SIPTU calls for laws to stop ‘daily attacks’ on union reps

SIPTU yesterday demanded that the Government introduce tougher legislation or a code of practice to prevent shop stewards from being dismissed or facing recrimination for carrying out union work.

The union’s biennial delegate conference was told union reps were ‘under daily attack’ from unscrupulous employers, in an attempt to prevent them from promoting employees’ rights in the workplace.

John Hansard of the SIPTU’s Dublin construction branch said, “If you are shop steward working for a company, you are sent to work on jobs with just three or four people [and] isolated from the workers.

“If you work for a subcontractor your [employer] is told: ‘take that man off site or you won’t get any more contracts’.

“If you work for an agency, don’t even think of becoming a shop steward because you will not work again,” he claimed.

Mr Hansard cited the case of a SIPTU steward summarily dismissed after two-and-a-half years, when he attempted to secure pension rights and agreed rates for workers.

“All workers were called to a meeting and ordered to leave the union immediately or they would face the same,” he said.

“We had meetings with the company, we protested outside; all to no avail. Fear made those workers pass our protest.”

Greg Price of SIPTU’s health professionals’ branch said union activists were also discriminated against also in the public service.

“Activism comes at a cost,” he said, “Often you are largely ignored, get no promotion and they hope you will go away.

“There is only one way to fight a bully and that is to stand up to him and let him know you haven’t gone away,” he added.

“It is important that we get more protection, whether it be enshrined in legislation or a code of practice [under] the partnership process.

“Activists need to be protected.”