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THE COMPANIES OPERATING the state’s three emergency 999 call centres have questioned claims that a strike by operators will not affect the provision of emergency services.
Workers in the Navan centre are striking for 12 hours today in a dispute over pay, working conditions and trade union rights.
The Communications Workers’ Union has assured members of the public that the action will not impact on emergency answering services as two other centres will continue to operate as usual.
However, Conduit Global and BT Ireland said this morning that the union “cannot make promises to the public about what will happen to the service as it does not have a role in contingency planning”.
The third centre remains open this morning, they said, and an extra fourth site has been set up to give operators a choice of location to avoid what they called “the large numbers of unaffiliated protesters that the CWU have apparently invited along”.
The companies also criticised the union for not revealing how many members it has in the call centres.
It said the CWU had claimed that 84% of members supported the strike in a recent ballot but not clarified the specific number of workers who backed the vote.
“In effect, a non-recognised union has gone into a company, has not revealed its membership in that company, and brought about industrial action,” they said in a joint statement.
‘Disappointed’
The companies said earlier that there are 55 operators in total working on the emergency all answering service, spread across three counties on day and night shifts, and that it believed no more than 12 operators would therefore be protesting.
But Ian McArdle of the CWU disputed this figure on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, saying over 75% of staff at the Navan centre were union members.
The union is seeking a living staff wage of €11.50 an hour, collective bargaining rights, a fair on-call policy and an end to “punitive” suspensions.
Conduit Global has said it is “very disappointed” to see industrial action going ahead.
The stoppage began at 8am this morning and will continue until 8pm tonight.
The Department of Communications awarded the emergency call service contract to BT Ireland in 2009 before it was outsourced to Conduit Global.
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I think these operators have a fair argument for better wages. Their level of responsibility and potential stress deserves fair pay.
Another fine example of privatisation.
It wasn’t the just the private sector that made all our lives a misery of strikes unending back in the 70s!
It’s not private or pubic, it’s unionised organisations
They’re asking to be allowed to go to the toilet without being penalised. What is objectionable about that.
I worked previously in another Conduit center – they are a miserable, grinding bunch to work for. all power to the workers here.
I have a big problem with companies like this refusing to recognise unions while treating the minimum wage as a target to be aimed at instead of what it was intended as. When their employees eventually object to their wages and conditions they just shrug their shoulders as if to say ‘who me?’ And while this is happening we have politicians who claim credit for it as if all this were a great thing. Jobs, what jobs?
Compare this workers in a high stress and very important role looking for a rise to an average wage to the Luas workers looking for excessive wage demands for a low stress and unskilled role pushing a button. This is reality Luas workers are living in a fantasy world.
What’s skilled about answering a phone? You don’t think it’s stressful wondering if cars or people are going to cross in front of you as you’re pushing a button. I support both sets of workers in Conduit and Transdev. Enough of this pitting worker against worker bullshit. It’s contributing to the race to the bottom.
Have you compared what each set of works are asking for?
Have you seen the pay increases luas drivers want?
Regardless of anything related to job responsibilities, 999 workers have reasonable asks, luas drivers must think they are operating a space shuttle for the wage increases they are demanding.
Well said Daisy, a good friend of mine who is a driver, has to get up every morning at 4.30 am to start work, I like to think that he and other workers feel it’s worth getting up that early and drive 90000 people a day safely to their destinations, they have a remarkable record compared with general road safety and private motorists.
Didn’t say answering a phone was skilled if you read my comment but their requests are reasonably fitting for the job they do. I think its more stressful dealing with 999 calls for a few hours, I drive a car everyday I don’t find that stressful at all, I would imagine if my car was on tracks I would find it even less so, if you think different your a fool. Its not about pitting workers against workers its about greed and salaries befitting the job role. And Conor cry me a river, that’s the contract they signed up for, some people work 24hrs ie don’t get up at 4.30am but are up the whole night and don’t get the pay they are looking for. Again why wouldn’t you have a remarkable record when its on tracks, all they do is stop and go, there is no comparison to road users.
answering a phone and typing the information into a computer jax .
Answering a phone and having to relaying the correct information clearly and concisely to someone who may be seriously distressed because someone is breaking into their house, their husband is having a heart attack and dying, their house is on fire and their child is trapped or another equally dramatic event. Relaying the incorrect info could be a matter of life and death. Hang up and do it all over and again for close to minimum wage. Not going to save the world but definitely worth a living wage at a minimum.
the wage was set at a level which showed the level of skill required jax.
I thought these were the guys who asked you what service you need and put you through?
by your definition jax that’s the contract these workers signed up to also.
They push a lever , Conor they don’t drive ..
For as long as eircom ran this service, this never happened. Just saying.
Agree totally. They were very well trained, properly staffed & well paid back then. But, since we sold off the country’s best assets, it’s all about quantity not quality.
have your say