
Healthcare workers are “deeply offended” by a lack of proposal from the HSE to recognise their efforts in the fight against COVID.
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SIPTU has called for people to reflect on the need for well-funded and dynamic public services which has been starkly illustrated by their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Monday, 24th May) welcomed confirmation from the Department of Health that radiographers, radiation therapists and other certain student health workers can apply to be vaccinators as part of the National Covid-19 vaccination programme.
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SIPTU members are not surprised by detailed revelations in the Irish Mail on Sunday (IMOS) of illegal work practices in the meat processing industry. An investigation published in the newspaper today alleges that some vulnerable workers are forced to secure fake identities from criminal forgers in order to gain employment in meat plants and are the victims of ‘a modern form of slavery’.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Wednesday, 7th April) called on the Government to ensure that Early Years educators are treated on the same basis as teachers and other education workers in relation to the vaccine rollout.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Wednesday, 31st March) written to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien to demand that a Covid-19 stakeholder forum for local authorities be established and convened without delay.
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SIPTU representatives will today, (Wednesday, 31st March) raise the serious concerns of Early Years Educators over the Government’s new vaccination schedule at a high level meeting with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Friday, 26th March) called on the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, to release the funds necessary to settle the Community Employment supervisors pension dispute without delay or run the risk of another round of strike action.
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The Musicians Union of Ireland (MUI) has welcomed the Government’s announcement of €50 million in measures to support the Live Performance sector.
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SIPTU representatives will attend the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee tomorrow (Tuesday, 21st July) to discuss coronavirus infection rates among healthcare workers.
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SIPTU members have called for an urgent meeting with the main contractors on the Intel construction site in county Kildare following a Covid-19 outbreak.
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The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and the Trade Union Federation (TUF) today signed a Return to Work Safety Protocol at a Collen Construction site in Haymarket, Dublin. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the site has been closed since 8th January last.
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UNI Global Union, which represents 2 million care workers worldwide, today said the COVID-19 pandemic has made nursing homes some of the most hazardous—and even deadly—workplaces in the world.
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SIPTU members were incensed by the omission of SIPTU Health representatives from the Oireachtas Health Committee today (Tuesday, 9th February) where the situation of Covid-19 frontline health workers was discussed and debated.
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SIPTU representatives and nursing unions were informed tonight (Thursday, 28th January) that clinical placements for first, second and third year student nurses and midwives are to be suspended until at least Monday 8th February and are likely return on a phased basis.
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Following reports of two more significant Covid-19 clusters in Cork and Wexford, with more than 100 workers testing positive for the virus, SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, Greg Ennis, has called on the Government to act immediately on the recommendations of the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 for the Meat Industry. He also questioned the accuracy of the numbers of infections among its workers which have been disclosed by the industry over the last ten months.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Sunday, 17th January) said the lack of consultation surrounding the decision by health minister, Stephen Donnelly, to suspend student placements will only deepen the serious crisis in the health service.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Friday, 15th January) said the Covid-19 infection rates of health care workers are unsustainable and putting the safe functioning of the health service in grave danger.
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Responding to the launch of the National Strategy on Remote Woking, Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary Patricia King said: “It took a pandemic to fully awaken us to the potential for remote working. While the experience has been fraught for some workers, for the vast majority it has been a positive experience and there is now a huge appetite to continue to work remotely after the Covid-19 restrictions end.
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SIPTU representatives have called on all employers, in both the private and public sector, to listen to the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) for Covid-19, and ensure that wherever possible they should facilitate employees to work from home.
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SIPTU representatives have expressed concern that issues of bed capacity and overcrowding in hospital emergency departments (EDs) will continue to affect the work of the National Ambulance Service. They have called on the HSE to immediately fast track the recruitment of thousands of additional staff as a matter of urgency in the fight against Covid-19.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Friday, 8th January) called on the Government to strictly limit childcare services to only the families of essential frontline workers and the most vulnerable children.
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SIPTU representatives in the construction sector are demanding that the Government guarantees that all construction sites which remain open during the current lockdown have all proper protections in place to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 among construction workers and their families.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Thursday, 7th January) written to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Affairs, Roderic O’Gorman, reiterating the demand of our members working as Early Years educators, for enhanced protections against Covid-19 infection.
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The Trade Union Federation (TUF) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), today (Tuesday, 5th January) have jointly called on employers and workers in the sector to intensify their efforts to prevent Covid-19 infections on building sites.
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SIPTU representatives have called for more support for student nurses and midwives than the recommendations outlined in a Short Term Review of Clinical Placement Allowances published yesterday (Monday, 4th January) by the Department of Health.
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SIPTU representatives have called on the management of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to fast track the recruitment of thousands of additional staff as a matter of urgency in the fight against COVID-19.
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SIPTU representatives have called on the Government to immediately introduce key changes relating to workplace safety in the meat processing industry following the publication of new report revealing a “systemic culture” of dangerous working conditions in the sector.
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SIPTU representatives have welcomed confirmation by the trustees of the Construction Workers Pension Scheme (CWPS) that workers isolating due to Covid-19 will have access to the scheme if a doctor confirms their isolation and the period involved.
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SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Greg Ennis, has called for the immediate recommencement of Covid-19 testing for workers in the meat processing industry.
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SIPTU has stated that the Government’s new waste collection policy fails to address the critical problem of almost a quarter of households in the country having no domestic waste collection service.
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SIPTU representatives have written today (Wednesday, 2nd September) to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, seeking clarification on the public health guidelines for the return of students and staff to third level campuses.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Tuesday, 1st September) condemned the National Ambulance Service (NAS) management for failing to pay emergency medical technicians (EMTs) their full wages due to staff shortages in the payroll department.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Wednesday, 19th August) called for the immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel if the private sector is to continue to play a role in the delivery of elder care.
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SIPTU has called for the acceptance of a charter fully outlining adequate Covid-19 prevention procedures at Irish meat plants following a meeting between union and industry representatives in Dublin today (Monday, 10th August), where it was agreed to jointly seek a meeting with the HSE.
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Irish Equity members have welcomed the clarification by the Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys, on her earlier comments made last weekend regarding the future expectations of work within the Arts in Ireland.
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SIPTU General Secretary, Joe Cunningham, has asked the Government to ensure that workers and their representatives are involved in the distribution and monitoring of the grants and subsidies included in the €5 billion stimulus plan announced today.
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SIPTU members at Aer Lingus have voted by 55% to 45% to reject the Covid-19 crisis recovery plan proposed by the airline.
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SIPTU representatives joined with trade unions across Europe today (Tuesday, 23rd June) to celebrate the contribution of public service workers on United Nations Public Service Day.
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SIPTU representatives will meet the Special Oireachtas Committee on Covid-19 tomorrow (Tuesday, 23rd June) to discuss the issue of childcare for essential health workers during the health crisis.
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Irish Equity has today (Monday, 22nd June) called on the Government to put artists and arts workers first in planning for the recovery.
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SIPTU has today called on the Construction Industry Federation to ensure its members are fully compliant with the Sectoral Employment Order (SEO), and Collective Agreements. The union is warning employers that they cannot avoid full compliance during the pandemic crisis. John Regan, SIPTU Sector Organiser for the Construction Sector said that, “There is emerging evidence that some employers who are using the temporary wage subsidy scheme are not topping up payments to meet the legally binding gross rate of pay for construction workers
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Funding for the reopening of childcare services, announced today (10th June) by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, has failed to address the major issues facing Early Years Educators, according to SIPTU.
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Two of the most important tourist attractions in the Mid-West, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and King John’s Castle, Limerick, will reopen their doors to the public from June 29th instead of July 20th. SIPTU has welcomed the decision, which is in line with changes to the road map for recovery announced by the Government on 4th June.
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SIPTU representatives have met with Shannon Heritage over its decision not to reopen its’ sites on a fulltime basis, contrary to the Government’s return to work protocol.
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SIPTU representatives are to meet with Shannon Heritage, one of Ireland’s leading heritage tourism operators tomorrow (Thursday 4th June) over its decision not to reopen sites on a full-time basis in line with the Government’s return to work protocol.
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This morning, (Tuesday, 2nd June) SIPTU representatives held a highly productive meeting with the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, at which union officials outlined the serious concerns members have over the need for full and transparent data to be made available concerning the 7,900 health workers who have contracted the Covid-19 virus.
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SIPTU Health Division representatives have today (Monday, 1st June) called on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to ensure information relating to the Covid-19 infection rates of all health workers is released without delay.
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SIPTU Hospitality Sector Organiser Martin O’Rourke has criticised the decision of the Government not to include worker representatives on the recently established Task Force charged with providing a safe, quality environment in which the hospitality industry can reopen safely during the current Covid-19 pandemic. He said that a survey of members showed widespread concern at the risks they face, as well as continuing problems over sexual harassment and bullying that urgently need to be addressed.
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SIPTU transport representatives have called for the mandatory introduction of face masks for passengers using public bus, rail and tram services. They said that its members are disappointed at the announcement today (Friday, 15th May) by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, that the Government is to issue an ‘advisory notice’ to the public to wear face coverings.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Sunday 24th, May) condemned the failure of Government to include a voice for health workers on the Nursing Home Expert Panel, established by Minister for Health, Simon Harris, in response to the performance of the sector dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak.
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SIPTU representatives at Aer Lingus have called on the company to continue with current pay arrangements following a statement by the company that it will unilaterally cut pay and working hours after 21st June.
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The Trade Union Federation, comprising Ireland's largest construction unions, SIPTU, BATU and Connect have signed a landmark agreement with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to ensure the safety of workers across the industry.
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SIPTU representatives and the Migrants Rights Council of Ireland (MRCI) have written to the chief executive of the Health And Safety Authority (HSA) to complain about its failure to carry out inspections in meat plants across the country where there have been more than 850 cases of Coronavirus. The union and the MRCI were responding to remarks made to the Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 yesterday by the chief executive of the HSA, Dr Sharon McGuinness.
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SIPTU Health Division representatives have today (Monday, 18th May) demanded that the Government publishes a full and transparent breakdown of the health settings where over 7,600 workers have now tested positive for Covid-19.
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SIPTU representatives have called for urgent discussions with the management of the Dublin Airport Authority (daa) after the announcement today that the company is seeking to reduce the workforce in Dublin and Cork airports by up to 1000 people.
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The Trade Union Federation (TUF), which includes SIPTU, BATU and CONNECT trade unions, have called on construction employers to ensure that maximum protection is provided for workers when they return to work tomorrow.
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SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, Greg Ennis, has called for the immediate creation of a ‘Farm to Fork’ meat industry taskforce to deal with the spread of Covid-19, with more than 600 cases of the virus reported in plants across the country.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Sunday 10th, May) demanded immediate government intervention to ensure that all health workers who are battling to stop the spread of Covid-19 are treated equally.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Tuesday, 5th May) called on the Government to immediately revise the date for the reopening of childcare facilities and to offer a special “annual leave credit” for all health and essential workers.
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SIPTU representatives have today (1st May) called for detailed discussions with management in Aer Lingus following the announcement that the company intends to cut job numbers by 20%.
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SIPTU representatives have called for the mandatory temperature testing and the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for workers in meat and dairy processing plants following the confirmation of clusters of Covid-19 infections in a number of facilities.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Friday, 1st May) confirmed the union has secured an agreement offering student radiographers working on the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis a paid contract of employment.
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SIPTU representatives have raised serious concerns with proposed return to work measures for the construction industry and called for agreement on a protocol for the sector which prioritises the safety of workers.
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SIPTU representatives are seeking assurances that staff working for Section 39 employers are not forced to re-deploy to HSE facilities to which they have no contractual obligations or the necessary qualifications to care for vulnerable patients. Section 39 employers include private sector care suppliers in the private sector which receive public funding through the HSE.
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The Bord na Móna (BNM) Group of Unions has condemned the decision of management at the semi-state company to attempt to proceed today (Thursday, 30th April) with the removal of workers from its payroll.
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SIPTU and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) have called on the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to immediately inspect the Liffey Meats facility in Ballyjamesduff, county Cavan, to ensure its compliance with Covid-19 precautions.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Thursday, 23rd April) said the Government’s plan to meet the childcare needs of health and other essential workers falls well short of what is required by all workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis.
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The Congress executive expressed its enormous gratitude to the thousands of workers in all sectors of the economy – private, public, community and voluntary – who continue to provide essential services on the island of Ireland, often at considerable personal risk to themselves.
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SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, has called on the Government to bring the private nursing home sector into State control for the period of the Covid-19 crisis as it did with the private hospitals. According to the Department of Health, some 40% of Covid-19 infections have occurred in the nursing home sector.
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New government will need progressive counterweight to centre-right to avoid past mistakes
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The SIPTU Big Start National Committee has said that the introduction of the Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (WSCS), which was announced yesterday (Thursday, 16th April), will greatly assist in maintaining a skilled workforce in the Early Years sector.
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SIPTU Health Division has expressed its condolences to the families of two health workers at St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny who died after contracting the coronavirus.
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Today, Government announced that it is taking steps to address anomalies in the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme which leaves low and middle-income workers at a financial disadvantage to jobseekers in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
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SIPTU representatives have today confirmed (Wednesday 15th, April) that agreement has been reached with the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the voluntary redeployment of health workers to private nursing homes to assist in their efforts to defeat the Covid-19 virus.
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SIPTU and Irish Equity have written to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, calling for the Government to urgently increase the financial support for workers in the Arts sector who have been unable to avail of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
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SIPTU representatives have today (Tuesday, 14th April) demanded that the Government gets to grips with the growing childcare crisis facing health and other essential workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Tuesday, 7th April) called on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to intervene and approve pay for student radiographers working in the health service in the fight against COVID-19.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Saturday, 4th April) requested that public health officials provide a detailed breakdown to Union representatives of the health settings where over 900 workers have now tested positive for COVID-19.
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SIPTU members employed by Cork County Council will assist vulnerable people in the community with tasks such as grocery shopping and the collection of prescriptions as part of a newly established COVID-19 Community Support Programme.
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The Trade Union Federation (TUF) has served a formal claim on the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) seeking payment for workers of the agreed industry rates during the Covid-19 crisis.
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SIPTU representatives have called for owner managers in childcare services to be treated as employees under the Wage Subsidy Scheme, which is administered by the Revenue Commissioners.
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Responding to today’s CSO Live Register release, which showed an increase in the seasonally-adjusted Live Register, from 182,800 in February to 207,200 in March and the fact that a further 283,000 were in receipt of the new Pandemic Unemployment Payment and 25,100 of the Temporary COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme, Patricia King, General-Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said the increases were ‘clear indications of the appalling economic devastation caused by COVID-19’.
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Thursday, 2nd April) welcomed the call from leading infectious disease specialists calling on the Government to prioritise the testing of all health care workers for COVID-19.
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SIPTU representatives have today (Tuesday, 31st March) demanded that the Government immediately publishes a strategic and sustainable plan that puts childcare arrangements in place for all essential workers for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
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The ITF Seafarers’ Trust (ITFST) is today launching an emergency fund to address the impact of the global pandemic on seafarers and their families. The fund also aims to provide a lifeline for welfare services at risk due to the financial impact the virus has had on business and fundraising and activities.
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The Trade Union Federation (TUF) has called on companies to ensure laid off construction workers are paid no less than the minimum rates for the industry for the duration of the suspension of their work. The TUF which comprises SIPTU, BATU and Connect trade unions has also called for strict adherence by employers to the instruction by the government to close all non-essential building sites.
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SIPTU Transport Sector Organiser, John Murphy, has called for an immediate reduction of passenger numbers on public transport services in order to protect passengers and staff from the COVID-19 virus. He also called on the National Transport Authority (NTA) to reverse its decision to reduce public transport services from 1st April in order to prevent overcrowding and a breach of social distancing requirements.
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SIPTU has called for all childcare services in financial difficulty to have ‘fast track’ access to the Early Learning and Care Sustainability Fund, which was announced this week as part of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
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SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Gerry McCormack has said that health and safety standards to protect workers from the Covid-19 virus should be enforced at all construction sites and other workplaces, and if not, they should be immediately closed down.
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SIPTU has welcomed the introduction of a scheme to support the childcare sector during the Covid-19 emergency, the details of which were released yesterday (25th March).
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SIPTU Health representatives have today (Wednesday, 25th March) expressed concerns over the increase in the number of health workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 virus. The numbers confirmed by the Department of Health indicate that health care workers make up 26% of all cases identified in the State.
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SIPTU General Secretary, Joe Cunningham, has welcomed the Government’s wage compensation scheme which was announced today (Tuesday, 24th March) and is intended to retain workers in employment.
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SIPTU has called on the Government to ensure that any childcare scheme established to provide for the care of the children of frontline staff must fully adhere to advice from HSE on how to limit the spread of infection among childcare workers.
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SIPTU General Secretary, Joe Cunningham has called on the Government to amend the ‘Employer COVID-19 Refund Scheme’, widening its scope and ensuring that workers and employers are given the support they need.
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SIPTU General Secretary, Joe Cunningham, has called on the Government to introduce an extensive wage subsidy scheme to keep employees in work during the COVID-19 emergency. In a letter to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, today, Joe Cunningham also called for an immediate increase in Jobseekers’ Benefit and other payments such as the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, to €305 per week.
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SIPTU members in the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) have reassured the public that they are actively working with management to ensure the Emergency Medical Service they operate is maintained throughout the unfolding Covid-19 crisis.
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The daa ICTU Unions, SIPTU, Mandate, Forsa, Connect and Unite have today called for the daa to suspend the planned dividend to allow for the funds to be used to support airport workers over the coming period.
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