Soldiers’ reps ‘are victims’
Gerry Rooney, general secretary of PDFORRA — the representative body for 9,500 rank and file solders, sailors and airmen — warned that the issue could be taken to the courts.
Soldiers in each barracks elect their representative, but Mr Rooney said such people were victimised just because they were representative.
Speaking at the PDFORRA annual conference in Tralee, he said this was totally unacceptable at a time when they had come to accept and use representation in a positive way.
They would be asking Defence Minister Willie O’Dea to address the issue as a matter of urgency, he added.
“Representatives who are doing their job should not be marginalised or suffer disadvantage in the workplace — and this is exactly what is happening,” said Mr Rooney.
“PDFORRA is concluding a conciliation council report on a claim that was brought forward seeking the introduction of agreed procedures for dealing with allegations of victimisation and regrettably the claim is not reaching agreement.
“I am personally astounded at this failure to reach agreement because I believe it to be eminently reasonable to have such agreed procedures. Most established employers and trade unions share this belief — so much so that a code of practice has been drawn up on in most workplaces,” he stated.
He felt the content of the PDFORRA claim was straight forward and reasonable and should give no cause for alarm.
It provided for cases to be initially addressed between the Department of Defence and PDFORRA rather than between individuals and barrack or unit commanders, said Mr Rooney.
He said that where no agreement can be reached between the parties on an issue it should be referred to an independent third party for adjudication.
