A CENTRE set up by the Catholic Church 4o combat long term unemployment has retained the services of an industrial relations specialist following a dispute that almost closed down its first employment project.
Mr John Mitchell, a former general secretary of IDATU and the ESB Officials Association, is representing the Institute for Action and Research on Work and Employment (IAWRE) in its talks with SIPTU on an agreement to handle disputes. The talks follow the settlement of a two week strike over the dismissal of a manager.
SIPTU decided to end the strike after the institute agreed to reinstate the dismissed man, Mr John McNamara. He was overall programme co ordinator for its employment schemes.
The IAWRE has also agreed to pay Mr McNamara two months' back pay to cover the period since his dismissal and to notify anyone told of it that the dismissal notice was being retracted. However, following his reinstatement last week, Mr McNamara resigned to take up consultancy work for other social action agencies.
The institute was set up on the initiative of the Justice Centre of the Conference of Religious of Ireland to help create jobs for the long term unemployed. Its 159 pilot schemes are funded by the State and employ 1,000 people.
However, it employs a number of supervisory staff directly and it was these who took industrial action in support of Mr Mc Namara.
SIPTU sanctioned strike action after the institute refused to suspend Mr McNamara's dismissal to allow negotiations.
The institute wanted Mr McNamara to refer his case to a Rights Commissioner, the Employment Appeals Tribunal or some form of binding arbitration, where it could be dealt with on a judicial basis. SIPTU wanted the dispute resolved through negotiation and the Labour Relations Commission.
Mr Mike Jennings, branch secretary of SIPTU, described the first meeting with Mr Mitchell on Thursday as "hopeful. We laid out our stall of collective grievances and there was a fairly positive response".
Ms Yvonne Murphy, chief executive of the institute, said she did not wish to comment on the details of the dispute.