recruitment. But in all the newspaper articles and TV coverage =
one voice was missing - that of the workers involved. Workers =
Solidarity spoke to an activist in the Civil & Public Service =
Union who was on the picket line.
<P>
Can you tell us the background to the recent dispute and how =
did it arise?
<P>
When secretarial vacancies became available management used the =
services of a private recruitment agency to organise a farcical =
competition process in which only one of our members succeeded. =
They then proceeded to fill the remaining vacancies by external =
recruitment on a highly selective and suspect basis, and then =
paid the new recruits =A3110 per week more than our members =
currently performing the work.
<P>
These secretaries work to the senior managers. Other vacancies =
in An Post have remained unfilled for years, i.e. they have =
been effectively suppressed. =
<P>
What were the first proposals by management?
<P>
Initially management made us absolutely no offers. They simply =
made up the rules as they went along, giving us one day's =
notice of bringing in an external recruit despite our protests. =
But once members moved quickly to take industrial action with a =
work to rule/limited telephone embargo, management responded by =
taking members off the payroll on the one hand and by offering =
compensatory terms on the other exactly one week later.
<P>
They wanted four external recruits and in return offered to =
uplift all current secretaries to the new pay structure/grade, =
to promote 12 members to vacant higher grades and to release =
eight other staff already awaiting promotion. These =
negotiations ended at 5am on 24 April 1996. The negotiating =
team agreed to recommend this offer because we believed that =
there was nothing more of substance to be gained.
<P>
Specifically, we made the judgement that we could not win the =
two key demands of members, i.e. to stop management bringing in =
external recruits and to get a guarantee against any future =
external recruitment. In essence, we were proved right =
because, although we got better terms in the final deal (five =
weeks later), neither of these key goals were achieved.
<P>
However, members decided that they wanted to give the company a =
bruising and they lashed us out of it for recommending these =
terms. One member even good-naturedly referred to us as 'The =
Birmingham Six', i.e. that we'd sign anything at 5.00am. The =
deal was rejected 4:1. =
<P>
Crucially, members demanded monetary compensation for the =
manner of their suspensions, in addition to the goals already =
mentioned. The lesson was clear. We misread the mood of =
members who, by now, were so frustrated with the machinations =
of management that they were determined to teach them a lesson =
they wouldn't forget in a hurry. In short, it is necessary to =
let struggle decide what it is possible to win.
<P>
What sort of difficulties did you encounter during the dispute?
<P>
The Industrial Relations Act was used by union headquarters to =
limit and isolate our action at every turn. Isn't it ironic =
that we have a minister (Pat Rabbitte) in the Cabinet who =
penned a pamphlet warning against the dangers of the IR Act =
before it became law and a trade union leadership determined to =
use it to stymie our actions in every way. Specifically, we =
had to fight tooth and nail to get clearance for strike action. =
<P>
Headquarters continually prevented us from escalating the =
action. It wasn't until 270 of our 500 members were suspended =
that they eventually agreed to allow us to ballot on strike. =
They refused to ballot our members in the National Lottery =
(whose employer is also An Post) on spurious legal grounds. =
<P>
Members have voted ritually down the years to condemn the Act =
but these developments made the matter concrete in very =
dramatic way. Everybody was sickened by the manoeuvres of Head =
Office and the official was regularly savaged at meetings. =
<P>
Secondly, we had a huge problem with scabbing during the =
dispute. Members of the Association of Higher Civil Servants =
(AHCS) openly performed our work in the key operational areas =
of Savings & Investments. We had a similar problem during a =
dispute last year and we called at the time for the expulsion =
of the AHCS from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. This =
resulted in a polite exchange of letters between our General =
Secretary and Peter Cassells. It goes without saying that =
nothing was done. =
<P>
Our Head Office compounded the problem this year by inviting =
the AHCS head honcho to our annual conference where he was =
wined and dined during the dispute! This has only strengthened =
the resolve of members to a) boot AHCS out of Congress and b) =
it has put a question mark over our continued membership of the =
CPSU.
<P>
We also encountered a lot of police interference, including =
special branch intimidation, on the picket line in response to =
our harassment of the scabs. This has put the issue of =
possible victimisation to the fore and we will be watching and =
waiting for any such move.
<P>
What was the final settlement and how was it reached?
<P>
Final terms were brokered by a mediator from the state-backed =
Labour Relations Commission after much jockeying for position. =
Typically these so-called independents invariably look at what =
management want and ask the union side to swallow 70% of it. =
Increasingly, they refuse even to bring forward formal offers =
unless the union negotiating team is prepared to recommend it =
to members in advance! They won't risk their reputation as =
successful brokers unless they can be guaranteed a good chance =
of acceptance.
<P>
The final terms were as follows: Three external recruits were =
proposed. A new secretarial competition to be held to fill a =
further three posts. If they are not filled internally the =
matter will be referred to a third party. 17 promotions were =
offered as well as an interest free loan of =A3450 repayable over =
15 months; no loss of seniority, service or other employment =
benefits as a result of the dispute; and the matter of payment =
to staff removed from the payroll to be referred to a third =
party for adjudication.
<P>
I was alone on the negotiating team in calling for rejection of =
the offer. I sensed that members were willing to stick it out =
for a better deal. I objected to the notion of settling on the =
basis of referring key issues to arbitration -- where they are =
likely to be buried. In particular I objected to the principal =
of the interest free loan and demanded a lump sum instead. Why =
should we pay for ourselves to return to work? The final result =
was 60% in favour of the deal and 40% against.
<P>
What is the atmosphere like following this settlement?
<P>
Members who voted against acceptance were inevitably =
disappointed but overall members returned with a keen sense of =
having licked the company good and proper, albeit at some =
personal cost to our pockets. We are all still awaiting the =
outcome of a Tribunal process (initiated last year) dealing =
with much bigger issues like the 3% PESP pay increase, =
threatened introduction of temporary workers/part-timers, =
changed work practices, etc. Members are bracing themselves =
for that battle as well.
<P>
On a personal level how would you assess the dispute and what =
lessons can be drawn from it?
<P>
This deal represents a solid victory on our part. Management =
have been given a bloody nose but like any beaten contender =
they will be back for a re-match, so we can't afford to be =
complacent about what has been won.
<P>
Some activists argued that because of the larger battle looming =
in the shape of the Tribunal mentioned above, it was necessary =
to settle to conserve our strength -- that it is no use winning =
the battle and losing the war and so on. I don't hold with =
that logic. We cannot choose the timing of our battles. The =
determination of members to fight again will depend on the =
conduct and outcome of this dispute. =
<P>
Important links were built during the dispute with members in =
other unions in An Post, especially the postal workers of the =
Communication Workers Union. Left activists ritually talk =
about the need to build such links, but it was absolutely vital =
in our case because of the sharing of information and building =
solidarity in terms of morale as well as money. =
<P>
We also set up a strike committee to involve members outside =
the official committee structure in handling the dispute. We =
issued strike bulletins and kept members constantly informed at =
mass meetings. Notwithstanding Head Office's foot dragging, =
this dispute was run by our members. The shots were called by =
us. This has incredibly strengthened the branch. As they say, =
things will never be the same again.
Irish Anarchist Paper
-- =
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Noam Chomsky on Anarchism
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2724/noamrbr2.html
Anarchist Publications at
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2724/anpubdx.html