At a meeting of the Irish Executive Council in Dublin yesterday (09/10) it was decided to recommend acceptance in a postal ballot, which will commence on 20 October.

Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley said the IEC had decided to accept the agreement despite considerable disappointment at the pay terms on offer. In addition to covering pay, the agreement also represents some significant wins for the union, notably in relation to freelance bargaining rights.

The deal provides for a national pay increase of six percent over 21 months, across both public and private sector. A pay pause of three months will apply in the private sector and an 11-month pause is proposed for the public sector.

The deal also contains measures to combat exploitation and strengthen employment rights, specifically: a ban on the use of agency workers to replace striking workers; a change to competition law to allow freelance journalists and session musicians to bargain collectively; a commitment to restore the spirit of the 2001 and 2004 Industrial Relations' Acts (following the Supreme Court judgement in the Ryanair case, in 2005) along with new measures to ban the victimisation of trade union activists and organisers.

Séamus said: "The IEC decided to accept the agreement by an overwhelming majority following a lengthy debate. There was clear disappointment that Congress had not managed to secure better terms and genuine concern at the rate of inflation but there was also recognition that for many members it would not be possible to negotiate better terms outside of the social partnership process at this time.”

On the non-pay area the NUJ is pleased at the commitment to grant negotiating rights to freelance journalists through an amendment of the Competition Act. This marks a major achievement for the union following a ten-year campaign.

The proposed agreement contains a specific commitment to introduce amending legislation in 2009 to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians from the provisions of the Competition Act. Currently the Irish Competition Authority views freelance journalists as "undertakings" and this interpretation has prevented the NUJ from collectively representing freelances or from publishing fees guides.

Seamus Dooley added: "The NUJ is extremely pleased that we have been able to use the process to face down the Competition Authority. The social partners have accepted a clause which recognises that freelance journalists belong to a vulnerable category of workers. The campaign by NUJ and SIPTU was vigorously supported by Congress and led by a committed band of activists who refused to lie down before the might of the Competition Authority. Hopefully the debate on the amendment to the Bill will lead to a wider re-evaluation of the role and function of the Competition Authority."

10 October 2008

---