Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE NATIONAL UNION of Journalists (NUJ) has warned against a “false dawn” amid reports that Independent News and Media (INM) has made proposals regarding the future of pension schemes for its workers.
Last week, around 100 current and former staff of the Irish Independent protested at a shareholders’ EGM in Dublin over plans to cut their pension fund.
The company, which owns titles such as the Irish Independent and Sunday World, announced that it will no longer contribute to the company’s defined benefit pension scheme last month.
The NUJ has issued a statement warning the company against setting unrealistic deadlines for a resolution on workers’ pensions.
The union says it is seeking urgent confirmation that no arrangement will be entered into “without prior involvement of the Dublin Printing Group of Unions”, as well as meetings between the trustees and pension scheme members.
NUJ Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley said: “I understand that the trustees of the two defined benefit schemes met INM management on Friday. No written proposals have been provided to the trustees. No information has been provided by the company to trade union representatives.
To date management has failed to engage with the NUJ or the wider trade union group on this issue, in breach of agreements. In the absence of clear proposals I would warn against a ‘false dawn’.
“This remains a secretive process – still aimed at imposing significant changes to the pension entitlements of members.”
Dooley also welcomed an amendment to the Social Welfare Bill, tabled by senator Alice Mary Higgins, while the future of defined benefit schemes will be debated in the Seanad on Tuesday.
He concluded by asking the trustees to be given time to consider any company proposals and “must, in turn, afford the same opportunity to the trade unions and scheme members”.
If this process was interfered with in any way, or unrealistic deadlines set in the run up to Christmas, it would be “strongly resisted” by trade unions, he added.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Fascinating as always.
Great article. Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!
I needed to read something like this today. Thank you.
Today, above all other days, we are redefining what it means to be Irish. Our proud, culturally-rich country will rise again, as it has many times before.
For now, a very happy St Patrick’s Day to all of you. Stay safe.
I’ve fed my family by selling Leprechauns (other stuff as well!) in our little Galway shop – we decided to close it for the time being yesterday, safer for staff, immunosuppressed family members and for the general public.
In normal times people from all over the world get to hear me ráméis about Leprechauns and we all enjoy the interaction.
I prefer telling them about Newgrange, Poulnabrone, Gráinne Mhaol, our Poets, our writers and the people of 1916 but the much denigrated Leprechaun is an innocent part of the overall package and, while never giving me a pot of gold, has enabled me to feed a family, pay rent and taxes and allow my suppliers and their employees do the same.
The Tourism business looks like it’s totally screwed this year, just hoping the scraps from our online sales will keep us going.
Beidh lá eile againn!
Great article. Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!
I love these articles by Darach, way more please!
I think we need to break this association of the aos sídhe and fairies. Fairies are a mythological Germanic creature, usually depicted as very diminished in size – typically the size of an outstretched hand – with wings. The aos sídhe were of human size (we don’t know enough about the lúchorpáin) and had no wings. They looked exactly like humans although they were from the Otherworld or the Western World. Tír na nÓg, for example, was a home of the aos sídhe. The banshee is literally a bean sídhe. Sídhe, itself, refers to the mounds and not the mythological creature. Aos sídhe, daoine sídhe, na daoine maithe, etc are all other terms for them.
leprechaun economics
That leprechaun is unnaturally tall.
@D’oh: or those children are unnaturally small. They are mine!
have your say