More than 200 delegates representing members from the Education, Community, State Related and Local Authority Sectors gathered in Galway last week for the Public Administration and Community Division Biennial Delegate Conference.
The Conference, on 22nd and 23rd October, took place against the backdrop of the ongoing Public Sector dispute, which has seen members across the Division’s three public service sectors take industrial and strike action in pursuit of a new Public Service Agreement.
Delegates also discussed the requirement to tackle pay and cost of living, the requirement to recruit workers as well as protect services against outsourcing in the current negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) aimed at securing a new agreement.
Conference debated a broad range of motions covering pay, pensions, public services, organising, collective bargaining, Artificial Intelligence and workplace rights.
All motions were adopted, providing the mandate for the Division’s work over the next two years.
A key feature of the Conference was two sectoral breakout sessions. One session brought together delegates from the Community Sector, while a second session involved delegates from the Education, State Related and Local Authority Sectors.
Discussions focused on what each sector needs to do to become “Strike Ready”, ensuring members are organised, informed and capable of mounting effective industrial and campaigning actions when required to advance members’ interests.
Among the Emergency Motions tabled and passed was one from the Local Authority Sector on Public Service Pay and Conditions.
The motion commits SIPTU and SIPTU LAPO to intensify engagement with Government on pay and conditions, challenge failures to honour agreements and industrial relations procedures, campaign against excessive reliance on private contractors, and utilise all appropriate industrial relations and campaigning mechanisms to secure fair treatment for public service workers.