Tag Archives: WRC

CLARE’S Independent TD has robustly challenged the Minister for Defence over the sector’s track record in tackling discrimination, following a ground-breaking RTE radio documentary. Deputy Michael McNamara said that while he believed that the abuse of power within the Defence Forces, and similar organisations with a command structure, is limited to a small minority, there was still a tendency to “circle the wagons rather than tackle the problem”. As Minister Simon Coveney answered Priority Questions (PQs) in the Dail last week, a number of deputies raised concerns about the revelations of sexual coercion and harassment detailed in the ‘Women of Honour’ documentary. Deputy McNamara noted that his own query for the minister was on a related theme, and he asked for an update on the Defence Forces’ process of implementing recommendations on anti-discrimination law. The Scariff-based TD drew the chamber’s attention to the findings, last December, of a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing which made a series of recommendations on …

INMO members at University Hospital Limerick have commenced a ballot for industrial action this Wednesday over the refusal of hospital management to attend talks at the Workplace Relations Commission. The INMO represents over 1,000 nurses on site who are frustrated at the approach to date by management to resolving the persistent high nurse vacancy rates and other related issues. Among nurses’ concerns are the risks to patients, overcrowding in a Covid-19 environment and excessive workloads arising due to unfilled funded nursing posts in wards, emergency department and theatres. To date management have declined to provide the INMO with the vacancy rate. Mary Fogarty INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations said: “It is imperative that these vacancies are filled prior to the opening of 96 much needed additional beds on site. However many of the wards also have historical low staffing levels and need additional nurses to cope with the demands of the Covid-19 environment. “Nurses at UHL are exhausted after …

TALKS on the future of Shannon pharmaceutical company Avara have now been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission. Speaking to The Clare Champion this week, Clare TD Joe Carey said, “The talks are still ongoing, as far as I understand. The union weren’t happy with the consultation period, so it has been referred to the WRC and there will be engagement there between the two parties. “As far as I understand, there was a 30-day period for consultation but there was only maybe 10 days of consultation. They looked for a date with the WRC and they’ve got it. The bigger picture here is that there is a business plan that the workforce have put together. “It’s a viable business plan and it’s based upon actual orders that the company have received to produce product for companies that need it. They’ve based it over a 12-month period to maximise the level of employment.” He said he believes that the plan …