On Friday 19 August approximately 90 council workers from around the country met again to protest council employment practices, especially in water services. Speeches were heard and the workers marched to Carlow County Council as an industrial action to highlight the issues they are having as workers.
They feel pressure as water workers to leave direct employment under local county councils and go into employment under Irish Water. Union officials stated that workers were not being replaced by the council and that work was going to external contractors. People Before Profit reported on the 26 July about these issues and how they impact on workers’ rights.
There are issues around holiday calculation worth thousands which workers and officials believe have solutions in EU law which has yet to be enacted through the Dáil. There were issues around victimisation and signs and banners protesting ‘organised persecution’ and bullying. There was deep anger towards SIPTU’s bureaucracy itself because it has not allowed a vote on the transfer document for employment. ‘No one wants to go to Irish Water’ was said over and over. Finally there was also the clear issue around the promised referendum on public ownership- ‘It’s been eight years since the marches and we still haven’t got a date for the referendum!’
‘We used to have more water workers in Carlow council,’ one worker said. ‘We are down three men: one with an injury, one who has just retired, one who died in service. Now we just have 18. Water section workers are not being replaced here. They are letting the service run down and waiting for the introduction of Irish Water. Council wants it to happen in January. We still need a vote (on the Transfer Document). And there still needs to be a referendum (on Public Ownership). These were promises we agreed to.’
They think Carlow County Council Chief Executive Kathleen Holohan should keep the county’s water workforce staff numbers high enough and not try to use staffing shortfalls as opportunities to transition their employment to Irish Water. Irish Water are set to take over the direction of work in January. But these workers have a series of issues and ways to fight them.
Paul a water services worker from Waterford said: ‘Butter it up whatever way you want- This is about privatisation.’
The workers formed an impressive column marching up narrow Dublin Street. When asked ‘Why Carlow?’ one worker said ‘The protests are happening here because we’re the smallest county workforce and easier to pressure us as workers here.’ So they are fighting back solidarity and people power to fight back. SIPTU’s Ger Malone spoke and so did long-time Carlow trade unionist Colm Brennan.
Cllr Adrienne Wallace applauded their fightback and has called for council workers to stay in direct employment and be supported properly. ‘Vital services and the workers who provide them are central to how we build the infrastructure we need for a just transition to a greener future. Workers have continuously backed calls for a referendum on public ownership of water. This isn’t something people can let council fudge.’
‘We were absolutely clear during the Water Charges protests and we were promised a referendum.’ She said, ‘Keeping water in public ownership means avoiding the costly disaster of privatisation- but only if council properly supports the workers and services we all need now. I encourage everyone to support these workers locally. They are here today from around the country. They are united and they are absolutely right to fight.’
A worker in Carlow’s water services, reminded us that these are the good green union jobs that we need to keep in the public sector. ‘It’s not that I want to be running around to another town at the end of the day because they haven’t hired in the people we need to keep the service running properly. These are very, very important jobs. We have to make sure that every drop of water is potable. The sewerage services almost inevitably are run next to rivers. Any issue there could lead to a fish kill. These are huge environmental issues we are managing. We can’t be doing that properly while being forced to cover for people in the field.’
People Before Profit TDs have met with water workers and presented their questions in the Dáil again and again. We have called for the long promised referendum on public ownership of water and we will continue to support workers who are holding the line for all of us against the imposition of privatisation which has repeatedly followed the creation of single national providers as Bríd Smith noted in the Dáil.
These workers are the 2022 warriors against water charges, but more than that: they are fighting for workers’ rights to basic holiday entitlements granted under EU law worth thousands to each and the right to have a real democratic decision over their work. And their work is vitally important to our health and our environment and future.
We support them and encourage all of them to get in touch directly with People Before Profit by writing to our TDs or contacting the Trade Union Department: [email protected]
