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SIPTU & Catering Workers
Catering Workers across Ireland are coming together as SIPTU members to make sure their voices are heard. In doing so, they aim to stop the exploitation of catering workers, improve the conditions they work in, seek fair pay for the hours they work and gain the respect they deserve.
SIPTU is the Union that organises catering workers in Ireland. SIPTU stands for Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union and we represent over 200,000 people in Ireland. These include workers in catering, construction, transportation, hotels, the health services and education to name a few. SIPTU provides the expertise, experience and back-up services necessary to assist workers in their dealings with employers.
Many people working within the catering sector are working long hours, with no overtime and without legally entitled breaks. Furthermore, many are not paid the correct rates of pay particularly on Sunday. In the current economic climate many workers are facing even more difficult challenges. When there are cutbacks or staff let go, the pressure on those that remain becomes greater and greater. Their workload increases and it becomes impossible for them to complete their assigned tasks in a normal working day. SIPTU understands that these workers are scared and feel like they are alone. However, together with our support, we can try and make some changes.
The Union is YOU and your work colleagues. By joining the Union workers have a stronger voice when airing problems/grievances and make their workplace a better/fairer place to work. Acting together, their demands are taken more seriously, and they have a better chance of getting them resolved faster. So it is important that catering workers join the Union today, so that we can stop the abuses and hopefully improve the pay and conditions of catering workers.
Catering Workers' Conditions Under Threat
An alliance of fast food operators, the Quick Service Food Alliance (QFSA) that includes Supermacs, Abrakebabra and Eddie Rockets, are to launch a High Court challenge to the right of the Catering Joint Labour Committee (JLC) to set conditions for workers in the catering industry.
The catering JLC is made up of SIPTU representing the workers' views, IBEC representing the employers including the Restaurant's Association of Ireland.
Currently the catering JLC set pay rates, hours that can be worked, holiday entitlements and breaks, all of which are currently set above the statutory minumum.
If the QFSA challenge is successful this could have a terrible consequence for catering workers. Already one of the worst paid industries, with a high rate of exploitation, this challenge, if successful, could drive down pay rates and hard fought for terms and conditions.
SIPTU, the Union that representats catering workers has been speaking out against this move by a section of the catering industry, pointing out that the terms within the JLC are negotiated between employers and SIPTU and as such this is a move to increase business profits at catering staff's living standards.
Read Press Release (http://www.siptu.ie/PressRoom/NewsReleases/2009/Name,10786,en.html)
We will keep you informed as this develops.
Exploitation of Workers in Catering Sector Exposed
Towards the end of 2008, and in the first three months of 2009 two very important reports were published that have highlighted the exploitation of workers within the catering industry.
The reports by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) and Migrants Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) both show that employers were paying staff below the minimum wage, not paying overtime or Sunday allowances and making staff work excessive hours with no rest breaks as required under law.
Of the 155 inspections carried out by NERA in the first three months of 2009, 80% of these employers were not complying with their legal obligation regarding the above. This is compared with a 66% of non compliance for the same period last year.
MRCI found a similar picture in their report with 85% of those questioned stating that they did not receive overtime pay or Sunday allowances. Also the MRCI study found that 84% stated that they had not received a contract and 89% said employment rights were not displayed in their workplace.
The easiest way for employers to make sure they are not challenged is to keep employees in the dark as to their entitlements. “If they don’t know their rights, we can do what we want”.
In SIPTU we value catering workers and understand the challenges they face on a daily basis. In the catering industry, customers are often put first; but this must not always be at the expense of employee’s home life or employment rights.
SIPTU is determined to stop the exploitation of catering workers and by working with organisations like the MRCI and catering workers, we will ensure that workers get treated with the respect and dignity at work that they deserve.Tell us if you change address or move workplace
Don’t forget to inform us if you move home or change workplace. This is important because you could be missing out on important information, or could miss your opportunity to vote on some important issues that could relate to your pay, terms and conditions of employment or your workplace. It takes just a minute but could benefit you a lot.
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