PDFORRA, THE representative association for non-officer ranks in the Defence Forces, is to seek trade union status.
At present personnel in the Defence Forces are not allowed to be members of trade unions. Defence legislation also specifies that Defence Forces representative associations are prohibited from being associated or affiliated with any trade union or any other body without the consent of the Minister.
At its conference yesterday the association delegates voted unanimously to seek full trade union status.
Speaking at the conference in Athlone yesterday, PDforra deputy general secretary Simon Devereaux said that as Defence Forces personnel were precluded from union membership, they had been unable to defend themselves from cuts and consequently were “being preyed on”.
“Our Defence Forces and the members of our Defence Forces are being sold out. They are being sold out by the politicians and they are being sold out by senior management.” He said that “quite frankly no one seems to give a damn”.
Citing barrack closures and wage cuts, Mr Devereaux said: “As far as I am concerned, delegates, enough is enough, make no mistake we are on our own.”
Mr Devereaux last night told The Irish Times that the association would seek to pursue trade union status through negotiations with the Department of Defence, political lobbying and national and international means. Essentially it would come down to a political decision as to whether the Government would recognise the association for trade union purposes.
The department said last night that the basis for the ban was that “the taking of any form of industrial action is felt to be irreconcilable with military service and, as such, it would be inappropriate to apply the provisions of the Industrial Relation Act 1990 to members of the Defence Forces”.
In a separate case the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has made a complaint to the UN agency, the International Labour Organisation, citing the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors which operates under a similar prohibition on trade union activity. Congress has alleged that the Government has failed to uphold and properly vindicate trade union rights. This issue is expected to be heard next month.
Kildare district delegate Willie Hannon told the PDforra conference that when the “austerity sharks” come looking for savings, “the attitude is throw them a few barracks and a thousand soldiers”.
Mr Hannon criticised Minister for Defence Alan Shatter for failing to attend at the three-day conference, stating “he couldn’t give a damn”.
“The secretary general at the Department of Defence, he didn’t even show up either,” he said.
Referring to pre-election promises, Mr Hannon said “the Fine Gael candidate for Kildare South gave us the greatest load of bulls**t I have ever heard in my life”. He also rounded on another Kildare politician who had allegedly told him, “Fine Gael don’t do barrack closures.”
The motion passed unanimously at the PDforra conference stated: “Through national and European means to seek the removal of all and any legal impediments to full union status.”
“If we achieve full union status, which is our eventual aim, we will have an independent voice; whereas at present we have no seat at the negotiations table,” Mr Devereaux said.
The department said the existing conciliation and arbitration scheme provided the representative associations with structures and processes which allowed them to make representations and negotiate on behalf of members.