality jobs in the OECD in Paris. I was invited to attendas a representative of the Irish Congress of Trade UnionsYouth Committee, along with the ICTU Youth vice-chairperson, Teresa Walsh. The aim of this event was togather together young trade unionists and young activistsfrom all EU member countries to discuss the issuesfacing young people across Europe and in particular thecreation of quality jobs.

In what was a rather hectic first day, we wentimmediately from the plane to the OECD just in time toattend the first group discussion. There were two tochoose from, so Teresa and I chose one each. I joined theroom hosting a seminar and Q&A session on monitoringnational plans on youth unemployment. It was anextremely provocative discussion, and there was somelively debate between the hosts and the young activists

in the room. One of the more intriguing things said in theroom came from the woman from Eurofound, an agencybased in Dublin which provides information on Europeansocial and work related policies. She stated that Ireland’syouth unemployment had decreased, although when I

asked her whether this was due to job creation or theforced emigration of Irish youth, she was unable toanswer. Another interesting fact came from a Frenchtrade union colleague, who said that the countries whichhave been most viciously attacked by austerity - Ireland,Spain and Greece - are also the countries with the highestrates of youth unemployment, youth emigration and cutsto youth services. When they were asked if there was acorrelation between these facts, none of the peoplehosting the seminar could answer. We ended the day bygoing to a reception in the French Ministry ofEmployment, where we met the French Minister ofLabour, Employment and Social Affairs, Michel Sapin,and presented him with a joint report from EYF andETUC on youth unemployment.

Youth Summit for Quality Jobs, Parisby Barry Gorman, CWU Youth Committee

27

Youth Committee Update

Day 2Day 2 started with an extremely interesting paneldiscussion on the issues facing young Europeans. Chairedby Shiv Malik, a Guardian journalist and author of ‘JiltedGeneration’, the panel was made up of young tradeunionists, European politicians, OECD members andbusiness leaders. Once again, there was some heateddiscourse between the young activists present and thepanel, particularly in regard to the role of internships increating youth employment. All panel members agreedthat the focus needs to be taken away from training analready highly trained young workforce, and instead totarget the 14,000,000 young people not in education,

employment or training (NEETS). I argued that this focuson internships by European governments leads to the veryreal danger of job displacement, and that the focus shouldinstead be on the creation of real, quality employment foryoung people. The panel agreed that this is somethingwhich should seriously be considered, with one membersaying “Years ago, if I wanted to be a baker, I wentand got a job as a baker. Now, I have to go to collegeto study how to be a baker. Then, once I’ve learnedhow to bake, I must go get an internship in baking,something I’ve already learned all about.” Thisstatement was met with rapturous applause by the room,as it nicely summed up an issue which faces all youngpeople - that internships are being exploited bycompanies as a way of recruiting a highly trained youngworkforce at little or no cost to the employer.

Following this highly enjoyable panel debate, the 250young activists present went to the heart of Paris for anaction to highlight the need for quality jobs for youngpeople across Europe. As a young activist, this wassomething I was hugely looking forward to, as French

protests are historically known worldwide for theirpassion, size and, most importantly, steadfast solidarity.And this one was no different! As we converged on PlaceChassaigne Goyon, we were met by the sounds of aFrench jazz band and the chants of “Stop talking, actnow!” from the young trade unionists from across Franceand Germany who had come to join us in solidarity. I waslucky enough to be interviewed (again!) by French tradeunion television, and was asked to take part in thecentrepiece of the protest, the laying of a wreath, alongwith a colleague from Portugal, to ‘les chômeursinconnu’, or the unknown unemployed of Europe.

This was truly the highlight of the three days for me,as it was a protest with true solidarity and unity from allits members, as well as the joyous, almost carnivalatmosphere of the action, which makes a great changefrom the sometimes sombre protests we have in Ireland.Even the rain didn’t dampen our spirits, and we chantedand danced along to the band for almost two hours.Activists of all ages in Ireland could take great inspirationfrom this event for their future actions. We finished theday with a working dinner…with a twist! This was on aboat cruise through Paris, and in between talking andlistening to young activists from across Europe duringthe dinner, I was able to see a lot of the sights of Paris,albeit from an extremely wonderful perspective!

Day 3Day 3 saw the conclusion of the summit, and we brieflydiscussed what had happened over the past two days, aswell as what steps need to be taken in the future,especially in regard to the implementation of the YouthGuarantee, something which has yet to be seen in manyof the European countries it was promised to. It wasagreed that pressure needed to be put on our respectiveGovernments regarding the swift and correctimplementation of youth employment and trainingschemes using the funds from the Youth Guarantee, andthat the summit would meet again in the near future tosee how this issue has progressed. Then it was withgenuine sadness that we said goodbye to our Europeancolleagues, and headed to the airport and home.

All in all, the summit was a fantastic event, a spectaclein solidarity among young European activists, somethingI enjoyed immensely, and I can’t wait to see all these newcolleagues again in the near future.

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Most of the time, when you’re asked to speak to a roomof young people, one of your main roles is to leave thegroup riled up, to galvanise their interest in the issueseffecting them, to coerce the future activists from thegroup. Basically, to make sure the people leave the roomexcited about the meeting and any future outcome fromthe meeting. It’s not often as a speaker, that you’re theone leaving the room riled up and excited by the group!This is what happened when I was asked to speak at theinaugural meeting of the Galway branch of the “We’reNot Leaving” movement, on November 7th in Galwaycity centre. For those who haven’t heard about “We’reNot Leaving” (WNL), I’ll give you a brief description.“We’re Not Leaving” are a group of young workers,trade union activists, unemployed and students fromaround Ireland who have come together to voice theirshared dissent over the various issues being imposed onyoung people living in Ireland, by an Irish Governmentmore invested in capitalism and businesses than in itspeople. Problems like forced emigration, youthunemployment, cuts to Social Welfare payments forpeople under 26, precarious work, mental health,housing, student fee hikes, grant cuts and the growth ofinternship culture in Ireland have all been raised in thepublic eye by the group, often through mainstream mediaoutlets like the Irish Times, RTE News, Primetime andToday FM. Started by just a handful of young people 5short months ago, it currently stands at over 200members, with myself proud to be one of those members.

Anyway, back to the meeting! I was asked to join apanel of speakers which included Joe O’Connor, thePresident of Union of Students in Ireland (USI), SarahSimkin from Jigsaw, Karina Timothy from Threshold andJohn Farrell from the Irish National Organisation of theUnemployed (INOU). Obviously some heady company!

As we entered the small room rented for the meeting, thefirst thing that struck me was how full it was. Every seatwas taken, and people were standing against the walls.Obviously, these issues are extremely important toIrelands’ youth, and they are becoming swiftly andincreasingly disgruntled at the way the Government hasignored or caused these problems in its crusade ascheerleaders of austerity.After everyone had settled down, the meeting gotunderway. It was kicked off by Joseph Loughnane, one ofthe organisers of the meeting and a recent graduate fromNUI Galway. He talked briefly about his own situation,how he is unemployed and the only job he could find waswith a precarious work contract, which earned him lessper week than he would get through Social Welfarepayments. Obviously, an unliveable wage and situationfor any person.

Joe O’Connor then spoke about the issues affectingstudents in Ireland, namely the huge rise in universityfees, and the cut in grants payments to students. One ofthe most alarming points he made was how rapidly theuniversity fees had risen, from €150 when introduced in1996 to €800 in 2006 and then sharply rose to €2,500this year. Meanwhile, grants have not only been cut inmonetary value, but in volume as well, meaning thatfewer and fewer young people can go on to third leveleducation and are instead forced into situations likeprecarious work, zero-hour contracts, exploitativeinternship schemes like JobBridge, forced emigration inhope of a job, or forced to join the ever-expanding Irishdole queue. For many of those lucky enough to get tothird level education, this escalation of fees and slashingof grants puts more financial pressure on families alreadystruggling under stringent budgets.

Sarah Simkin then spoke about her organisation,Jigsaw, and the mental health issues affecting youngpeople in general. Jigsaw was created as a response to thechallenge of making sure young people have access tosupport where and when they need it. Jigsaw is a networkof projects across Ireland, working with 10 communitiesto better support young people’s mental health andwellbeing. Sarah talked about how the lack of quality jobprospects for young people in Ireland, coupled with asevere lack of financial and personal independence, andthe loss of friends and family to forced emigration, have

Galway

by Barry Gorman, CWU Youth Committee

Youth Committee Update

29

caused a rise in mental health issues among young Irish,and how the Governments response to this so far has beento severely cut funding to mental health services, and theHSE in general. A prime example of this, Sarah said, wasthe suicide of a young man who was turned away fromRoscommon General Hospital in June, due to a lack ofpsychiatric nurses in the hospital.

Karina Timothy from Threshold then spoke about theproblems facing young people when they are looking foraccommodation. From landlords advertising for“professionals only”, to the law allowing landlords refuseapplicants using rent allowance. Basically, if you’reyoung and unemployed, you’re inflexibly limited toliving at home. Not exactly an enticing prospect for ayoung adult during an age when they assert theirindependence.

John Farrell from the INOU followed by speakingabout his organisation and the issues facing youngunemployed in Ireland. The INOU was formed in 1987 asa way of responding to the unemployment crisis inIreland during the 80s, and what was then the highestunemployment rate ever seen in Ireland. He wryly notedthat, 25 years on, our Government’s program of austerityover job investment has produced an unemployment ratewhich eclipses that of the 80s, with over 409,000 on theLive Register in October. He also pointed out that none ofthis takes into account the 500,000 who have been forcedto emigrate to look for a job and living wage abroad.

Finally, it was my turn to speak, and I really had somehard acts to follow. My topic was the growth of aninternship culture in Ireland, and specifically theGovernment’s JobBridge exploitation scheme. Using theCWU Youth Committee’s recent report on the scheme,JobBridge to Nowhere, as the basis for my speech, Iexplained how none of the figures given by theDepartment of Social Protection to support this schemequite add up under scrutiny. A prime example is theGovernment’s assertion that 61.4% of JobBridgeparticipants have progressed to paid employment. Thetruth is quite different. This figure relates to anyone whohas ever participated in JobBridge and who has at anytime since secured employment of any type or duration.In reality, only 28.6% of interns progressed toemployment with their host organisation, whichsignificantly tallies with the 29% of host organisationswho said they would have been fairly likely to offerpaid employment in the absence of JobBridge. Notquite the progressive employment incentive schemelauded by the Government. If you couple this with thefact that companies who participate in the scheme donatenothing towards the payment of these interns, the realityof JobBridge shines through that this is a free labour poolfor businesses to take advantage of.

After all the talks, it was time for the room to split intogroups, with each ‘expert’ to chair a quick group

discussion around the topics they’d discussed, and tocome up with alternatives to these problems and issues.This was where the meeting really reached its peak. Theexcitement of the young people present was palpable, andthe ideas being generated across the room wererefreshing, welcome and viable alternatives to theimposed austerity measures we live under. A fewexamples from my group were the formation of anindependent monitoring and complaints board forJobBridge, and a harsher level of punishment as a way ofdeterring exploitative companies from taking advantageof the scheme (currently companies found guilty ofexploitation are only removed and barred from using thescheme, and are not punished in any other way). But mypersonal favourite was when another group stood up andsaid they’d changed their stance regarding JobBridge, andnow wanted it abolished. Obviously whatever I’d said haddone the trick!

These discussions, and the sharing of ideas was soengrossing and invigorating, that no-one in the roomwanted it to finish, but unfortunately, and too soon in myopinion, finish it did. As we all filed out of the room,many of us still discussing the issues brought up in themeeting, I thought about a quote I’d used in my speech.A hundred years ago, as part of his famous speech to theworkers of Dublin, James Larkin bellowed “The greatappear great because we are on our knees. Let us rise”.While certainly appropriate for the situation, it struck methat the young people of Ireland are already rising, andinstead I was reminded of what Padraig Pearse said in his1916 essay, Ghosts: “There has been nothing moreterrible in Irish history than the failure of the lastgeneration. Other generations have failed in Ireland, butthey have failed nobly; or, failing ignobly, some manamong them has redeemed them from infamy by thesplendour of his protest.” After this meeting, and with thework being done by We’re Not Leaving, the CWU YouthCommittee and other emerging youth groups in Ireland,I don’t think Pearse has anything to worry about with thisgeneration.

If you are interested in joining the CWU YouthCommittee, or becoming part of the “We’re NotLeaving” youth network, contact me at

BarryF.Gorman@gmail.comor find us on Facebook at

CWU Youth Committee Irelandand on Twitter

@YouthCWUA copy of the CWU Youth Committee report,‘JobBridge To Nowhere’ is available to downloadfrom www.CWU.ie

Youth Committee Update

30

In September 2013, members in Firstsource optedto take industrial action in opposition to thecompany’s decision not to implement a payincrease.

As far back as the beginning of 2012, Firstsourcehad promised to conduct a pay review by July2013. However the time came and went and therewas little progress. The next we heard of thissubject was early September 2013 when the staffwere informed that there would be no pay increase.This didn’t go down well with members, especiallysince it had been 5 years since some of them hadreceived a pay increase. Terry Delany (DeputyGeneral Secretary) and Ray Lawlor (NationalExecutive) held group meetings to get feedbackfirst-hand from the staff to see how they felt. Theywere concerned with the feedback they receivedand it was brought to their attention that workingconditions are deplorable. The staff felt that thehigh-pressure working environment was causingstress and anxiety.

The CWU went back to Firstsource with thisfeedback and held meetings to discuss these issues.No progress was made. Firstsource listed a numberof issues they felt needed to be addressed includinga requirement to increase productivity.

The members were left with two options - to justaccept this or to fight it and not back down.Members were aware that if they didn’t want toback down it would more than likely result inindustrial action. For the vast majority of membersthis was our first time to engage in industrial actionand while we were concerned, we were determinedto support the Union and stand up for our rights. A

ballot was conducted and the members decided togo ahead with industrial action. Two weeks’ noticewas given to the company that a two hour workstoppage would take place. Within 2 weeks,however, both parties had agreed to meet with theLabour Relations Commission to try and work theissue out.

The first meeting didn’t go smoothly and, in linewith the overwhelming mandate from members,notice was issued that a 24hr strike would takeplace. Firstsource were still claiming that theycould not give a pay increase and they felt that theproductivity was not sufficient.

Firstsource and the CWU returned to the LabourRelations Commission where they eventuallyagreed on a proposal amounting to a 2% payincrease, 1% to be backdated from July 2013 and afurther 1%, payable from July 2014. While a 2%increase in pay might not sound dramatic, it wasonly made possible because of members’commitment, conviction and determination. Hadmembers decided not to stand firm, there wouldhave been no increase at all. In relation to theworking conditions, the Commission put forwarda suggestion that working groups be set up in Corkand Dublin to resolve problems with currentworking conditions and to deal with any futureproposed changes in the call centres. This groupwill consist of union nominees and management.A ballot was conducted to get the members feelingabout this and the vote came back in favour to agreeto this proposal. This result is a clear example ofwhat can be achieved when members hold theirground and stand up for their entitlements.

FirstsourceMembers SecurePay Increase

Catriona McCarthy has worked in Firstsource in the 11811 departmentsince 2008 and joined the Union in 2008. She has recently moved toMobile Care, since August this year. She has been increasingly involved inUnion activity and has been a member of the Youth Committee since thebeginning. This is her experience of the ballot.

Youth Committee Update

3131

Youth Committee Update

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Equality Update

Equality Representative Training -September 2013

Equality Mainstreaming Conference,October 22nd, Dublin Castle

Back row, pictured l-r: Diarmuid O’Connell Dublin Postal Delivery Branch, Larry Ojelade Dublin C&A,Tommy Kelly Tullamore Postal, Duncan Curran Dublin Postal Drivers Branch,

Shay Russell eircom Central Regional Managers, Seamus McAnaw eircom Sligo District,Alan Beaumont Athlone Postal, Gillian Earley Waterford Postal, Breege Mulroe eircom Sligo District,

Mal McDonnell Mullingar Postal and Carol Scott Portlaoise Postal.

Front row, pictured l-r: Breeda McGuinness Athlone Tels, Miriam O’Brien Ennis Postal,Susan Murtagh DPAB, Paula Allen DPAB, Denis McCarthy Cork Postal Drivers,

Sean McKenna Dundalk Postaland Geraldine Counihan Tralee Tels.

The Equality Authority held its annual EqualityMainstreaming Conference in Dublin Castle andthe Union in conjunction with Mandate and IBOAwas very pleased to be invited to make a jointpresentation on our work under this initiative.

The conference was opened by Mr Alan Shatter TD,Minister for Justice and Equality and Ms SunnivaMcDonagh, Acting Chairperson, Irish Human Rights andEquality Commission. The aim of the conference was toshowcase good practice in equality mainstreamingthrough funded projects and various initiatives.

The Union project focused on the production of aDignity at Work Charter, An Equality RepresentativeGuide, a three-day equality training programme and anumber of equality briefing sessions. In attendance fromthe Union were Carol Scheffer, Margaret Jenkins, SteveFitzpatrick, Cormac O’Dalaigh and Paul Torsney. Furtherinformation on the conference is available on the EqualityAuthority website www.equality.ie

“Funded by the Equality Mainstreaming Unit which isjointly funded by the European Social Fund 2007 - 2013and by the Equality Authority”.

3333

Equality Update

Fifty Trade Union women gathered in the CWU on 7/8 November for the Women’s Trade UnionCouncil of the Isles. Presentations were given and discussed by the 5 Trade Union Centresrepresented:

• Wales Trade Union Congress presented on the Wales Domestic Violence Bill• The TUC on older women in the workplace• NIC ICTU did a presentation on the impact of austerity on women’s health and wellbeing• STUC presentation focused on childcare and economic growth (and report from Scotland on progress on

Women and Work)• Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ROI) on Family Leaves – what can be achieved in these difficult economic

times through collective bargaining?

Delegates also visited the National Library for 1913 Dublin Lockout Centenary Exhibition where Padraig Yatesfrom the 1913 Committee acted as guide.

The conference pledged to ensure that the Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland will reappear as a priority onthe agendas of the respective Congresses and consequent pressure will be brought to bear on Government andOpposition in all 5 jurisdictions.

Delegates also pledged to pay particular attention to the issue of Violence against Women and to coordinateactivities for the 16 Days of Action Campaign (25th November, UN International Day of Elimination of Violenceagainst Women, to 10th December, Human Rights Day) and to request male trade union leaders to add theirvoices.

The conference presented itself as a good networking opportunity so that we can learn what the key equalityissues are for the other trade unions and to hear about best practice in their areas.

Joint actions on Childcare are also being planned and we are looking forward to the 2014 Council of theIsles in London.

CWU Representatives atthe Council of the Isles

Pictured l-r: Pauline Rourke, CWU UK andSTUC General Council,Joyce Stevenson, CWU UK,Vivienne Holding, CWU Northern Irelandand Carol Scheffer, CWU Irl.

For further information on the meetingplease visit www.ictu.ie/equality

Twitter: #WTUCOI13

Women’s Trade Union Council of the IslesNovember 7th & 8th

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Education Update

Committee Training Sligo Area

A training course took place on November 8th & 9th, 2013, for Sligo Area Committe Training.

Pictured front row (l to r): Geraldine Helly Ballina Postal, Declan Murray Ballina Postal, John Bourke BallinaPostal, John Armstrong Ballina Postal, Ger McGing Westport Postal, Cathy Scanlon Westport Postal.Back row (l to r): John Tansey Trainer, Kieran Shannon Ballymote Postal, Ivor Reynolds Trainer, Joseph Brennaneircom Letterkenny, Gerry Goldrick Carrick on Shannon Postal, Eddie Heslin Boyle Postal, John Kilcullen eircomLetterkenny & John Fealty eircom Letterkenny.

Committee TrainingCourse, Cork

A training course was held in the Imperial Hotel in

Cork on June 7th and 8th to cover branches from the

Cork area. Again this was a very well-attended

training course with Representatives attending as

follows:

Stephen Byrd Meteor, Joe Healy Cork Drivers, GeraldineIsherwood CMC, Gerry Butler eircom Cork District,Maria Terry CMC, Tony Carroll CMC, Cheryl LuceyCork Outdoor, Liam O’Callaghan Cork Clerks, DiarmuidCogan Cork Drivers, Michael Byrne CMC, JasonO’Halloran CMC, Denis McCarthy Cork Drivers, JamesA O’Mahoney eircom Cork District, Anthony BuckleyCork Outdoor, Tadgh Linehan Cork Drivers, JohnO’Connell Cork Drivers, John Hickey CMC, TimMcCarthy CMC, Niamh O’Sullivan CMC, TonyThompson Cork Outdoor, Ger Frahill Cork Drivers,Garry Kenny Cork Drivers and Trevor O’Brien CorkDrivers.

Committee TrainingCourse, Athlone

A training course was held for the Athlone Postal Branchin the Sheraton Hotel on June 14th & 15th. In attendancewere: Breda Bradley, Ollie Sammon, Gareth Daly, PatGreene, Paul Rafferty, Thomas Finlass, Alan Beaumont,David Kelly, Brian Kiernan and Pat O’Callaghan. Ourthanks to the Branch for facilitating the course.

Committee TrainingCourse, First Source

The Union was very pleased to deliver a committeetraining course to our very active First Source Branch inCork. In attendance were: Catriona McCarthy, DiarmuidMurphy, John Declan Jones, Colette Healy and KevinCody.

35

Education Update

Branch Secretary Stage 2 Training CourseSeptember 15th, 16th & 17th

Committee Training Course, Ennis Postal

In attendance were:Terry Moorehouse eircom Central Regional Managers, Liam Masterson Westport Postal, Adrian Scanlon DPAB,Leonard Coote Ennis Postal, Danny Roche North Kerry Postal, Tony Andrews eircom Bantry Section, KevinMolloy North Wexford/South Wicklow Postal and Jer Harnett Tipperary Postal.

A training course was held forthe Ennis Postal Branch onNovember 8th and 9th. Thecourse was well attended asfollows: Leonard Coote, ChristyBrigdale, Anne M. McNamara,Ann Murphy, PatrickMcNamara, Gareth Smyth,Damien Roche, Joe O’Loughlinand Miriam O’Brien. Ourthanks to the Branch and allthose who attended.

Pictured from l to rstanding: Pat McNamara,Christy Brigdale,Gareth Smyth,Leonard Coote, Joe O’LoughlinSeated: Ann Murphy,Miriam O'Brien andAnne McNamara (Missingfrom photo is DamianRoche).

Committee Training Course,Mullingar Postal

The following participated in the committee training course held in Mullingar: Barry Carr,Pat Freeman, Enda Montgomery, Margaret Brennan, Christy Martin and Robert O Connor

CWU Charitable Fund- HomelessA donation of €11,1000 was made towards providingHats, Scarfs, Gloves and socks for the homeless.Distribution will be made to 4 centres, Merchants Quay,Bow Street, Fr Peter Mc Verry and Crosscare.

A special Thank you to the CWU Volunteers whooffered up their spare time on Saturday the 23rdNovember, 2013 helping to bag over 8000 items. We alsoextend a big thank you to Finnuala Law Xit Shop whobagged 500 childrens items for the homeless and notforgetting Paul O’Neill who transported the goods toUnion Headquarters. Well done and many thanks to allfor your good work.

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CWU make €10,000 donation to PhilippinesTyphoon Disaster Fund

Pictured l to r: Monica Hempenstall, Fr Rene Esoy of thePhilippines and Ray Lawlor.

Members and supporters helping with the packing at CWU HQ

A Presentation of €10,000.00 was made to Fr Rene Esoyof the Philippines.

Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon in the worldthis year, affected 4 million families and caused majordamages to lives and properties in 29 Provinces, mostlyin the Visayas region of the Philippines. It caused anunprecedented level of destruction. The number of

casualties is expected to rise as retrieval operationscontinue.

On behalf of the Filipino Community, we wish toexpress their deepest appreciation for your generousdonation given towards their community for food andwater during this devastating disaster, the effects of whichwill continue to be felt for a long time to come.

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CWU Intellectual Disability Housing Fund presentation

A Donation of €13,000.00 was made to three Hospitals (Medisancontributed €5000.00 towards the toys) for Temple Street,Crumlin Hospital and Cork Regional Hospital.

This year we are working with social services covering a wishlist for families within Crumlin and Temple Street Hospital forChristmas. We are also providing toys for St Annes Wards (theburns Unit) and the Surgical Day ward in Crumlin Hospital.

Once again we thank you sincerely for contributing to this Fundand we commend you for your continued financial support. Theimpact on helping these families was overwhelming, for whichyou should be very proud. We also thank the volunteers RoryDuggan, Pat Broderick, and Jim Ryan, for helping with thepurchasing and transportation of the toys back to UnionHeadquarters. Many Thanks.

Four Individuals with intellectual disabilities have livedin the KARE community house in Morrell Drive in Naasfor the past number of years. Like anyone else who sharesa home, at times it was hard for the Individuals who livedthere to have their own independence and personal space. Within the allocated budget available to KARE due tobudget restrictions it was impossible to change the livingspace in this house to address these issues which lead tofrustrations and unhappiness for the individuals that livedthere.

In 2013 we applied to the Communication WorkersUnion in the hope that we could secure some funding tomake alterations to our house in Morrell. The plan was todivide the house into two separate apartments.

We are very happy to say that the funding we havereceived from the C.W.U has ensured that we could makethese alterations. The positive impact for the people living

in the apartments has been instantly recognisable. These changes have enabled one Lady to live in a one

bedroom apartment on her own; this has always been adream for her. She sees this apartment as her own homewhere she has her own privacy, space and her ownpossessions around her.

The three people who live in the other apartment sharesimilar interests and have increased opportunities to havemore independence and live a life of their choice.

Without the grant we received from the C.W.U wewould have struggled to improve the living arrangementsfor these individuals, this funding has not only impactedon the lives of the individuals who live in Morrell but ithas also alleviated the worry and anxiety for parents andstaff who support these individuals. For this on behalf ofall the people whose lives have changed because of thismoney, we say Thank You to the members of the C.W.U.

‘A Life Changing Opportunity in Naas’Pictured l to r: Frank Joyce, Sheila Byrne, Geraldine Cross, Monica Hempenstall,

Damien Tuohy, Anne Coffey, and Emmanual Cassidy

CWU Charitable Fund and Medisan

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It has taken me a few weeks to be able to write this, mainlybecause it is hard to find the words to best describeeverything we saw and encountered along the way. The onething I can say, speaking for both the An Post and Eircomdrivers, is that without a doubt that the Aid Convoy,from start to finish, was a totally differentexperience, good and bad, rewarding and attimes distressing.

The driving itself was tiring but enjoyable,some days we would be on the road at 7.30amand due to tailbacks or delays at bordercrossings we wouldn’t finish until 8 or 9 thatevening. That said, driving almost 7,000kilometres in total across France, Belgium, Germany,Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria was the trip a lifetime.Trying to keep 9 trucks in convoy for that distance proveddifficult on occasion and sometimes we had 3 mini convoysheading in different directions but we always managed tomeet up again by evening. The other drivers were greattravelling companions and had many stories to help pass themiles, most lunchtimes consisted of soup or stew heated oncamping stoves on the tailgates of the trucks with bread rollsliberated from the hotels at breakfast time. While crossingEurope, we all remarked how as you leave the obvious

wealth of Germany and Austria behind, and cross intoRomania and Bulgaria how poor the countryside begins tolook, hundreds of kilometre of fields of maize andsunflowers and very little else, the land looks poor andneglected. Some of the villages are crumbling and halfdeserted, you see old men and women hunched over in thefields looking after a few goats or an occasional cow. Cartsladen with maize stalks, pulled by cows or horses are acommon sight, with very few tractors or farm machineryanywhere.

Up until the morning Pat and I actually arrived at ourorphanage, our main concerns had been around organisingthe fundraising, sourcing and transporting the aid ,so wenever really thought about what would happen when we gotthere. As we saw the orphanage appear at the end of dustyroad we were both filled with trepidation about what wewere about to see and hope that everything would go well.

As it turned out the Orphanage in Gorski Senovets was apleasant surprise. It was situated in a quiet area near a smallrural village. The building and grounds were in an enclosed

area of about two acres surrounded by a wall and somefencing. The House itself was old and a little run

down but it was brightly painted inside, therooms were clean and bright although thebedrooms were small and contained manybeds. Nonetheless the children who lived thereseemed well cared for and happy. The grounds

comprised of a large play area with swings,slides and a sand pit there was also a garden with

a chicken coop. One of the rooms had a small gas kilnin it where the staff and children made small animal shapedfridge magnets to sell to help raise money for the orphanage;they also made birthday cards. The Home cares for overfifty children, both boys and girls whose physical andintellectual disabilities ranged from mild to severe. It is verydifficult to enter a place like this and not be affected by whatyou see, it was at times very sad and distressing to meet thechildren and wonder what life holds for them, but to see thesmiles on their faces and hear them laugh as they saw theirnew toys and clothes (not to mention sweets and crisps)being unloaded made us realise how worthwhile our journeywas and how the people in Ireland who donated to theCWUHA Charity had made this possible.

Unfortunately this orphanage was to be the best wevisited while in Bulgaria, over the next four days we helpedto deliver aid to other Homes and Institutions that weremuch more depressing and bleak. Even entering theseplaces can fill you with a sense of despair. The staffs do asmuch as they can, but life there must be grim for everyone.The buildings were old and dismal and the conditions werea throwback to a time that we had thought were long past.This is when you realize how poor parts of Bulgaria are andhow extreme the social divide can be. It is only when you

CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoyto Bulgaria 2013

by Jim Ryan

The Delivery Team

The unloading begins

39

see some of these places that you fully appreciate how muchmore aid is needed, how they lack any proper funding andsupport and also the how necessary and life saving thework of the Charities are. The food, clothes, bedding, toysand building materials we bring do help and will make theirlives better, but a lot more help is needed.

We were asked not to photograph any on the children inthe Orphanages while we were there out of respect for themand their privacy, which is understandable. However anotherrequest, and a more difficult one, was when we were alsoasked not to give the children too much attention or physicalcontact as they could become very upset when we had toleave. This was not easy as when the children saw us all theywanted was to be picked up and hugged.

When we returned to the hotel on these evenings the talkwas mainly about the sad things we had seen that day. Theother drivers, who had done these trips before were morepositive, they spoke about how things had been much worseonly a couple of years before but due of the work done bythe CWUHA they could now see major improvements andthis is what kept them fundraising and coming back yearafter year.

I do not want to paint too bleak a picture of conditions inthese Homes as there are positive aspects as well. Thepeople who work there, as well as the other Charities whowork in Bulgaria, are committed to making things better,and things are improving. The aid that we bring over isgreatly appreciated and is fully used by, and of direct benefitto the children. However there is a long way to go.

As I said at the start this has been an experience,sometimes difficult, but overall a very positive one. It issomething I would undertake again. To be part of somethingworthwhile, something that makes such big difference to the

lives of these unfortunate children is very rewarding. This isonly possible because of the generosity of the people whodonated and the on-going work of the CWUHA, and Iwould urge as many people as possible to get involved withthis Charity or others.

Finally I would also like to thank and pay tribute to theother Irish drivers on the convoy, from An Post, Marie,Trevor, Declan and Paul, from Eircom my co driver,roommate and buddy for over two and a half weeks PatLombard.

Happy faces greet the convoy

Orphanage in Gorski Senovets

Pat and Jim startunloading the lorry

Pictured below, theentrance to theOrphanage

The gardenat the

Orphanage

Lunch break!

Outside theOrphanage

an post employees’credit union

JOIN TODAY!12/14 The Anchorage,

Ringsend Road, Dublin 4www.anpostcu.ie

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42

CWU People

Brendan O’Donoghue retail clerk and active member ofthe C.W.U. Nenagh postal branch will represent Irelandin the world amateur snooker championship inDaugavipils Latvia between the 26th November and 8thDecember 2013.

Brendan, who hails from the New Institute snookerclub in Nenagh, boasts thirty-seven maximum 147 breaksat competitive level. He has won numerous under age

titles and is currently second on the Irish all-time winninglist with fourteen senior Irish snooker titles.

Brendan has represented his country on a number ofoccasions, most recently when runner up in the Europeansenior amateur championship in 2012.

Hopefully he can go one better in Latvia and bringback a world title to Ireland.

The CWU wishes him every success!

Brendan O’Donoghue Represents Ireland!

15-18 Ceili band winners!

Congratulations to the Under 18 Ceili Band winners 2013 from the All-Ireland Fleadh held in Derry.Pictured from l to r: Rory Corbett, Paul Meaney (eMobile,Ennis), Erika McGann, Marie Garry,

Christina Doohan, Orna Lynch, Caoimhe Morrissey, Conor Harnett, Zara Hill, Padraic O'Reilly (mentor).(Missing from this photo is Conor Arkins.)

43

CWU People

MullingarMarathon Men!

Pictured l to r: Barry Carr (Secretary,Mullingar Postal) and Robert O’Conner (Vice Chairman, Mullingar Postal)

Mullingar Postal Branch Members finishing theDublin City Marathon. Congratulations, lads!

Senan O’Brien of KilrushDSU, recently retired afterten years’ service with AnPost.

With a brand new futureto look forward to, he nowintends to travel to Australliato visit friends and familyduring his retirement.

Members of the EnnisPostal Branch would like towish him all the best for thefuture.

Senan O’Brien Retires

Senan is pictured receiving his Union Scroll from Ennis Branch Secretary,Leonard Coote, Treasurer, Tommy Soffe and all his colleagues at Kilrush DSU.

Paddy Gavigan retired from Ballymore PostOffice after 19 years’ service. Paddy workedin Mullingar for a number of years and thentransferred to Ballymore.

Best wishes Paddy on your retirement fromall your colleagues in Streamstown, Ballymoreand Mullingar!

Paddy Gavigan Retires

Pictured l to r:Barry Carr, BranchSecretary Mullingar

Postal andPaddy Gavigan

receiving hisUnion Scroll.

Noel Adamson (Asst. Branch Secretary, DPDB) presents Union Scrolls to five members,who recently retired in Blackrock DSU.

Pictured above are Dave Clinton, Seán Berigan, Frank Russell and Hughie Kane. (Not pictured, Shay Ward). A great night was had by all at the Graduate Pub in Killiney.

Charlie Sheehan (Branch Rep,Ballsbridge DSU) receives his UnionScroll from Frank Donohoe, BranchSecretary, DPDB.

Charlie Sheehan retired from Ballsbridge DSUrecently. He will be greatly missed by the Branchand his work colleagues in Ballsbridge.

We wish him the best of luck for the future. Afunction has been organised in January 2014 tocelebrate his retirement.

Dublin Postal Delivery Branch Retirements

Charlie SheehanRetires

Five Members Retire from Blackrock DSU

44

CWU People

45

Galway Postal Branch Begin Fundraising

Some Members of the CWU in An Post in Galway DSU have commenced a round of fundraising for PietaHouse. This is being done in memory two of our former colleagues.

They began with a coffee morning in the staff canteen on the 19th of September, followed by a climb up CroaghPatrick on the 5th Oct last. A Sky Dive also took place at the end of October.

We are asking for support from our colleagues around the country andyou can donate by logging on to the following website:

www.donate.ie/posties4pieta

The following Facebook page has also been set up:

www.facebook.com/pages/Fundraising-for-Pieta-House/194017877443904

Pictured in the centre is Carmel Coyne receiving her Union Scroll from Barry Carr, Branch Secretary, with the staff of Mullingar DSU and Transport Office.

Carmel Coyne Retires

Carmel was a cleaner in Mullingar for the last 12 yearsand was Mammy to all of us in that time and she willbe greatly missed by her friends and colleagues in the

DSU and Transport offices in Mullingar.We would all like to wish Carmel a healthy and happyretirement.

CWU People

The CWU launched a pictorialhistory book on Tuesday 26thNovember 2013, written byFrancis Devine and photo-graphs sourced by JohnChaney.

David Begg was on hand toofficially launch the bookwhich was attended bymembers of the NEC andinvited guests. The full historyof the CWU will follow earlyin the New Year.

Pictured l to r: John Chaney, David Begg, Cormac O’Dalaigh,Steve Fitzpatrick and author Francy Devine.

Launch of the CWU Pictorial History Book

Pictured at the retirement functionfor Tommy Walsh Postal OperativeCastlebar Post Office are: Back Row l to r: Claire Walsh,Stephen Lynch, Bernie Walsh, SeanSkeffington, Sean Corley and DamienWalsh.Front Row, l to r: Nuala and TommyWalsh.

Castlebar Postal Retirements

Pictured is Tommy Walsh Postal Operative Castlebar Post Officereceiving his Union Scroll from Stephen Lynch Branch Secretary

CWU Castlebar on the occasion of his retirement from thecompany after 36 years’ service.

46

CWU People

47

The Dublin Postal Drivers held a retirement function in Clery’s Lounge, Amiens Street, on Saturday 24th Aug. It washeld on behalf of seven members who had recently retired. They were: George Strutt, Fran Bryan, Kevin Quirke,Brendan Cumminskey, Jimmy Coughlin, Padraig Connolly and Paddy Malone. We wish them all the best for a longand happy Retirement!

Dublin Postal Drivers Retirement Function

Tommy Walsh, George Strutt and

Paddy Malone

Retired members ofthe Drivers Branch

Terry Delany, George Strutt andhis partner, & Tony Hardiman

Terry presents to Kevin Quirke &Partner with Tony

Fran Bryan and his partner,with Terry & Tony

Padraig Connolly & partner andFamily members

Paddy Malone with Terry & Tony Jimmy Coughlin & partner withTerry & Tony

Benny Cuninskey & partner

Barbara & Kevin Mulligan Georgina O’Neill & Tony &Margaret Hardiman

Paula & Willie Jackson

CWU People

48

William Kelly, Bandon BranchSection Secretary makes a

presentation toJerry O' Mahony, who has retired

following 37 years’ service.

Greg Mc Kenna makes apresentation Joe Downing on hisretirement after 38 years’ service

with Bandon Section

Dermot Hayes, section Chairman,Bandon Branch, makes a

presentation Jimmy Gabrielon his retirement after nearly 47

years’ service.

Tom O'Brien, Chairman of BandonSocial Club, makes a presentation toFinbarr McCarthy, who retired after

37 years’ service.

Pictured back row, l to r:Finbarr Mc Carthy, Joe Downing and Jimmy Gabriel

Front row, l to r: Oliver Coomey, Michael Whelton, Secretary of BandonSocial Club and Jerry O'Mahony

Bandon Section Retirement Party

CWU People

4949

Jnr (Andrew) McConnellogue & Joe Faulkner Retire

Jnr McConnellogue and Joe Faulkner both retired onFriday 11th October 2013 after 30 years’ service each.Jnr delivered the post in the Muff area of Inishowen,while Joe delivered the Quigleys Point area.

Both worked out of Muff DSO which is on the borderwith Derry and were loyal members of the Union all theirworking life with An Post. Jnr was an active member of

the Lifford/Inishowen Branch for several years. JoeFaulkner had the added distinction of having no sickleave taken for all of his thirty years’ service with AnPost.

The Lifford/Inishowen Branch of the CWU would liketo wish Jnr and Joe and their families best wishes for thefuture and to both a long and happy retirement.

Pictured receiving their Union Scrolls and Cú Chulainn statues on their lastday of service are, l to r: Paul Harkin (Cluster Manager), Jnr McConnellogue,

Joe Faulkner and Michael Gallagher (Branch Secretary).

Gerald McErlean receiving his retirement scroll andbadge from Union Headquarters on his last day ofservice. Gerald retired from An Post on the 18th Sept.2013 after 35 years loyal service to both the CWU andAn Post. Gerald was a former active member of theBranch serving as Branch Chairman for a number ofyears in the mid 90’s and attended conference onoccasion. He delivered mail in the Clonmany area ofInishowen all of his working life with An Post.

The Lifford/Inishowen Branch would like to extendbest wishes to Gerald, his wife Anne and family.

Pictured l to r: Seamus McLaughlin (Branch Chairman),Gerald McErlean and Michael Gallagher (BranchSecretary).

Gerald McErlean Retires

CWU People

50

Willie Leahy retired from Kilkenny Postal Branch onSeptember 12th 2013, following 30 years’ service.

Pictured l to r: Thomas Deegan Branch Secretary andWillie Leahy, receiving his Union Scroll from Paddy Barry,Chairperson.

Willie Leahy Retires

A retirement function was held at the Ard Ri House hotelTuam, formally the eircom Headquarters Tuam. The

Galway District branch recently lost eight membersrecently to retirement.

Eight Galway District Branch Members Retire

Pictured are members and their union scrolls from NEC in recognition of life long service to the Union.Back Row l to r: P.J. Connolly, Mattie Lydon, Martin Murphy and Tom Shally

Front Row l to r: Sean Healy, Michael John Raftery, Jimmy Meehan and Chtisty Kilkenny.

CWU People

51

Dear Members,

My name is Declan Gill. I am a post office worker in theChurchtown Postal Sorting Office.

The reason why I am writing to you is because a fewmonths ago, the CWU members sent us a cheque for themoney you all raised for our son James. James was a 20-year-old lad who had a very rare form of liver cancer andwe had to raise lots of money to send him to New York fortreatment that wasn’t available here in Ireland. SadlyJames never got to go to New York, because on the 18thof May this year, James lost his battle with cancer.

One of James’ wisheswas to open up a chill-out room in TallaghtHospital, for all theteenagers to chill-outand mix with otherpeople their own age.So, with the money wehave raised, we aregoing to put it towardsthe room, which we willname after James, in hismemory.

On behalf of myselfand my family, I wouldlike to thank everyone who showed us such great supportand kindness over the last few months.

Here is a little background information about James’cancer. It may help others and it tells how strong-mindedJames was towards his illness. The photo of James shownhere, was taken on his last family holiday, only less thena year before his death.

On May 18th, 2013, our brave young son, James, age20, lost his two-and-a-half year battle with a rare form ofliver cancer. Some of you may have heard about Jameson the radio, or when he was on “Ireland AM” with hismother, or read about him in the papers.

In the beginning of 2011, James and ourselves weretold he had a very rare liver cancer called fibrolamellarhepatocellular carcinoma. James was a young lad whowas very sporty. An ardent Arsenal fan, James lovedfootball, G.A.A., snooker and anything to do with sport.He played football with his local football club since theage of 5 until the age of 17.

When James was 14, he went to Bosnia to help out andjoined Ireland with Sari, to take part in a soccertournament called “Street Football”. Over there the kidsonly play football on the streets because they don’t have

football pitches on which to play. James learned so muchfrom them and he always said how lucky the kids ofIreland are and how we take things for granted.

It was Christmas 2010, during the bad snow, whenJames became unwell. We thought he was coming downwith the swine flu, having pains in his back. When webrought him to Tallaght Hospital, they took tests and,over the following days, he became more flu-like. Sadly,however, it wasn’t the flu – it was cancer. James was thefirst person in Ireland to get this particular form of cancer.Over the next few months, at the age of 17 /18, James hadto undergo 2 very large operations: one to remove his

gallbladder andlymph glands andthen, a few monthslater when he was18, he had over65% of his liverremoved, as well asother smalleroperations,includingremoving morelymph glands . For everythingJames wentthrough at such a

young age, he never gave out about his illness and wouldnever talk about it because his motto was, “it’s my lifeand I have to get on with it because life is to short to sitand worry”. As his parents, we knew he was scared buthe would always have a smile on his face, even if it wasjust to hide his pain.

James was under the care of Tallaght Hospital, wherehe had to have months and months of chemo and plentyof blood transfusions. He stayed weeks on end in TallaghtHospital. He was also was under the care of St. Vincent’sHospital, where they removed over 65% of his liver.

Sadly, there was only so much treatment they couldgive James here in Ireland, but because his cancer was sorare and they had never treated it here before in Ireland,the doctors had to work in conjunction with the doctorsin New York, so that they could give James the bestchance of beating this deadly fibrolamellarhepatocellular carcinoma cancer.

James was asked to go to New York to meet the doctorsthere and he was so happy to be asked, as the doctorsthere had done a trial on other patients which had worked.So, we began to put all the paperwork in place. Sadly, theH.S.E turned James down with the funding because it was

A letter of thanks from the parents ofJames Gill RIP

CWU People

5252

It was on Sunday 19th May when newsbroke of the tragic death of 51 year oldFrank Higgins of Rathmullen Co Sligo.Frank joined the company on 28thSeptember 1981 and worked in variouslocations around the country, whichincluded Sligo, Donegal, Castlebar, theBT contract and more recently on thelocal NGA team.

Frank was born in Towanaghmore,went to Culfadda NS and on toSummerhill Collage in Sligo town, hewas very much involved in his local GMclub Eastern Harps and was a great supporter of theteam, in 1983 he won club player of the year the sameyear as he was goalkeeper when they won thechampionship and league.

His family was priority to Frank especially his three

grandchildren and he would visitTownaghmore on a regular basis alwayswith a big smile on his face. Frankenjoyed his pint of Guinness and havingthe craic, popular with everyone thelarge crowds which attended his funeralwas testimony to which Frank was heldby all who knew him. On both days ofthe funeral his coffin was flanked byfriend's neighbours work colleagues andmembers of eastern harps GM club.Frank will be sadly missed by his motherMargaret daughters Laura, Tara, sons

Jason, Keith and David, grandchildren Matthew,Madison, Conor/ sister Catherine twin brother John(Eircom Sligo) brother Stephen and all his friendscolleagues and neighbours.

Adheis de go raibh a namain.

still a trial treatment, so with heavy hearts, we had to tellJames of this decision. It upset him hugely.

To give James a chance, we said we would try andraise the 80,000 ourselves to send him to New York,knowing, however, that it would delay his trip by monthsand knowing that, the longer we waited, the sicker hewould become, but we just couldn’t sit around and donothing.

With the help of many people and various fundraisingevents, we finally had enough money to send James toNew York. Sadly James became very weak and toounwell to travel and we realised we would have to buildhis strength up again before he could do the trip.Inevitably, as time went on his cancer spread and on the18th of May, James lost his battle.

Before James passed away, he always said that if therewas any money left over, he wanted to open up a chill-outroom for young teenagers in Tallaght Hospital, becauseonce you turn 17, there is nothing for the young people .

James said he was very lucky he had family andfriends to visit him in hospital all the time. Someteenagers could go days before they saw any visitors, soby having this room in place, they could go there withtheir family and friends when they came to visit andcould also meet friends from other wards. James missednot having a room like that to go to, because some nightsJames couldn’t sleep and the nights felt long. That wouldalways make you think about your illness. If there hadbeen a room there, he could have kept his mind busy byplaying XBox, reading a book or doing a puzzle etc.

Sadly, James never got to see New York or his room inthe hospital and so, as his parents, we are carrying out his

last wish for him: With the money we have raised, we areopening a chill-out room in Tallaght Hospital which willbe named after James. At the moment it’s in the planningstage. We also would like to open up a chill-out room inSt. Vincent’s Hospital, once we have completed the roomin Tallaght.

James loved helping other people and people lovedhim in return. It showed: Everyone was so taken abackby his braveness and willpower during his illness, thateven Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers players came tovisit him in hospital. He even got to hold the AirtricityCup, which was a big talking point with his mates!

Thank you to everyone who gave money or maybecame to one of the fundraising events for James. Jamesmay be gone from us, but he will never be forgotten. Wewant to continue to fulfill his last wish by opening up hischill-out rooms in both hospitals. To do this, we need toapply to continue fundraising, so that we can help otherteenagers to chill-out for a hour or two in a room wherethere is the comfort of a home and not a hospital ward.

People can still give to James’ fundraising account at:

jamesgillcancerfund.com

orBank Of Ireland Dundrum,

Account Number: 20212078, Sort Code: 9010-95

Yours faithfully Declan and Geraldine Gill.

Frank Higgins RIP

CWU People

53

5454

Hugh Flanagan is a Postman inMullingar. “Hiding UglyChildren” is his first novel.

Joggy Jackson, the maincharacter, is asked by his goodfriend, Luke, to clear his name.Luke is in Portmand Prison,

convicted for the murder of John “the Horse”Canavan. Luke swears he did not do it. Joggy owes Lukea debt and when Luke dies in prison, he resolves to clear hisfriend’s name. But as Joggy sets off on his crusade to provehis friend did not kill “the Horse” and to help alleviate hisown guilt, he opens up old, but still open, wounds withinthe small village of Kilpatrick.

The evil that is lurking in the village is a series of buriedsecrets which is described in a particularly beautifulmetaphor by the author: “secrets were like ugly childrenhidden in the dark…and until I started this thing I had noidea how many of them were hiding.”

There is a great anti-hero in the story: McNeill, a localsergeant, morally bankrupt, a disgraced Garda who wishesto once again enjoy being held in high regard, also joins inthe quest to clear Luke, all in his own interests. Then thereare the wonderful quirky characters like Tomato Flynn andSpit and Squeak, who keep the seats warm in the local bar.

I particularly liked the characters of Joggy’s family, withhis wife Alice telling their daughter, Helen, “Because that’sthe why” and Joggy explaining to his son Danny, why heshouldn’t work Sundays, and the whole back-story to that.

This is a thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Itstarts off with an exciting opening scene in a slurry pit. Itis full of twists and turns with themes of revenge, prejudiceand of course lots of buried secrets.

I look forward to Hugh’s next book.

Books reviewed by Adrienne Power

HIDING UGLY CHILDRENby Hugh Flanagan

This is a thriller that will keep you turning the pages!

Whichever way you decide to go -

�njoy �eading!!

Hugh Flanagan is a Postman in Mullingar.“Hiding Ugly Children” is his first novel.

55

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