Government treating Community Employment Supervisors with contempt
Labour’s spokesperson on Employment Affairs & Social Protection Senator Ged Nash has accused the government of treating Community Employment Supervisors with contempt.
The Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform continues to refuse to meet with the supervisors’ unions (SIPTU and Forsa) to discuss the implementation of a 2008 Labour Court recommendation on pensions for supervisors and assistant supervisors.
Senator Nash explained;
“In 2015, Brendan Howlin established a forum and process with DPER and the unions. The clear objective was to deal with this long-running sore once and for all.
“Since the current government took office, the unions have been stonewalled by a government that thinks it’s ok to pick and choose which Labour Court recommendations it chooses to accept.
“Fine Gael’s position on pensions for community employment supervisors treats these workers who manage schemes delivering important community services with contempt. It treats the Labour Court with contempt too and goes against the will of the Dáil as expressed in a motion adopted last year.
“If there is no clear progress on this issue shortly, community employment supervisors will engage in five days of industrial action in May.
“The decision to take this action is born of deep and utter frustration with the government.
“The truth is that as a direct consequence of this government’s inaction on the CE pensions issue drugs services, community childcare services, meals on wheels and day care centres will be severely impacted.
“Nobody wants to see this happen, least of all the supervisors who take such enormous pride in their work.
“It’s time Paschal Donohoe showed CE supervisors and the service-users who depend on the services they manage the respect they deserve.”