1. society
2. work
3. unions

THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
ISSUE 24 • WINTER-SPRING 2014
ALL AT
SEA
Underwater workers
keep the fishing
industry safe.
NEW SICK LEAVE RULES
MAKING A LIVING WAGE
NELSON MANDELA
THAT FESTIVAL FEELING
A NEW GENERATION OF IMPACT REPS
ALSO INSIDE
TRUST AT WORK. WOMEN’S HEALTH. BOXING CHAMP. IMPACT BENEFITS.
THE RISEN PEOPLE. WORLD CUP CASUALTIES. WINTER WOOLIES. TOOLING UP FOR SPRING.
BEING PAID IN BEER. COLD WEATHER FOOD. REAL-LIFE MOVIES. MUSICAL FUEDS.
IRISH SOCCER UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. BOOKS. ALL THE NEWS. LOTS OF PRIZES.
www.impact.ie
In this issue
work&
& life Winter-Spring 2014
WORK
LIFE
6.
2.
9.
10.
14.
16.
WORKING FOR A LIVING
Campaigners are calling for a
‘living wage’.
NELSON MANDELA
Lessons in solidarity.
FEELING FESTIVE
The local authority workers
behind your local festival.
IN TRAINING
IMPACT’s training investment
delivers results.
ALL AT SEA
4.
24.
26.
28.
30.
Meet the seafaring scientists
who help maintain thousands
of jobs. And prawns.
19.
21.
39.
RIGHTS AT WORK
Understanding new public
service sick leave rules.
YOUR CAREER
Trust and be trusted at work.
INTERNATIONAL
Thousands could die as Qatar
prepares for the world cup.
Work & Life is produced by IMPACT trade union's
Communications Unit and edited by Bernard
Harbor.
Front cover: Photo by Kelvin Gillmor.
IMPACT rep and marine scientist Jennifer Doyle
at the Marine Institute in beautiful Oranmore,
county Galway. See page 16 for story.
Contact IMPACT at:
Nerney's Court, Dublin 1.
Phone: 01-817-1500.
Email: info@impact.ie
32.
34.
36.
44.
NEWS
WORKING FOR BEER
In Amsterdam. Where else?
IMPACT PEOPLE
Boxing champ Stephen
‘Block’ Reynolds.
FASHION
Knitwear
is back.
FOOD
Casseroles
for
comfort.
40.
40.
40.
40.
41.
41.
42.
42.
42.
SLEEPOVERS
SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS
PUBLIC SERVICE PAY
AGRICULTURE DISPUTE
COILLTE FEARS RESURFACE
IMPACT BACKS PHILIPPINES
JOBS GROWTH TO SLOW
KIDS LEARN UNION LESSON
IRISH WATER
PRIZES AND OFFERS
GARDENS
Tooling up for spring.
HEALTH
Women watching their health.
13.
23.
Save money with IMPACT.
Half price tickets to The Risen
People.
MOVIES
When real life is wrong.
MUSIC
Strained siblings.
BOOKS
IMPACT man retraces the
gold rush.
36.
46.
47.
SPORTS
Irish soccer under new
management.
Books to win.
Win €50 in our prize quiz.
Rate Work & Life and win €100.
Work & Life magazine is a full
participating member of the Press
Council of Ireland and supports the
Office of the Press Ombudsman. In
addition to defending the freedom of
the press, this scheme offers readers a
quick, fair and free method of dealing
with complaints that they may have in relation to articles
that appear in our pages. To contact the Office of the
Press Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman.ie or
www.presscouncil.ie
Designed by:
N. O'Brien Design & Print Management Ltd.
Phone: 01-864-1920
Email: nikiobrien@eircom.net
Printed by Boylan Print Group.
Advertising sales:
Niki O’Brien.
Phone: 01-864-1920.
Unless otherwise stated, the views contained in Work &
LIfe do not necessarily reflect the policy of IMPACT trade
union.
Work & Life is printed on environmentally friendly paper,
certified by the European Eco Label. This magazine is
100% recyclable.
All suppliers to Work & Life recognise ICTU-affiliated trade
unions.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 1
THE BIG PICTURE
Child’s play?
IMPACT’S BOARDS and Voluntary
Agencies branch is launching a
campaign to highlight the invaluable
work done by IMPACT members in
the youth sector. As cutbacks deepen,
our members continue to provide
vital services to young people under
growing pressure.
Pictured here (clockwise from left)
are Maquta, Ben, Adrian and Mainie
who took part in filming for the
campaign at the Balgaddy afterschool club. The initiative provides a
comfortable atmosphere for informal
education and recreation and a place
to mingle with peers in a safe and fun
environment.
Local IMPACT rep John O’Hara works
with the group. “Building relationships
is a key element of the work and this
can often take time and patience.
But it’s worth it when you see kids
developing and growing in confidentce
in their own right,” he says.
The campaign video is available at www.
youtube.com/user/IMPACTUnion. O
STRANGE WORLD
Photo by dreamstime.com
Will work for beer
THIS STRANGE story is not as crazy as it first seems. A state-funded agency in Amsterdam is paying street
cleaners in beer and tobacco. The Rainbow Foundation’s innovative move followed complaints about some
of the city alcoholics’ anti-social behaviour. The answer? Give them a few cans of beer and some smokes,
feed them a hot meal, and put them to work cleaning the streets for a tenner a day.
The beer is spread out over the shift: Two cans to start the morning, two at lunchtime and one at the
end of the afternoon. In a city renowned for its pragmatic approach to substance abuse, local residents
and project workers are pleased with the results. Anti-social behaviour is down and the alcoholics are
experiencing structure, satisfaction and the self-respect that comes with work.
Most of the workers seem happy too, despite getting weaker beer than they might
usually drink. And they also bring their own bit of pragmatism to the party: “I
think I can speak for the group and say that, if they didn’t give us beers, then
we wouldn’t come,” says one fluorescent-clad participant, quoted in the
Huffington Post.
Just one niggling doubt. That must be expensive lager, what with the
Dutch national minimum wage currently at €8.48 an hour. Sláinte!
2
WINTER-SPRING 2014
That was then…
ACE PUBLIC SERVANTS
Clerk who led
the rising
BETTER KNOWN as one of the signatories of the
1916 proclamation, and a martyr of the Easter Rising,
Eamonn Ceannt was a clerk in Dublin Corporation.
Born in east county Galway, where his father was
stationed with the Royal Irish Constabulary, Ceannt
was also to become a founding father of IMPACT, through his activism in the
Dublin Municipal Officers Association (DMOA), a forerunner of the modern union.
A big supporter of Larkin’s efforts to unionise Dublin’s casual dock workers
and labourers, he was something of a militant on the DMOA executive where he
advocated extending membership to the civil service and other local authorities
as he fought for better terms and conditions for clerical staff. He served as the
union’s vice chairman in 1909 and chairman in 1910.
A member of the Gaelic League executive and master of the uilleann pipes,
Ceannt joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood around 1913 and was among
the founding members of the Irish Volunteers. As an executive member of the
Volunteers, he helped plan the Rising.
He was stationed at the Marrowbone Lane distillery in south Dublin during the
fighting, where the 100-plus men under his command included Cathal Brugha,
and W T Cosgrave. His unit saw intense fighting, but surrendered when Pearse
gave the order.
He was 34 when he was executed by firing squad on 8th May 1916. The union set
up a fund to assist his widow and children. More recently, the IMPACT office in
Dublin was named Eamonn Ceannt House. O
100 years ago
Thousands follow Alice Brady’s funeral cortege
from her home to Glasnevin cemetary on 4th
January 1914, after she died from tetanus as
a result of a gunshot wound to her hand. She
was struck by a ricochet when a strike breaker
fired his pistol into a crowd.
On 18th January locked-out workers gather
at Croydon (now Fairview) Park, where Larkin
advises them to go back to work on the best
terms available. His one injunction to them is
not to sign the form renouncing the ITGWU.
The next day 1,000 dockers try to return to
work, but only 500 are taken back. The SS
Hare brings one of the final food consignments
from British trade unions into Dublin.
William Martin Murphy receives a vote of
thanks at the annual general meeting of
the Dublin Chamber of Commerce on 27th
January. Artist William Orpen is commissioned
to paint his portrait (you can see the finished
work in the Dublin Divided exhibition currently
showing in Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery).
The Local Government Board of Inquiry into
the Housing Conditions of Dublin’s Working
Class is published on 18th February. It’s
unsparing in its description of the social crisis
in the capital, and it names the slum landlords
who are members of Dublin Corporation.
In the first week of February, Charlie Chaplin
makes his film début in the comedy short
Making a Living. In the same week his famous
tramp is introduced to audiences in the
Keystone comedy The Kid Auto Race.
On 10th March suffragist Mary Richardson
damages Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus with a
meat chopper in London’s National Gallery.
Belgian surgeon Albert Hustin makes the first
successful non-direct blood transfusion, using
anticoagulants, on 27th March.
Across the pond, the Ludlow massacre
takes place in Colorado on 20th April when
the Colorado National Guard and Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company guards attack a tent
colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their
families. The massacre saw the violent deaths
of 19-25 people – sources vary – including
two women and 11 children asphyxiated and
burned to death under a single tent.
The deaths occurred after a day-long fight
between the company’s men and striking
workers. Ludlow was the deadliest single
incident in the southern Colorado coal
strike, which lasted from September 1913 to
December 1914 O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
3
xx
IMPACT people
Boxing clever
Martina O’Leary went a few rounds with STEPHEN
‘BLOCK’ REYNOLDS of IMPACT’s Sligo branch,
who recently triumphed in his third professional
boxing match to win the Celtic Nations cruiser
weight title in Belfast. All at the age of 40.
Tell me about yourself.
I’m from Ballinacarrow, County Sligo. We were a sporty family. Dad was a junior
county footballer and Mam was a marathon runner. She always made sure we
were involved in sport.
What’s the day job?
I’m a traffic and litter warden. I like being outdoors and meeting people. The
job’s easier if you treat people as you like to be treated yourself. I always wait a
few minutes if someone is parked where they shouldn’t be, unless they’re in a
disabled space or on the footpath.
What’s your earliest memory?
I spent lots of summers in my mother’s home in Castlebar. We’d go fishing
and climbing or walking up the bogs. As a kid, I always wanted a pen-knife for
Christmas. I would carve my own toys.
How long have you been in the ring?
Over 20 years. I had a bit of a career in weight training and then coach Mercedes
Taaffe asked me to do strength training with a local boxing club. I was 22, but
she thought I had potential. People are normally leaving the sport at that age.
I won my first amateur fight and then lost the next three. But I didn’t give up
and I won everything else. I’ve five senior titles – two in super-heavyweight and
three at heavyweight – plus four national titles. I just missed out on qualification
for the 2000 Olympics. That was really difficult, when you put everything into
following your dream and it comes to an end.
When did you turn professional?
I retired from amateur boxing at 27. Then back in 2011, aged 38, I turned
professional. I’ve won my three professional fights. My brother Alan – a great
boxer – is my coach. It was a great fight when I beat Declan Trainer in the
seventh round to win the Celtic Nations cruiser weight title. Boxing careers
are short, but I’m hoping to have a shot at an Irish title in the New Year.
Training must be tough
I trained 2-3 times a day as an amateur. Runs and sprint training in the
morning, then working with a slip bag at lunchtime to get into the habit
of moving your face, which means you don’t get hit as much. Then
some sparring in the evening. I train even harder as a professional,
with more focus on the recovery. I eat well and get plenty of rest.
What clubs are you are involved in?
After retiring from amateur boxing I coached the club in Ballnacarrow and
we turned out 40 national champions at all ages. A senior title is the only thing X
4
WINTER-SPRING 2014
we’ve yet to pick up. I coach nearly every day and go to a tournament
most weekends. I was also asked to set up a boxing club as part of the
Cranmore regeneration project in Sligo town. We’re doing well with lots
of good boxers and a waiting list of up to six months.
And you were an IMPACT rep.
Yes. I was on the Sligo branch committee for a few years. It is a great
branch and it’s great having that security there. You need someone to
keep management and the Government in check. To make sure they’re
playing ball.
How do you relax?
I would have the odd bottle of Guinness at the weekend. I love to play
my guitar and I write music. I bring the guitar along to the local and
we have a sing-song. I make wood carvings. All sorts. My bed, the
fireplace and mirror frames.
What makes you laugh out loud?
Seeing the kids messing in the boxing clubs. They keep me young. It’s
brilliant.
What’s the worst feature of your character?
I’m a bear when I don’t get my eight hours sleep.
Do you travel at all?
I’m going to Australia next year, which will be good fun.
What music are you into?
Country music. Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.
What do you read?
The only books I read are boxing or sport-related.
What about TV?
I got rid of the telly about a year ago.
What is your favourite dish to cook?
Roast chicken with roast veg.
What really annoys you?
I don’t like people who are deceitful.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Go to college, study hard, get a good job for yourself and exercise. I’ve
learned never to say never. In the past I said I’d never turn professional
and I’m eating those words.
Interview by Martina O’Leary O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
5
Photo by James Connolly.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Don’t be afraid to listen to other opinions. You’ll always learn something.
Wage
The campaign for a ‘living
wage’ tackles the relationship
between work, wages and
welfare says PADDY COLE.
THIS NEW year marks the beginning of life in postbailout Ireland. After three long years, there’s some
hope that we now have an opportunity to shape our
future, rebuild our republic, and begin a national
conversation about how we want to develop as a
sovereign state.
A wage th
on giving
This hope places a big responsibility on unions and
other progressives. We have to work hard to ensure
that any recovery dividend is both sensibly spent
and fairly distributed among the people who’ve
been squeezed since the crisis began.
Since 2008, the combined effect
WILL W
ORK FOR
LIVING
WAGE
of the recession – high unemployment, stagnating wages
and high living costs – have depressed living standards
across most of the working economy. Meanwhile profits
have soared for some, while any hit the very rich felt still
left them comfortably immune from the hardship and
insecurity of the ‘little people.’
What’s a living wage?
The campaign for a living wage, which is finally gaining
ground in Ireland, is part of building a realistic alternative.
A living wage is more than the national minimum wage. It
means hourly pay and adequate working hours that allow
employees earn enough to enjoy the basic human needs of
housing, healthcare, food, clothes and heating.
A living wage would set a blue ribbon standard for ethical
employers while tackling the growing phenomenon of the
working poor. It would address income inequality, wage
stagnation and falling living standards.
And a living wage could help boost recovery by increasing
both the purchasing power and spending confidence of low
paid workers. More money in their pockets means more
spending in the high street and a boost for the economy.
It’s a simple concept that values workers and work. And it’s
getting wide recognition as an effective means of helping the X
6
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Photos by dreamstime.com
Especially those who’ve been squeezed most.
The people that are scraping by day-to-day, some
working two jobs, many on zero-hour
contracts, mostly unable to plan a
future for themselves or their families.
The men and women who clean our
offices in the morning, make our
sandwiches at lunchtime, deal with
our service queries throughout the
day, or serve us a meal or a pint
after a long week in the office.
WILL W
ORK FOR
LIVING
WAGE
at can keep
“A living wage is more than the
national minimum. It means
hourly pay and adequate working
hours that allow employees earn
enough to enjoy the basic human
needs of housing, healthcare,
food, clothes and heating.”
lowest paid
employment.
escape
precarious
and
undervalued
It would also mean far less reliance on the taxpayerfunded benefits, which the working poor now need to
survive. Almost 90,000 employees are currently receiving
jobseekers benefits because their pay is too low or their
working hours are too few. And, since the crisis, the number
of workers claiming Family Income Supplement (FIS) has
risen by 60%. Over 41,000 low-income families, including
as many as 4,000 public servants, now depend on FIS to
keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.
WILL W
ORK FOR
LIVING
WAGE
On FIS alone, taxpayers like you and me are subsidising
profitable employers to the tune of €229 million this year,
with over €280 million budgeted for next year. The figures
are as alarming as they are unsustainable.
A social welfare system that was meant to establish a safety
net for individuals and families who’ve fallen on hard times
is morphing into a prop for businesses, including huge
and profitable multinationals. A recent Dáil answer listed
retail giants like Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl and Pennys as
having large numbers of staff who claim FIS or jobseekers
benefits.X
Continued on page 8
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
7
Wage
WILL W
ORK FOR
LIVING
WAGE
Already saddled with unsustainable debts by reckless banks
and property speculators, the state cannot be expected to
permanently bridge the gap between the inadequate wages
companies like these pay and the cost of meeting workers’
basic living standards.
There’s no practical reason to prevent us adopting a similar
system in Ireland – and rewarding businesses that pay the
living wage by buying their products and using their services.
Living wage UK
The fight for decent wages, which long precedes this economic
crisis, is often wrongly seen as a zero-sum game where workers’
advances are by definition an employer’s loss. UK blue-chip
companies like KPMG, Aviva and Deloitte clearly don’t see it
that way.
Labour party leader Ed Milliband has committed his party
to implementing a living wage when in government. On the
opposite side of the political fence, London’s Tory mayor Boris
Johnson has been steadfast in his support for the idea.
WILL W
ORK FOR
LIVING
WAGE
8
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Nobody was talking about pay increases when we were at the
mercy of the troika. But many politicians are now coming round
to the idea of a living wage as part of economic recovery. Social
protection minister Joan Burton made a strong commitment
to the idea at last November’s Labour party conference, where
she explicitly linked pay bargaining to economic recovery.
“Recovery must come from the middle out, not the top down.
It is the earnings of the middle and working classes that have
always fuelled economic expansion here, and growth in their
wages will be central to real and lasting recovery,” she
opined.
By showing solidarity with low paid people in precarious
employment, trade unions have an opportunity to
demonstrate a new relevance to workers who have
tended not to see us as particularly relevant to their
lives. We can do that by building a winnable campaign
for a living wage, including a pledge to support
businesses that pay it. O
Paddy Cole is a member of the Young Workers
Network and communications officer for
Dailwatch.ie.
Photos by dreamstime.com
Right now, the London living wage has been set at £8.80
(€10.55) an hour for those aged 21 and over – more than 16%
above the £6.31 (€7.56) national minimum wage. The British
Living Wage Foundation has attracted some serious household
names as corporate partners, including KPMG, Aviva and
Deloitte who respect the voluntary living wage and reap the
benefits of higher productivity, lower absenteeism and a
workforce more receptive to changed working practices.
What now?
Nelson Mandela
Photo: Getty Images
A lesson in
solidarity
TRADE UNIONS in
Ireland and across
the globe paid
tribute to the late,
great
Nelson
Mandela following
his death on 6th
December. ICTU
general secretary
David
Begg
expressed
“deep sadness”
at his passing
and
extended
condolences to
his family and
friends, and to the
South African trade
union movement.
THE STORY of Nelson Mandela’s life and
struggle to overcome the oppressive
apartheid regime, culminating in his
election as president in 1994, provides
inspiration
to
struggles
against
repression and injustice across the globe.
His sad death also brought memories of
the role of Irish trade unions in the antiapartheid struggle as the brave stance of
the Dunnes Stores strikers was
acknowledged and celebrated. Twelve
Dunnes workers were on strike for two
and a half years in the 1980s after being
victimised for refusing to handle goods
produced in the apartheid state. Mandela
himself said their support helped him
keep going.
central
IMPACT’s
executive committee
also sent condolences
to the South African
labour movement from its
December meeting. IMPACT
was among the unions that
contributed to travelling costs
to enable former Dunnes Stores
workers to attend Mandela’s
funeral. They were on strike for
almost three years in the 1980s after
being victimised for refusing to handle
goods produced in the apartheid state.
Last month the South African trade union
federation Cosatu hailed the Dunnes
Stores strikers as an exceptional example
of international workers’ solidarity. Their
action also brought the apartheid issue
to national attention, helping to galvanise
Irish opinion against the regime.
Mr Begg said Mandela was an icon for all
who fight injustice. “I extend our heartfelt
sympathies and condolences to the Congress
of South African Trade Unions, who played a
pivotal role in the long fight to end Apartheid.
“That long struggle highlighted the importance of
solidarity, as exemplified by the Dunnes workers.
Their brave actions gave practical expression to the
belief that an injury to one is the concern of all, even
if the injured are thousands of miles away on a
different continent,” he said.
John Douglas, general secretary of their union Mandate,
said it was fitting that the Dunnes women were able to attend Mandela’s funeral. “Mr
Mandela is an enormous loss to South Africa and the rest of the world. His knowledge
and leadership will leave an enormous vacuum, which will be extraordinarily difficult to
fill. His legacy of justice, equality and solidarity will continue, without borders, forever,”
he said.
Rosa Pavanelli, general secretary of the international trade union federation Public
Services International, said: “We are grateful to Madiba for the extraordinary lessons he
taught the world. He suffered and fought to end apartheid. He struggled to establish
democracy through dialogue. He succeeded in being a great president for South Africa;
a respected and inspirational political leader for the whole world and a champion of antidiscrimination, social justice and solidarity.”
I was a young teenager at the time and
the Dunnes strikers were the first people
to make me aware of what was
happening in South Africa. Their picket
was a landmark presence in Dublin’s city
centre throughout the strike, and I can
only imagine how tough it was to
maintain that for two and a half years.
One of my schoolmates – now an IMPACT
member, as it happens – organised a
similar boycott of South African goods in
our school, and pestered the staff until
they got behind it.
It forced a bunch of young school kids to
have a discussion about what apartheid
meant. It was a conversation we probably
wouldn’t have had without the example
of the Dunnes workers. The gradual
realisation that our small action was part
of something much bigger – something
that really put pressure on the apartheid
regime – was an important lesson in
activism and solidarity.
Niall Shanahan
He was a leader who never let us down l
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 9
Culture and economy
Festival
Waterford’s harvest festival draws huge crowds.
Local festivals across Ireland were bigger and better than ever last year.
NIALL SHANAHAN spoke to some of the local authority staff who are
boosting our culture and giving local economies a much-needed lift.
FROM MATCHMAKING in Lisdoonvarna to the Fleadh Ceol,
Ireland has a deep and strong festival tradition. It’s an
opportunity to break from the routine, doll the place up, and
invite guests to enjoy themselves and look at the area in a
brand new light.
Last year’s festival scene was busier and brighter than ever before,
with a clutch of new festivals added to the hardy perennials.
The Gathering provided the impetus for more ambition with the
number of additional visitors to the country suggesting it had
worked a little extra magic.
But where do you start when it comes to organising a festival?
Who’s got the inspiration? Who turns the vision into reality? Who
makes it all run smoothly? And who cleans up afterwards?
While the success of our festivals is rooted in relationships
between communities, business and local councils, the role of
local authorities is crucial. The most successful festivals draw
10
WINTER-SPRING 2014
on the creativity of local authority staff and the capacity of a
council to deliver the logistics and infrastructure needed to run a
successful event.
‘Festival of the year’ is one of the key categories in the
Chambers Ireland annual ‘excellence in local government’
awards, illustrating how the business community regards the
economic role of festivals and the local authorities’ part in
delivering them.
Unique
Waterford city council’s Finn Brophy is events controller and
safety officer for the wide range of events now hosted in the city.
“We’ve developed a unique range of festivals in Waterford. It
started for me in 2005 with the first visit of the tall ships, which
we hosted again in 2011. They sail right into the heart of the city.
It’s been a tremendous success. We had a quarter of a million
visits on just one day in 2011,” he says. X
fever flying high
Finn has been involved in festivals full-time
since 2009. “We’ve developed two festivals
with a national profile, Winterval and the
Waterford harvest festival in the second
weekend in September. Over five years
it’s evolved from a three-day food event
into a week-long festival and our goal is to
continue to develop its national profile.”
Photo by Peter Grogan.
Winterval features a winter market,
3D light show, toy museum, and
Santa’s grotto, all planted right in the
historic heart of the city. “The sense of
anticipation following the success of the
first year was quite strong and I think it
really drove attendance,” Finn says. Its
second year saw footfall increase by 8%
over 2012.
ambitious plans remain. “The picture isn’t entirely clear, but the
programme of work is there and it’s helping to develop a buzz
about Waterford. 2014 is going to be a big year for the city,”
says Finn.
Inspiration
Meanwhile back in the smoke, Dublin’s deputy city librarian
Brendan Teeling and senior librarian Tara Doyle provided the
inspiration and driving force for a new and very successful Dublin
Festival of History last September. “I’d seen a festival of history in
the UK a few years ago and it stayed in my mind. I really wanted
to do something like it in Dublin and the Gathering provided an
opportunity to get some funding,” says Brendan.
A marriage of Brendan’s personal interest and the city’s
important historical collection gave birth to an idea that gained
immediate support in the council. “We were taking a leap of faith
“We are supporting businesses by bringing people into
the city. We brought 4,000 people into Dublin city centre
over four days. That has to have an effect. There really
was a buzz about the place.”
The ultimate goal is to place the local event on the national
calendar, encouraging more people to travel to Waterford. “We
market the festivals nationally and we engage in intense market
research. Tourism is central to Waterford’s future development.
The recession has hit us hard with unemployment now 26% in
the city. So the festivals play a huge role in attracting visitors and
creating a great atmosphere in the city.”
Ideas
The council invests half a million euro a year, not to mention
the time of three staff in its economic development office. And
the new ideas keep coming. Next year the emphasis will be on
Waterford’s Viking heritage, starting in January with a family
event on the quays to symbolise the city’s birth 1,100 years ago.
“We’ll host a special Saint Patrick’s day event, a medieval pageant
and a stage of the Circuit of Ireland rally in June. There’s also a
three-day music festival, the marathon and the independentlyrun Spraoi arts festival, which takes place on the August holiday
weekend. There’ll also be lots of smaller, one-off events.”
Despite some uncertainty about the future, with Waterford city
and county councils due to merge under Government reforms,
as far as the audience was concerned, although I suppose we
were quietly confident,” he recalls.
Planning only began in the spring, but the festival proved an
instant hit. Tara was charged with getting it up and running, and
is now poring over the feedback from thousands of people who
went to events. “I’m delighted and overwhelmed by the response.
We have a survey running on our website and the audience
response has been fantastic,” she says.
There was a strong attendance at all the festival events,
with Simon Schama’s discussion of the story of the Jews,
which coincided with his book and BBC TV series, pulling
a particularly strong crowd. “All the feedback suggests that
audiences loved the breadth and variety of what was on offer,”
says Tara.
Business
The history festival drew huge numbers into the city and won
support from independent bookshops in the area. “I suppose we
are supporting businesses by bringing people into the city. That’s
part of the council’s remit,” says Brendan. “We brought 4,000
people into Dublin city centre over four days. That has to have X
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
11
Culture and economy
The festival demonstrated the flexibility of library staff. “It’s not
something that’s often recognized. The pop-up library was
a new and interesting way of bringing the library into the
community. Everyone involved was happy to go the extra
mile,” she says.
Tara promises another great festival when it runs again
from 26th September to 3rd October this year. “We have
a big wish list for the next programme. I promise you we’ll
come up with some really good stuff,” she enthuses.
Dublin’s three-day Bram Stoker festival celebrated the
Dublin-born author of Dracula in October. Cue free pop-up
events, a city-wide vampire hunt, and a range of speciallythemed literary and theatre events.
12
WINTER-SPRING 2014
In or out of recession, festivals continue to highlight the richness
and diversity of our places and people. And they’re a celebration
of the creativity and vitality of the local authority staff who make
it happen O
Tara Doyle and Brendan Teeling.
Photo by Shane O’Neill, Fennell Photography.
It also presented an opportunity to promote another valuable
council service. “As well as a bookshop, we had a pop-up library
at the events. We were able to showcase the range of interesting
history titles that are available for free all the time. People could
bring in their library cards and borrow from the collection,” says
Tara.
Across the country, hundreds of big and small festivals increase
footfall in our towns, cities and villages generating a positive vibe,
boosting economic activity and increasing consumer confidence.
But it’s about more than economics. Festivals tap into our
cultural self esteem and celebrate the best of our communities.
Photo by IMPACT Communications.
an effect. There really was a buzz about the place and it really
added to the sense that Dublin is a place of history and heritage.”
You’re better
off in IMPACT
IMPACT members can save a lot of money from the wide
range of financial benefits provided or negotiated by the
union. Some of these are free to all IMPACT members.
Others are optional benefits, available only to IMPACT
members, which can mean savings on insurance, salary
protection, additional pension coverage and more. You must
be an IMPACT member to avail of these benefits and services.
IMPACT members are entitled to
l €4,000 specified critical illness or death benefit
l Free legal help in bodily injury cases
l Free 24/7 legal advice helpline
l Free 24/7 confidential counselling helpline
l Free 24/7 domestic assistance helpline.
Members can opt
to avail of IMPACTfacilitated financial
benefits
l Car insurance
l Home insurance
l Travel insurance
l Additional pension benefits
l Salary protection and life cover.
FULL
DETAIL
S ON
WWW.
IMPAC
T.IE
IMPACT members can also apply for
l Gaeltacht scholarships for members’ children
l Industrial relations scholarships
l Benevolent grants for members in financial distress.
IMPACT Trade Union
Phone: 01-817-1500
Email: info@impact.ie
www.impact.ie
Workplace representatives
Go to the top
Over 200 workplace reps have
completed a new IMPACT
training programme aimed at
improving the union’s
effectiveness in the workplace.
THE ACHIEVEMENTS of over 75 IMPACT members were acknowledged at two training graduation ceremonies late last
year. They were among over 200 ordinary workers who have
put themselves forward as union reps to help protect our
members in workplaces across the country.
The new initiative stems from a 2011 decision to prioritise
training for local reps, and to develop a new form of training
more relevant to today’s workplace challenges.
Derek Beatty of the union’s Boards and Voluntary Agencies
branch said the training was about levelling the playing field.
“Before I was going into meetings with management feeling I
wasn’t as prepared as them. I would always have been confident, but the training has definitely given me more confidence,” he said.
The courses – developed and mostly delivered by IMPACT staff
– are done on a modular basis, with participants committing
to four separate days training at each of two levels. They have
been run in Dublin, Cork and Galway, with additional sessions
in the midlands, the northeast and the south-east.
Participation
Deirdre Desmond of the Agri Labs branch being presented with
her certificate by honorary training officer Margaret Coughlan.
Killian Brennan of the IMPACT Cabin Crew branch also said
that solid skills and knowledge training had improved his confidence. “It also allows you to network with other people from
other parts of the union. It makes you realise you’re part of
something bigger than your own branch, and there are areas
of commonality with other sections, whether people are working in the public sector or a private enterprise,” he said.
14
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Feedback from participants has welcomed the participative,
discussion and exercise-based modules in areas like communications, dealing with employers, representing members, employment law, building more effective branches, and union
structures. An encouraging number of participants have since
been elected to branch executive committees, while others
have taken on bigger roles in their branches and workplaces.
Speaking at the recent graduation ceremony in Dublin,
IMPACT deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan said the aim
was to develop our people, who he said were the best resource
available to the union. “We need well-trained activists to help
defend our members and be ready to achieve more when the
of the class
Photos: Conor Healy
Declan Murphy (Agri Labs) and Olivia McLoughlin
(HSE Dublin North) graduated in December 2013.
Level one graduates David Devine (Fingal), Maria McLoughlin and
Sean Twamley (Dublin Hospitals),
Margaret O’Dwyer, (Kildare) and Kevin Paul Corbett
(Institutes of Technology).
upturn comes. Our training graduates have demonstrated that
they have the desire and capacity to develop their skills and
take those skills into the workplace,” he said.
“The training makes you realise you’re part
of something bigger than your own branch.
There are areas of commonality with other
sections, whether people are working in the
public sector or a private enterprise.”
The awards were presented by the union’s honorary training
officer Margaret Coughlan, who praised the level of participation and achievement and pledged the union’s continued
support for activist training. Margaret chairs the IMPACT
training committee, which oversees the initiative.
Martina O’Leary l
Over to you?
NOW IN its third year, the union’s ‘Making an IMPACT’
workplace representatives’ training is open to members
who want to become workplace union reps or improve
their existing skills. Places are limited and those interested must apply and set out their reasons for wanting to
participate. Applicants must also agree to do each of four
modules, which take place on separate days.
Applicants for level one don’t need previous experience,
but they must have a willingness and potential to become
an effective IMPACT workplace representative. Level two is
designed for more experienced activists and those who
have completed level one.
Once confirmed, training dates for 2014 will be distributed to branch secretaries and through the IMPACT e-bulletin and website. In the meantime, you can get more
information from your local official or from Margaret Gorman at mgorman@impact.ie.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 15
Public service
Prawn free
MARTINA O’LEARY meets the
seafaring staff and scientists who
help maintain thousands of jobs that
depend on the sea.
SPARE A thought for Jennifer Doyle next time you’re
tucking into your Dublin Bay prawns as a lovely fish
supper. For this IMPACT rep spends 45 days at sea each
year to make sure there are enough quality crustaceans
on your plate.
Along with about 50 other staff at the Marine Institute’s
fisheries ecosystem group in beautiful Oranmore outside
16
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Galway city, Jennifer’s work is about surveying nephrops
– or Dublin Bay prawns to you and me – giving advice
on the stock and how many fish can be sustainably
removed.
“Hundreds of fishermen’s livelihoods depend on healthy
fish and nephrops stocks. The prawns are our second most
valuable fish stocks, worth €80 million a year to the Irish
economy. If you don’t have a good handle on the stock status
that’s all at risk,” says the scientist.
Going to sea to do underwater surveys – usually for 10
or 15 days at a time – is just part of the job. There’s also
a lot of preparation and, afterwards, a lot of data to be
analysed. X
Photo: Kelvin Gillmor.
John Barry, Paddy O’Driscoll and Tom O’Leary from P&O Maritime.
The agency is responsible for promoting the sustainable
development of marine resources and providing advice
to the industry, government and European Union. Its wide
remit includes safeguarding the marine environment and its
natural resources, research, and facilitating access to critical
marine infrastructure like the national research vessels, data
buoy network and a wave energy test site.
Vessels
The Marine Institute contracts P&O Maritime to operate
its two vessels, Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer, which
is a multipurpose vessel designed to undertake a wide
array of offshore and deep-sea surveys. Both boats are
fitted with state-of-the-art instrumentation, laboratories
and IT equipment, which are used for fisheries research,
environmental monitoring, climate studies, seabed mapping,
oceanography, seismic surveys, student training and
meteorological investigations.
The Celtic Explorer.
Jennifer and her colleagues provide the best possible advice
on the numbers and health of the fish, and manage its
recovery if the stock is not all it should be. And the data is
also used as the basis of fishing limits when our ministers
negotiate in the European Council of Ministers. “This
information on the health of the stock is key to negotiating
EU fishing limits. It’s essential the minister has this data at
his fingertips for the December Fisheries Council meeting,”
says Jennifer.
Ireland has a seabed territory of up to 220 million acres,
an area nearly ten times greater than its land mass. The
Marine Institute is tasked with minding this precious
resource, which creates jobs and earns millions for the
Irish economy every year.
P&O Maritime’s transport and logistics officer Tom O’Leary
is the local IMPACT contact, representing everyone from
labourers and cooks to seafarers, technicians and engineers.
“We represent the best people in this industry. Clocking out
and going home at the end of the day just doesn’t work here as
anything could go wrong with the ship at a moment’s notice. You
can’t walk away at five o’clock. We all pull together,” he says.
Enormous
Every piece of equipment is unloaded and cleaned and
serviced once the ship docks. It sounds straightforward, but
some of the equipment is enormous. Think of your average
sitting room, and double the size. A winch for the remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) is as big as a wide-load artic truck.
So is the ROV operations cabin, which contains the technical
equipment and screens for monitoring the seabed.
Gear superintendent John Barry has helped design moorings for
Marine Institute weather and scientific buoys. “Next week X
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
17
Photo: Kelvin Gillmor.
Public service
ROV technician/pilot Paddy O’Driscoll.
Paddy O’Driscoll, is one of six ROV technicians and pilots.
He was part of the team that helped a NUIG research team
discover a new seabed and amazing marine-life off the
west coast of Ireland recently. “We do scientific trips and
occasional external work for other organisations,” explains
Paddy.
“The prawns are our second most
valuable fish stocks, worth €80
million a year to the Irish economy.
If you don’t have a good handle on
the stock status that’s all at risk.”
Being at sea means working in an enclosed, confined
environment that’s both a place of work and a residence.
“You have to respect the weather and your colleagues. You
can’t just throw your gear on the cabin floor. If the alarm
goes and you have to get out of the cabin fast, something left
on the ground is a hazard. You have to be constantly on guard
and aware that you’re in a working environment,” explains
Jennifer.
Smooth operators
There’s also pressure to get as much information as possible
during each trip, because vessel time is expensive. “We often
survey the nephrops in 24-hour operations. Not because of
animal behaviour, but to maximise the production time. All
the analysis is done on board so we come off with everything
ready to go. It’s a very smooth-running process,” she adds.
The Marine Institute scientists and P&O crews work alongside
one another. It takes a team of six technicians and pilots to
operate the seabed survey on a 24-hour basis. “You rotate
because you can’t fly for 12 hours at a time. The ROV just
flys over the bottom of the seabed, operated by thrusters. We
Scientist Jennifer Doyle.
18
WINTER-SPRING 2014
have two HD cameras. The equipment’s size and high-tech
features make the job really intricate,” says Paddy.
The P&O team spends about 100 days at sea each year. “You
do your 12-hour shift. Have your food, do your laundry and
chores, into bed and away again in the morning. It keeps us
busy,” says Paddy. Equipment is repaired between trips. “We
need time to repair a lot of the equipment. Everything takes
a lot of planning as you can’t get parts off the shelf. Many of
the cables are fibreoptic.”
Achievement
“It gives a great sense of achievement to go to sea, get the
data, analyse it, and then feed into the assessment process
producing the best advice we can on the prawn stocks. We
are also pretty much to the forefront in technology. In Europe
we’re seen as an established scientific institute that uses this
technology to its best,” says Jennifer.
Jennifer and her colleagues also have many dry land chores,
including sampling the fish stock in the ports and auction
halls, processing and analysing data, attending meetings,
presenting data, and agreeing the status of the stock at
European level. “I love going to sea, it’s great. You never know
what you’ll be like until you go. A lot of people think it’s very
romantic and nice being outdoors. But big weather affects
everybody and it can be very uncomfortable,” she says. O
Photo: Kelvin Gillmor.
I’m going to sea to recover moorings that were left there from
wave energy experiments, clearing the site for another big
job,” he says.
Your rights at work
Big changes to public service
eligibility for paid certified sick
leave kick in this year. Make sure
you know the new rules.
THE FINAL shape of new certified sick leave arrangements,
which are expected to come into force for most public
servants in March, will be determined by binding arbitration
in the Labour Court. Unions were awaiting its decision as this
issue of Work & Life went to print.
Paid certified sick leave for non-critical illnesses has been
halved to three months on full pay, followed by three months
on half pay in any four-year period. But IMPACT has ensured
that the previous arrangements – six months on full pay,
followed by six months on half pay – will remain in cases of
critical illness.
Existing arrangements for occupational illnesses and injuries
– conditions caused by or at work, respectively – remain
unchanged. But public servants need to be aware of how the
new rules will be applied, and particularly how ‘critical’ illness
will be defined from now on.
Looking back
Like the old system, the new arrangements limit the amount
of paid leave available in a ‘rolling’ four year period – or the
four years prior to the date on which your sick leave begins.
For non-critical illnesses, this is now three months on full pay,
followed by three months on half pay in any four-year period.
However, an existing second one-year ‘look back’ mechanism
also remains in place. This takes account of sick leave over
the 12-months prior to the date of illness in a way that’s
advantageous to the worker concerned. It works like this:
l
There will be a maximum of 183 days paid sick leave at
either full or half pay in four years.
l
But if a worker has taken fewer than 183 days sick leave
in that four-year period, a second look-back over the
previous 12 months will determine the rate at which the
worker should be paid.
So, a worker who had 123 days sick leave prior to 2013, but
had taken no sick leave in 2013, would be able to take up to
60 days sick leave at full pay in 2014 if necessary. This is
because the overall limit of 183 days in four years is qualified
to provide for up to 92 days at full pay in the 12-month before
the date of a current illness.
Critical condition
So what’s a critical illness? First, there is no list of conditions
that fit the bill. Instead, there’s a set of requirements that has
to be met for an illness to be defined as ‘critical.’ They
include:
l
The worker must be under the care of a medical consultant (or, in some cases, another medical professional)
l
The worker must furnish evidence of the critical nature
of the illness
l
The worker must be medically unfit to return to work
continued on page 20 ‰
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 19
Photo: dreamstime.com
New rules on public
service sick leave
Your rights at work
l
The worker must have at least one of the following: an
acute life threatening illness; a chronic progressive illness
with well-established potential to reduce life expectancy if
there is no medical intervention; a major physical trauma
requiring acute operative surgical treatment; or in-patient
care of at least two weeks.
As Work & Life went to print, IMPACT was working to ensure
that these criteria take account of the particular
circumstances of pregnancy-related illness, disability and
mental health. These issues had been referred to the Labour
Court.
Discretion and appeals
By and large, the new rules are likely to be applied quite
rigidly. But, in exceptional circumstances, managers will have
the discretion to extend paid sick leave beyond the new limits
for non-critical illnesses – even where the medical criteria are
not met. In doing so, a manager will have to consider the
individual’s previous sick leave record and the potential
impact on the workplace of an early return to work.
It will be possible for staff to appeal management decisions
on medical grounds if extended leave is refused on medical
grounds – and to appeal a management decision not to use
their discretion to allow extended leave in a particular case.
Photo: dreamstime.com
The new arrangements are complex in many respects. You
can get much more information from our website –
www.impact.ie l
20
WINTER-SPRING 2014
MAIN POINTS
l
Existing schemes for occupational illnesses or injuries unchanged.
l
Paid sick leave for critical illnesses remains at six months full pay,
followed by six months half pay.
l
New criteria to determine whether an illness is ‘critical.’
l
Paid sick leave for non-critical illnesses halved to three months on
full pay, followed by three months on half pay.
l
Management has limited discretion to extend paid leave in noncritical cases.
l
Workers can appeal on medical grounds, or when management
discretion to extend paid leave in non-critical cases is refused.
l
The new rules are expected to apply from 1st March 2014 for
most public servants, and from September 2014 in schools and
colleges.
l
Pre-2014 rules continue to apply for staff on sick leave when the
changes come in – but only for the current illness.
Your career
Taking on trust
Develop your ability to trust and
be trusted if you want to thrive
in your career, says ISOBEL
BUTLER.
Trust is best built from the top down, with senior leaders best
placed to influence the overall culture of an organisation.
However departmental and team leaders also exert a major
influence on trust levels in their departments and teams – and
reap the benefits in terms of motivation and high
performance.
Example
I’VE YET to meet anyone who, given the choice, would opt to
work in a low-trust rather than a high-trust environment. We
instinctively know that trust is important in the workplace and
our gut instincts are supported by plenty of research.
Studies link trust to innovation, high performance,
productivity, customer satisfaction and a myriad of other
positives. Low trust is linked to conflict, disempowerment,
absenteeism, poor job satisfaction and other symptoms of
dysfunctional organisations.
Start building trust by leading by example and demonstrating
trust. Trust flourishes in the presence of trust and staff who
feel trusted are more motivated to focus their time and efforts
on the job and achieve team goals in a cooperative and timely
manner. Clear, open and consistent communication is
essential. Ensure team members are fully aware of and
understand organisational and team goals, values and
challenges.
Stephen Covey describes low-trust workplaces as toxic,
leading to the contagions of “criticising, complaining,
comparing, competing, contending, and cynicism,” which all
impact negatively on an organisation’s ability to thrive. People
spend a lot of energy watching their backs in low-trust work
environments, trying to work out what the real agendas are
and second guessing each other.
Trust is the glue that bonds people. So the
ability to build and inspire trust is an
essential competency in the modern
workplace regardless of
whether you want to work
as a team member, lead a
team, or climb the
career ladder to senior
management.
Photo: dreamstime.com
Failing to follow through on promises
is the fastest way to lose trust. Just
don’t make any commitments that
you don’t intend to follow up.
Failing to follow through on promises is the fastest way to lose
trust. Just don’t make any commitments that you don’t intend
to follow up. Many of us manage to keep the big promises but
fall down on the small ones. Being let down a number of times
destroys trust, no matter how small the issue seems.
continued on page 22 ‰
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 21
Your career
Focus on shared goals and avoid personal or hidden agendas,
which breed mistrust. Trust your team members to do their
job. Ensure your staff are trained, give instructions, and then
let them get on with it. Hovering and micromanaging will be
interpreted as lack of trust and is likely to provoke mistakes.
excuses or blame others. Try to understand why mistakes
happened and learn from them. It’s far more productive that
focusing on whose fault it was.
Blame
Feedback
Always focus on what’s going well rather than what’s going
wrong. Recognise the positive actions and behaviour of the
team and give recognition and feedback. Reinforcing the
behaviour that you want encourages more people to act in
that manner.
Provide opportunities to meet and talk with team members.
Ask for opinions and ideas. Listen and give feedback and
credit for ideas and efforts. Treat everyone as an equal and
valued team member, no matter what their status.
Show genuine respect and you’ll be
respected for it.
A simple way to destroy trust is to avoid
taking responsibility for your own
actions. You compound this if you make
A blame culture motivates staff to act out of fear and invest
time and energy in hiding mistakes rather than fixing them,
learning and moving on. This is compounded if you also jump
to conclusions without checking facts.
Treat all team members as equal and
valued team members, no matter what
their status. Show genuine respect and
you’ll be respected for it.
Inconsistency and mixed messages leave your team unable to
know where you stand or how you’re going to react.
Withholding information can start the rumour machine and
misinformation is more likely to be believed in a low-trust
environment. If you aren’t in a position to reveal confidential
information, say so and promise to do so as soon as you can.
Then follow through on this promise.
It only takes one bad experience to destroy trust. Be honest
with yourself and reflect on whether you are part of a
problem, and take action if the answer is yes. Leaders need
followers and people only follow those they trust l
Top trust tips
1. Be honest
2. Follow through on commitments
Photo: dreamstime.com
3. Provide feedback
4. Admit to mistakes and fix them
5. Acknowledge the positives
6. Be consistent
7. Be open to, and give credit for, ideas
8. Show integrity
9. Don’t make assumptions
10. Maintain confidentiality.
Isobel Butler is an independent organisational psychologist who works with people on a wide range of workplace issues including
conflict management, dealing with change and solving problems. If there are specific issues you’d like her to tackle in these
articles send them in via the editor, Work & Life magazine, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or info@impact.ie.
22
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Lockout theatre offer
The Risen People
IMPACT
members’
offer
IMPACT MEMBERS can get half-price tickets
for the Abbey theatre’s production of
James Plunkett’s The Risen People.
Premium tickets for the play,
which inspired Plunkett’s bestselling novel Strumpet City,
retail for €40. In a unique
offer, IMPACT members
can buy them for €20.
The Abbey’s new version
of the famous play
marks the centenary
of the 1913 Dublin
Lockout. Set in the
shadow of the dispute, its epic story of
struggle and solidarity is told through
the familiar characters of Annie, Fitz,
Rashers and Hennessy.
A defining moment in
Irish
history
is
brought vividly to life
through music, movement and song in this
new adaptation by
director Jimmy Fay, in
collaboration
with
movement director
Colin Dunne and composer and musical
director Conor Linehan.
To avail of our unique
discount offer, book in
person, online or over
the phone using the
promotional
code
"IMPACT."
The Risen People runs
at the Abbey until 1st
February 2014 l
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 23
Looking good
Knitwear is back, big time.
But make it sexy not
frumpy, says TRISH
O’MAHONY.
IT’S OFFICIAL. Knitwear is fashion’s IT piece
right now. When you see oversized fisherman
sweaters and big crazy multicoloured knits
adorning the aisles in Top Shop and weaving
their way down catwalks, you know wool
is back at the top of its game.
Until recently woolly jumpers were
consigned to the back of the wardrobe.
That’s changed and it’s time to move
them into prime position. There’s as
many different styles as there are
different types of wool.
Girlfriends are wearing ‘boyfriend’
cardigans that look like they’re straight
out of 1940s Connemara.
Unisex Aran sweaters, cable
knits in lambswool and
cashmere, gaudy patchwork
ponchos, Aztec prints, Fair
Isle
sweaters,
prissy
windowpane check cardigans, houndstooth and
tartan pullovers. They’re everywhere.
To say nothing of fluffy angora and mohair inviting
you to reach out and touch. Anything goes, so long as
it’s knitted. And if you buy wisely and exercise proper
care and cleaning, quality knitwear will last for years. ‰
Knit one,
twirl one
24
WINTER-SPRING 2014
The surge in sales is great
news for indigenous Irish
cottage industries, of which
there are plenty. Monasterevin-based Aran Crafts
are busier than they’ve
been since they opened
for business in the 1950s.
Their export market is
flourishing and they’re
expanding retail opening
hours. For a great selection
of knits at very competitive
prices, order online at
arancrafts.com.
For Vintage check out Dublin Top Shops, Urban Outfitters
and individual outlets clustered in Temple Bar. Check
the condition before you commit, unless you want the
holey look.
Without getting too hung up on image, the
trick is to make your knitwear look good
while serving its main purpose – keeping
you warm. It’s about finding that balance
between modern, feminine and fun, rather
than frumpy, unforgiving and clinging to
all the wrong places. Think Mrs Browns
Boys’ rose pink V-neck cardigan versus
Nastassja Kinski’s crimson mohair
sweater-dress in Paris Texas.
Carraig Donn, 100% Irish-owned with 33
stores nationwide, is Ireland’s largest
knitwear manufacturer. They have an
extensive range of contemporary and
traditional Arans for ladies, gents and
children. These come in machine and
hand knit in 100% merino and 100%
wool. Accessories range from socks,
handbags blankets and throws. A unisex
worsted wool oatmeal sweater will set
you back €49.95.
London-based Tipperary designer
Tim Ryan’s knitwear is bohemian,
romantic glamour. Tim’s designs are
expensive, but timeless. Even if
you’re not investing, it’s worth
looking at his collection for ideas.
Other Irish names worth looking out
for are Sinead Clarke of EssenC, Aine
Irish Knitwear, Heather Finn, Lisa
Shawgi, Sphere One by Lucy Downes and
Natasha Wilkie.
Ways to wear
For a high trend, around town, daytime look,
wear an oversized knit jumper dress with over-theknee socks and knee-high boots. Introduce a
contrasting leather belt if you have to have
structure and a waistline to cinch in. Or wear over
a floral girly, skater dress for a feminine look. Be
daring with colour.
Paul
Dun Costell
nes
Stor o,
es.
Heat factor
There are some extremely good imitations on the high street
– you’ll knock a season or two out of them for €20 or so. They
lack the heat factor though, and any I’ve bought go bally even
though I take great care. There are some extremely nasty
imitations: AVOID, even if the shop is giving them away.
SHETLAND PONIES sporting Fair Isle
cardigans and trendy striped sweaters
for chickens and goats have taken
the art of knitwear to another
level. I’m not kidding! If you know
the right knitter, you can even
get a woolly suit for your pet
tortoise. Dress him up as a
cheese burger, a birthday cake or roast
chicken. See thepurledewe.blogspot for more.
Chunky cardigans are an ‘in’ alternative to coats.
Show some of your dress by leaving the cardi open
and then belting. Avoid the knitted belt that comes
with the cardigan. It’s dated and the result shapeless.
Leggings and skinny jeans always work with oversized
sweaters and chunky knits. Wear cropped skinnies
with a sexy heel for a dressed up alternative.
Try a snug-fitted fine wool sweater with loose pants and
brogues as smart-casual work attire. A shirt will reduce skin
irritations that wool can cause. Or wear with a knee-length
skirt (preferably shiny or leather) and ankle boots. See
Jonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll on how best to put the
look together.
Don’t restrict your sequins
to pre-Christmas. Wear
shiny knits with sequins
and embellishments for a
special night look any time
of year. Try Top Shop or
River Island.
Use a vintage brooch to
wraparound a cardigan for
a more romantic look than
a formal jacket. Ponchos
create a layered, but
finished look. See Phase
Eight in Debenhams for a
natural coral cable poncho
with thick-ribbed roll neck
for €113, or a Carraig
Donn Poncho for €63.
Add a collection of your
favourite brooches to your
boyfriend cardigan to put
your unique twist to the
ensemble l
Nastassja Kinski
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 25
In the kitchen
MARGARET HANNIGAN
is turning to casseroles
for that cold weather
comfort.
SPRING OFFICIALLY begins on 1st February according to the
Irish calendar. This is a month earlier than Britain but,
interestingly, it doesn’t make winter end any sooner here.
Despite the shelves of Easter eggs that appear in the shops
come February, our stomachs never forget we’re still eating
for cold weather.
The word from a renowned weather oracle – not the German
octopus, but perhaps the New Zealand postman – has it that
we’ll have snow in February. So we might leave the salad
spinner tucked away for another month or so, and keep the
casserole dishes stacked at the front of the press.
The word casserole comes from the French word for saucepan.
But it was a French Canadian called Elmire Jolicoeur who put
it all together during a cold New Hampshire
winter in 1866. He browned meat and
vegetables on the top of the stove
and, in a radical departure,
he cooked them slowly
in liquid in the
oven. ‰
Wine adds flavour and the
acidity helps tenderise the
meat as it cooks. Beer, ale or
stout similarly lose their
bitterness in long slow cooking
and add depth to the sauce.
26
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Photos: dreamstime.com
Some people are puzzled by the whole casserole thing and can’t see how
it’s different, in any meaningful way, from a stew. Let me sort that one out
for you. A stew is where meat and vegetables are cooked in liquid, and the
heat is applied to the bottom of the pan, on the stovetop or hob. A
casserole is where the vessel is in an oven, and the heat circulates all round
it, cooking it slowly and gently.
Winter root
veg soup
Casserole
As well as the ubiquitous beef and chicken dishes, members of the
casserole family include ragout, hotpot, tagine, moussaka, shepherds pie,
and gratins. One for everyone in the audience, as it were.
Ingredients
l
8oz (225g) peeled carrots, cut into 2 inch
(5 cm) lengths.
l
8oz (225g) peeled celeriac or celery, cut
into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces.
l
8oz (225g) trimmed and washed leeks,
halved and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) lengths.
l
8oz (225g) peeled swede, cut into 2 inch
(5 cm) pieces.
One of the best things about cooking a casserole, apart from the fabulous
smells and tastes, is that everything cooks together in the one pot. Where
things can go wrong, is if everything is just lobbed willy-nilly into the pot,
and boiled rather than slowly simmered. In the interests of clarity, and
because we all need a bigger bang for our buck, I’ve drawn up a few
guidelines and found a recipe for soup that you cook in the oven like a
casserole. It really couldn’t be easier than that.
l
One small onion, peeled and roughly
chopped.
l
2.5 pints (1.5 litres) stock made with
Marigold Swiss Bouillon vegetable powder
or other good quality vegetable stock.
l
Three bay leaves.
Disintegrate
l
Salt and freshly milled black pepper.
Meat pieces should be around 1.5 inches by 1.25 inches. A bit bigger is
fine, but anything smaller or thinner will disintegrate. Pre-packed
supermarket packs can be hard to judge, so it’s better to buy a whole piece
and cut it yourself. Allow 6-8oz per person, and an extra bit for second
helpings and freezing.
l
Six teaspoons fat-free Greek yoghurt.
l
A few fresh chives, snipped.
l
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275F
(140C).
The meat should be seared at a high temperature to seal in the juices and
give a rich colour. Do it in small batches, and don’t overcrowd the pan
as the steam rushing out of the meat will prevent it from browning
because the pan will be too damp.
l
You will also need a lidded flameproof
casserole with a capacity of six pints (3.5
litres).
As well as the ubiquitous beef and chicken
dishes, members of the casserole family
include ragout, hotpot, tagine, moussaka,
shepherds pie, and gratins. One for
everyone in the audience, as it were.
The liquid you add makes the sauce, so choose it accordingly.
Wine adds flavour and the acidity helps tenderise the meat as
it cooks. Beer, ale or stout similarly lose their bitterness in long
slow cooking and add depth to the sauce.
For thickening, add flour to the pot after the meat is browned
but before the liquid is added. Or toss the meat in flour before
browning, or strain off the liquid and reduce separately by boiling
it down, or add a flour and butter paste whisked in tiny flecks. One
ounce of butter combined with 1oz flour will thicken one pint of liquid.
Don’t cut the vegetables too small or they’ll collapse.
Bring to a simmer – not a rolling boil – on the hob and transfer to a low oven
of gas1/175F/140C. Fan ovens may need to be lower and the temperature
of each oven varies. You’re looking for only an occasional bubble breaking
the surface l
Method
There's not much to do here once everything is
peeled and chopped. All you do is place everything in the casserole and bring it up to a gentle simmer, then put the lid on and place it in
the lowest part of the oven. Leave it there for
three hours, by which time the vegetables will
be meltingly tender.
Next remove the bay leaves and process or liquidise the soup to a purée in several batches.
Then gently re-heat and serve the soup in bowls
with a teaspoon of Greek yoghurt swirled into
each and garnished with the fresh chives.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 27
Green fingers
Tooling
Only fools neglect their tools, says ITA PATTEN.
THIS YEAR I’ve decided to sort out my collection of garden tools. I suggest you do the
same as it’s a task we put on the long finger at our peril.
Look into your garden shed, garage or wherever it is that you store your tools and take a
critical look at them. Are they neatly stacked, oiled and sharpened? All ready and eager for
the work ahead? Or, like mine, are they tossed in the corner behind the bikes, with tines
tangled into spokes, blunt and caked in dry mud.
My gardening resolution is to review my collection, clean and sharpen the ones worth
keeping, and buy a few new ones. This list of eight items should be sufficient to keep the
average garden in tip top shape.
SECATEURS
Secateurs are used for pruning woody stems up to 2cm thick and thicker stems of soft
shoots. They are also invaluable for taking cuttings. They should be kept sharp and cleaned
regularly with an oily rag. They come with different types of blades; anvil, parrot beak,
and my favourite the by-pass which has a scissor-like action. Felco is the preferred brand
of professional gardeners. Not all garden centres sell this brand, but most stock cheaper
and perfectly adequate brands such as Fiskars and Wolf Garten.
GARDEN KNIFE
Knives, like the secateurs, must be kept sharp. This is such a versatile and handy tool
which can be used for light pruning, taking and preparing cuttings and also cutting string.
HOE
Hoes are the essential tool for weeding and aerating the soil. I prefer to use the type known
as the Dutch hoe. I use it on annual and shallow rooted weeds, by cutting underneath
them, severing the roots from leaves as I walk backwards. The uprooted weeds can be
raked off or left lying on the soil to dry out and die. X
28
WINTER-SPRING 2014
up
Your hoe should have a handle long enough to avoid bending
over. Keep the edge of the hoe sharp by filing once or twice a
year. A while ago I read an article lauding a different type of
hoe – the swoe. A swoe has a sharp arrow shaped tip and is
apparently ideal for tight spaces and for use between rows of
plants. They retail at around €19 and I intend to investigate just
how efficient they are.
DIGGING FORK
This is a very useful tool for turning heavy soil, lifting rootcrops,
shifting bulky material like garden compost and digging out
perennial weeds such as creeping buttercup and bindweed.
They are generally available in two sizes, standard and border.
The latter is sometimes referred to as the “ladies” fork, but I
prefer to use the standard size. The head and neck should be
forged in a single piece, with no welds or rough edges.
SPADE
Spades are an essential tool for general cultivation, lifting soil
and digging holes for planting. (And French drains, of course!
See the last issue of Work & Life.) Stainless steel spades are
more expensive, but they make for lighter work and will never
rust.
RAKE
The two main types of rake are garden and lawn rakes. The
garden rake has 12-14 rounded teeth and they’re used for
levelling and breaking up the soil surface. The lighter lawn or
spring-tined rake is a must-have tool for lawn maintenance
as it’s used for raking out thatch, moss and dead grass and
clearing away fallen leaves.
SHEARS
Shears are mostly used for cutting hedges. But they come in
very handy for cutting hard-to-reach areas of grass and cutting
down soft stemmed herbaceous plants too. Check the feel
and weight of your new shears before purchasing. If they are
too heavy, the work will be very tiring. Wilkinson and Spear &
Jackson are two good brands to look out for.
WHEELBARROW
If you have the storage space I’d recommend that you buy a
wheelbarrow. Don’t be tempted to overload the barrow as it is
better to make that extra journey than strain your back. If your
garden is very small and you really don’t have the space, try
the mini version, ie, a bucket. I always bring my bucket with me
when deadheading or weeding small beds.
Finally, don’t be tempted by the cheap tools like wood chippers
and electric hedge trimmers in discount supermarkets.
They’ll rarely (if ever) be used and will produce very poor
results. Save your money for the better brands that make
gardening such a joy! O
Photos by dreamstime.com
Ita Patton is a craft gardener in the
National Botanic Gardens. O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
29
Be good to yourself
Work on being a
Don’t assume the girls are better than the guys when it
comes to minding themselves, says KAREN WARD.
IT’S A myth that women look after their health better than men. It comes from
the fact that women often share more of life’s challenges with loved ones,
thereby lessening worries and anxieties. But women, especially those who
work and have children, also tend to juggle everything while neglecting
themselves.
Most of us think of physical health in terms of ideal weight and a
certain degree of fitness. But there’s so much more to our physical
health and it’s well worth a regular check-up with your local doctor
to make sure your gynaecological, breast, lung and blood health
are what they should be.
Other parts of our body are also easily neglected. Dental care
is a good example. We usually avoid the dentist until there’s
a problem. But regular checkups can prevent a myriad of
future problems. Log onto the Irish Dental Association
website (www.ida.ie) to find your nearest dentist.
Foot care is another neglected area. When was the
last time you visited a chiropodist or podiatrist? You
can find out where to go and what to expect from
the website www.chiropodypodiatryireland.ie.
For healthier skin, make sure you use
sun creams in the summer and good
quality moisturiser in the winter. Regular
rehydration with water and herbal teas
also goes a long way to maintaining a
youthful glow.
Mind your mind
Don’t neglect your mental health either.
Many of us dwell on the past, clogging
up our brain with old hurts and mistakes.
Or instead we might live in the future,
wishing our lives away or wanting the
proverbial grass to be greener.
Instead, focus on the here and now in the
practise of ‘mindfulness,’ which means being
completely present when you do what you do.
Focus on what is possible rather than what
you think you need or want to do. There are X
30
WINTER-SPRING 2014
well woman
many excellent meditation and mindfulness classes to help
avoid any anxious feelings or negative thinking (see www.
mindfulnesireland.org).
extreme reaction to an innocuous event. If this sounds
familiar, the best remedy is to find a simple way to release
your emotions safely and appropriately.
Remember that a problem shared is a problem halved. Ease
a challenging situation by phoning a friend to chat and share.
But if something too personal is really bothering you, don’t
be afraid to contact Irish Association of Counselling and
Psychotherapy (www.irish-counselling.ie) for advice on getting
professional help.
Throw yourself 100% into the tough day, but look forward to
going home to your safe haven. Close your eyes and imagine
that you’ll soon be on your comfy sofa with a warm rug to
snuggle up in. On the way home get a video to help you cry or
laugh away the frustrations of the day.
Ireland is a place where we
tend to put on a brave face
and keep a stiff upper lip.
Consequentially, we women
may have grown up in the
habit of not releasing some
of our emotions, particularly
anger and sadness.
Even if we ‘de-press’ these
feelings they will eventually
seep out, often in the form
of a physical ailment or an
De-stress not
distress!
STRESS AFFECTS us all in varying degrees and at
different times in our lives. Depending on where we are
mentally, physically and emotionally, it can often be
the little things that get to us while we sail through the
bigger problems life throws our way.
When our stress levels rise, it can translate physically
to sweaty hands, shallow and fast breathing and racing
thoughts. Have you noticed that your breath is always
slow and calm when you’re relaxed?
So it follows that the simple act of breathing slowly helps
us to relax. You can simply do it yourself and breathe
slowly for 20 breaths. Or you could consider going to
a yoga, t’ai chi or meditation class to learn some vital
relaxation techniques.
Photos by dreamstime.com
Emotional whirl
If you feel angry, a physical release like the gym or a run or
fast walk can help you visualise the feelings literally sinking
into the ground. It’s simple and free to do. O
Taking time-out to do this may be considered indulgent.
But regular deep-breathing is a necessity not a luxury.
Your local health food centre is a great source of
details for local classes. HYPERLINK “http://www.
irishhealthstores.com”www.irishhealthstores.com
Karen Ward, holistic therapist from RTÉ’s Health Squad and
energy therapist from BBC’s Last Resort, is author of the
best selling Change a Little to Change a Lot and Heart Space:
Restore and Renew Body, Mind and Soul relaxation CD.
www.karenwardholistictherapist.com
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
31
At the movies
Are you for reel?
How true does a true story
have to be? MORGAN O’BRIEN
looks over some recent movies
that have provoked criticism.
RECENT RELEASES based on ‘true stories’ have reopened debates
about movie representations – and misrepresentations – of real
Twelve
events, with critics exercised about the need for historical accuracy
Years a
in films. Among them are high-profile Oscar contenders Captain
Slave
Phillips, Philomena, Saving Mr. Banks, The Butler, and Twelve Years a
Slave.
Philomena is derived from a book by journalist Martin Sixsmith about
his attempts to find out what happened to an Irish woman’s son
Captai
who was forcibly given up for adoption in the 1960s. The film has
n
Phillip
been criticised in some quarters for misrepresenting the nuns
s
involved as actively obstructing Sixsmith’s and Philomena Lee’s
efforts.
While the apparently realistic denouement to Captain Phillips
appears preposterously gung-ho, it is by all accounts accurate.
However, supposedly less so, according to some of his crewmen, is
Tom Hanks’ representation of the eponymous sailor as a selfless hero.
In Saving Mr Banks, Walt Disney is an avuncular presence who coaxes
the disagreeable PL Travers’ participation in the film of her book Mary
Poppins. The film presents her as thrilled with Disney’s adaptation; in
reality Travers’ reported response was: “Oh God, what have they done?”
ena
Philom
Historical anomalies are evident in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which
presents a sketch of real events, taking the life of Eugene Allen as the
basis for the character Cecil Gaines. However, much of Gaines’ story is
fabrication, including his parents’ back story of racist abuse and the
death of his son in Vietnam.
Similar questions have been raised about the provenance of the source
story for Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, with suggestions that the
original biography of Solomon Northtup was embellished to rally the
anti-slavery movement. It’s been suggested that this accusation is
derived from academics hired as ‘historical assassins’ by studios or
marketers to scupper awards rivals.
But the role of screenwriters and filmmakers is to tell stories and
construct engaging narratives. These may often be at odds with the
complexities of history or the often formless nature of real life. For
many filmmakers the retention of an artistic or central truth is
justification for applying the gloss of fiction. ‰
32
WINTER-SPRING 2014
While Philomena may well
overstate the level of religious
complicity in this case, it
remains a far less brutal
indictment of institutionalised
mistreatment
than
The
Magdelene
Sisters.
More
broadly, the story provides an
engaging and essentially honest
account
of
Philomena’s
struggle, laced with nicely
judged central performances
from Steve Coogan and Judi
Dench.
Criticisms of Captain Phillips
are more subjective. But, in a
broader sense, the film is an
even handed exploration of
piracy as much as it is an action
drama. Conversely, since Saving
Mr Banks was produced by
Disney, it comes as little
surprise that it embroiders the
truth and offers a somewhat
rose-tinted image of the
company’s founder.
The social history of America
and its complicated, and often
unpalatable, relationship with
race provides the broader
context of The Butler and 12
Years A Slave. The films bend
the particulars of their stories
to suit this broader purpose.
There may be a concern that
filmgoers will assume what they
are watching is a truthful
representation. While few will
watch X-Men: First Class and
believe that a band of mutant
heroes help resolve the Cuban
missile crisis, a slew of recent
high profile films, including
Argo, The King’s Speech, and
The Queen, all contain varying
levels of fictive embellishment.
Nevertheless, audiences seem
little concerned about the
factual reliability and truthfulness in films. Movies based
on true stories or historical
events remain strong performers at the box office and at the
awards l
Screen test
12 Years A Slave (10th January)
Chiwetel Ejiofor features as Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery in 19th
century United States.The strong support cast features Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti
and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Her (10th January)
Director Spike Jonze applies his idiosyncratic style to a tale of a lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix)
who develops a relationship with a computer operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
The Wolf of Wall Street (17th January)
Leonardo DiCaprio is once again directed by Martin Scorsese in a biographical satire
of fraud and excess in the titular home of stockbroking.
Inside Llewyn Davis (24th January)
The Coen brothers’ return with a film about 1960s singer-songwriter (Oscar Isaac) who
plots a Zelig-like trail through the New York folk scene. Carey Mulligan, John Goodman
and Justin Timberlake also star.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (31st January)
Tom Clancy’s enduring character, previously portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck, is given a reboot with
Chris Prine in the title role. Director Kenneth Branagh features in support along with Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley.
RoboCop (7th February)
Remake of 1987 cult classic features Joel Kinnaman, alumni of television series The
Killing, as the cyborg police officer. Strong support is provided by Gary Oldman, Michael
Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson.
The Dallas Buyer’s Club (7th February)
Biographical drama set in the 1980s about Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey)
who begins importing illegal medicine after being diagnosed with AIDS. Jennifer Garner
and Jared Leto are among the support cast.
Labour Day (7th February)
Jason Reitman directs this adaptation of Joyce Maynard’s novel about a single mother (Kate Winslet) who gives help to an
injured man (Josh Brolin) who she soon realises is an escaped convict.
Charlie Countryman (14th February)
Shia LaBeouf is the eponymous Charlie, who falls in love with a Romanian woman (Evan Rachel Wood) but has to contend
with her criminal boyfriend. Advance notices have primarily focused on cuts made by American censors.
The Monument Men (21st February)
George Clooney directs and stars in this comedy drama based on a real life
World War II platoon charged with rescuing works of art seized by the
Nazis. Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman are amongst the
ensemble cast.
Non-Stop (28th February)
Liam Neeson continues to plough the action-man furrow in this high
concept thriller about a federal marshall who becomes embroiled in a midair hijacking.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 33
Play it loud
Why can’t you just
play together nicely?
RAYMOND CONNOLLY is saddened to find more
rifts than riffs among musical siblings.
BISHOP DESMOND Tutu once proclaimed that “you don’t choose your family; they
are god’s gift to you, as you are to them.” Coming from a slightly different angle,
the writer Robert Brault observed: “If minutes were kept of a family gathering
they would show that ‘members not present’ and ‘subjects discussed’ were
one and the same.”
Given this spread of familial experience, it’s no surprise that musical
siblings have had mixed results when it comes to maintaining that kindred
connection. On balance, the number of familial fallings-out is above
average in the rock ‘n’ roll fraternity.
The question of whether there are common root causes is an interesting
one (for anoraks). Is the fall-out rate linked to talent and creativity? Or
creative ego? Substance abuse (or lack of it), perhaps?
At my beloved Arsenal, we are fond of saying: “Arsenal is Family.” But
there are always exceptions, none more notable than the rift between
lifelong supporters Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks. Dave puts it like
this: “I think Ray has been happy for only three years in his life. And
those were the three years before I was born.”
A row over whether You Really Got Me was the first ever punk song (Ray)
as opposed to the first ever heavy metal anthem (Dave) is a strange
basis for a family feud. Cue poor old Dave’s consignment to a career
top-heavy with B-sides (if you discount the truly wonderful Death of a
Clown). The real reason for the rift? These boys were way too talented
for their own good.
Chemistry
Look further and you’d be forgiven for thinking the only brothers who
got on were The Righteous Brothers. And they weren’t brothers.
Photo: Getty Images
Imagine the weird chemistry between Don and Phil Everly. For almost
a decade their only communication was through the harmonies. So the
words Be-Bop-A-Lula might actually decode as “I’m going to punch your
lights out you bell end.” Meanwhile, after working with brother Sly of the
Family Stone, Freddie retired from the music industry and became a
pastor in Vallejo. Who wouldn’t?
However tiresome, the more recent fraternal fissures of the Gallagher
brothers can’t take away from the fact that Definitely Maybe and What’s
The Story Morning Glory sold over 30 million copies between them. As Cilla
would say, that’s a lorra, lorra G chords. I wouldn’t be surprised if these
two actually can get along, but just ‘couldn’t be bothered’ in that
Mancunian way.
Then there’s poor old David Knopfler, who broke from older sibling Mark’s
Dire Straits in a ‘this will never work’ kind of way in the middle of recording
the breakthrough album Making Movies. He received no credits on the
album. Tragic: Eat your heart out Romeo and Juliet. ‰
34
WINTER-SPRING 2014
“The minutes of a family
gathering would show that
‘members not present’ and
‘subjects discussed’ were
one and the same.”
That said, twins seem to have fared much better in the getting-along department.
Plentiful examples include The Proclaimers, Bros and, so far at least, Jedward. Of
course it’s difficult to have artistic differences without any art.
And take Tegan and Sara. While they might not be Canada’s most popular lesbian
identical twin singer-songwriters, they are definitely in the top five. And let’s not
forget The Thompson Twins although, sadly, they weren’t twins.
Safety in numbers?
Ogden Nash once said a family “is a unit composed not only of children but of
men, women, an occasional animal and the common cold.” So perhaps safety in
numbers is the formula for maintaining wholesome family relations. The Osmonds
are a prime example and the Jackson Five were motoring along nicely until Randy
arrived and ruined the band’s name.
Despite comprising three brothers and a first cousin, those sons of a preacher
man The Kings of Leon seem an altogether connected bunch. Hopefully
this can one day lead to the creation of a second song.
Alas, the theory falls slightly flat in the strange case of the Nolan
Sisters’ spat. Not that it would be like Irish women to fall out
or anything. But, at the end of the day, we’re all somebody’s
children. The reason grandparents and grandchildren get
along so well is that they have a common enemy l
Family
Jewels
1
Death Of A ClownThe Kinks (1967)
The lions they won’t fight and the tigers won’t roar.
Pure genius.
2
Wouldn’t It Be NiceThe Beach Boys (1966)
New Persil Automatic washes whiter. A Pet Sound.
3
You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC (1980)
The young brothers do a Richards and Wood.
4
This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us
Sparks (1974)
“And it ain’t me who’s gonna leave?” Neither am I.
5
Spring 2014
solutions
(From page 46.)
8
4
1
5
6
3
2
9
7
9
6
2
7
4
1
5
3
8
3
7
5
2
8
9
4
6
1
1
8
3
6
5
2
7
4
9
5
9
4
3
1
7
8
2
6
Family
Fiascos
7
2
6
4
9
8
1
5
3
Sultans Of Swing Dire Straits (1978)
Check out Guitar George. He knows all the chords.
Tell the Gallaghers.
2
1
8
9
3
5
6
7
4
4
3
7
1
2
6
9
8
5
Soduko easy solution
6
5
9
8
7
4
3
1
2
3
8
1
6
5
7
2
9
4
5
9
2
4
3
1
8
6
7
6
4
7
8
9
2
5
1
3
1
2
8
9
6
3
7
4
5
7
3
5
1
8
4
6
2
9
9
6
4
2
7
5
3
8
1
4
1
3
5
2
6
9
7
8
8
5
6
7
1
9
4
3
2
2
7
9
3
4
8
1
5
6
Soduko difficult solution
1
2
3
4
5
When Will I Be Famous? Bros (1987)
Hopefully never again.
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers (1988)
Cue silly men at weddings doing a conservative pogo.
MmmBop Hanson (1997)
Doo-wop-diddy-doo-wop. Or as Jim Royle says...
do one.
JumpVan Halen (1983)
Please do.
Halfway Down The Stairs Robin the Frog (1977)
Technically Kermit’s nephew. But hey, they’re frogs
Autumn 2013 Crossword Solutions
See page 46 for the competition winners from Issue 23.
ACROSS: 5. Clogheen 6. Arc 9. Thrill 13. Master 16. Scatter 17. Hood 18.
Arid 20. Poe 21. US 22. Morocco 23. Lee 24. Anchor 25. Oboe. DOWN:
1. Almanac 2. Ogre 3. Weep 4. Anthem 6. Arras 7. Ri 8. Clare 10. Duty
12. Davis 14. Tadpole 15. Rake 17. Hoodoo 19. Ruin 22. Moor
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 35
Author interview
After the gold rush
When he was studying The Big Wheel of Life in primary school, former IMPACT
member MICHAEL McMONAGLE couldn’t have known he’d follow its real-life
character’s quest across America over a century later.
INSPIRED BY the Irish
immigrant Micί Mac Gabhann, whose adventures are
recounted in Rotha Mόr an
tSaoil or The Big Wheel of Life,
Michael McMonagle has
followed his journey from
Derry to the Klondike gold
rush via New York, the great
plains, the Rocky mountains
and the vast Alaskan
wilderness.
gardens. There is a great
disparity there, with people
trying to eek-out an existence.”
Micί Mac Gabhann left
Ireland looking for gold and
returned home, a wealthy
man. His Donegal house was
a symbol of his success and
Roger Casement was among
the guests at his home.
Tracing his steps, Michael’s
journey took him across
America by bus, train and car;
driving around Montana,
hiking in the mountains.
His new book Footprint
Across America compares the
land that Micí encountered
in the late 19th century with
the very different America of
today.
Ghost towns
An IMPACT member for
many years until his retire“I flew to Anchorage, Alaska
ment, Michael worked in a
and travelled to the Klondike
number of social work,
by train, small planes and
community and child care
minibus. I cycled the hills in
roles in the HSE and North
search of Micί’s gold claim
Western Health Board. His
“His dream was fuelled by the prospect of gold
and kayaked on the Yukon
first book detailed a walk
and
silver.
Mine,
by
curiosity
and
a
desire
to
glimpse
river. I followed my nose on
between Gartan in Donegal
the journey as interesting new
the wonders he encountered, and to see how the
and Clonmacnoise in County
worlds and people opened up
Offaly. “It was my story
world he passed through had changed.”
to me, be it in the mining
about walking the back
ghost towns or on native
roads. I decided to keep a
American reservations, ranch houses or isolated Alaskan
sort of memoir for my children. I didn’t really think of it as
villages.
writing until someone suggested I send it to a publisher. They
published it and then I came up with the idea of tracing Micί’s
Michael, who lives in Donegal with his wife, has three adult
story,” he says.
children who are all travelling the world. He’s not sure what his
next topic will be, but rest assured there are more books in the
pipeline.
Boyhood dream
Chasing Micί’s fading footprints across America and onto the
Klondike was a boyhood dream. “His dream was fuelled by
the prospect of gold and silver. Mine, by curiosity and a desire
to glimpse the wonders he encountered, and to see how the
world he passed through had changed,” says Michael.
Boom and bust were as common in Micί’s time as they are
now. “When you travel through America, you are hit by the
number of homeless people. The second thing that struck me
was the amount of people who needed two or three jobs to
survive.
I met a priest in Butte County, Montana who told me about the
mining towns he grew up in. As a child he would hardly see his
father, who worked a 12-hour day. I also met a guy who worked
in insurance and had a second job tending to almost 40
Interview by Martina O’Leary. Footprints Across America is
published by Orpen Press and costs €16 l
Win a copy
You could win a copy of Footprints
Across America. Simply send your
answer to this question to
Footprints Across America
Competition, Roisin Nolan,
IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.
Get it to us by 7th March 2014 to
be in with a chance to win.
Where does Michael McMonagle
live?
36
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Book reviews
Not for
landlubbers
A Book of Voyages
Edited by Patrick O’Brian (Harper
Collins, £14.99 in the UK)
THIS BOOK is guaranteed to shiver your timbers and rattle
your jib. It will sort out the cabin boys from the commanders
and the armchair travellers from the Admirals. That being
said, it’s the work of a man whose journeys sailing across the
globe were entirely fictional.
Patrick O’ Brian is best known for
his series of 20 novels set during the Napoleonic wars, which
feature English naval officer
Captain Jack Aubrey and his
close friend and fellow voyager
Dr Stephen Maturin, physician
and spy. The novels can be
read as stand-alone adventures or as one long story,
with each book simply a
chapter in the tale.
If this isn’t ringing any
bells, you may recall seeing
Russell Crowe in a ponytail
and satin breeches leaping
from the rigging of a tall
ship in a film called Master and Commander: The
Far Side of the World. He was
playing the aforementioned Captain Jack in a
story based on a mish-mash of the O’Brian novels. Paul Bettany played Dr Maturin and, as I recall, he had to perform
some pretty tricky surgery on a wound to his own abdomen
using a mirror and a very sharp knife.
Travel was indeed a hazardous business – with wealth no protection against injury, illness or death – according to the accounts in this book, which are seventeenth and eighteenth
century extracts from travel diaries and correspondence. In Dr
Maturin’s case, even the Royal Navy could not protect him,
though he did survive to tell the tale.
The language and phrasing reflect the age in which the pieces
were written. This can be cumbersome and elaborate but it reflects a period when much was still unknown about foreign
lands. In the absence of Trip Advisor and Google Earth there
were more surprises and dangers awaiting the intrepid traveller.
This curiosity of a book was first published in 1947, which
makes it an antique twice over. It will make O’Brian fans and
collectors of curiosities very happy. Everyone else, approach
with caution.
Margaret Hannigan
Slaves to
history
The Last Runaway
Tracy Chevalier (Harper Collins, £7.99 in
the UK)
ONE OF the great advantages of being a book lover
is the ability to inhabit another place and time.
While history lessons tell
of large-scale battles and
upheavals, a well-written
and researched novel
takes the reader into the
lives of ordinary people
and shows that, in
many ways, all lives are
extraordinary.
In this book the
human side of the
runaway slave’s network and Quaker beliefs are illuminated in both the
smallest details and the dramatic events of America in the 1850s.
Honor Bright, a young Quaker woman from England, finds
herself alone in Ohio where nothing is familiar or easy. More
out of pragmatism than love, Honor marries Jack Haymaker
a young dairy farmer. She soon finds herself at odds with his
family when she helps runaway slaves who stop near their
property in need of help.
The Haymakers are not uncaring but Honor is breaking the
law, which could mean the family paying a ruinous price.
Jack’s family also object to her friendship with Belle Mills, a
non-Quaker milliner from a neighbouring town, who is known
to help runaways. As matters escalate Honor turns to Belle for
help.
At first, Honor is repelled by the Americans’ unsentimentality
and their ability to move on. But, as she gradually grows
stronger and more intuitive, she also becomes less judgemental. She learns how even the strongest-held principles
must sometimes be tempered in the face of harsh reality.
The story is peopled with interesting, complex characters.
Even the relationship between Honor and the slave catcher
Donovan is well-drawn and believable. This is a slow-moving
book, beautifully evoking the hard-working and simple lives
of the Quaker community. But it is ultimately a satisfying and
worthwhile read.
Kathryn Smith
More reviews on page 38 ‰
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 37
More book reviews
The wearing of the green
The City of Strangers
Michael Russell (Avon, £7.99 in the UK)
THIS IS an interesting crossbreed of a book. Like a cross
between a loping, laconic
Irish Wolfhound, and a
Doberman Pincer, it can be
laid back and gracious. But
there’s a wide streak of
nasty running through it.
A woman in Dublin has disappeared from her bloodstained bedroom on the eve
of World War Two, and a
murder hunt is underway.
Recalled from his local
beat in the pastoral splendour of Baltinglass, Sergeant Stefan Gillespie is
instructed to travel to
New York and bring the
prime suspect home.
Seventeen years earlier a young son witnesses his father being
taken from his home in West Cork by his former Irish comrades-in-arms. His dad is never seen alive again. These events
are only two strands of the tangled web woven by the author,
which also include the Gate actor and impresario, Michael
MacLiammoir, a Jewish gangster, Nazis, the IRA, and a plot to
assassinate King George V of England. And that’s not giving
you any spoilers.
The episodic construction of the book gets in the way of the
story at times. The plot seems to snake away in an unexpected
direction every ten pages or so. This can make it difficult to
engage fully with the characters, as their relative importance
to the story appears to shift and slide.
The one constant is Stefan Gillespie, the calm centre of the
storm whose thoughtful, intelligent presence illuminates the
book. Stefan is a character with a lot of life in him and looks
likely to have further adventures ahead. In the company of his
sidekick Dessie MacMahon, primed to provide light relief, and
his immediate superior Superintendent Gregory whose aggression, crudeness and cunning make him an appropriate
foil for Gillespie’s innately civilised approach, I forsee a franchise ahead.
The writing is relaxed and confident with a natural flow. The
characters are well-drawn and vivid, but they are a bit crowded
by the demands of the plot. Worth a look.
Margaret Hannigan
Poisoned plot lacks authenticity
The Prodigal Son
Coleen McCullough (Harper Collins,
£7.99 in the UK)
IT’S 1969 and biochemists Millie and Jim Hunter are professors at Chubb University in Holloman, Connecticut. Life has
not been easy for them. A brilliant scholar and now renowned
scientist, Jim is black. And it wasn’t acceptable for a girl like
Millie to be involved with a black boy when they first met back
in 1955.
Despite racial prejudice, Millie has devoted 18 years of her life
to Jim. In awe of his brilliance, she has always put her own
considerable career in second place. They live in near-poverty
as all spare income has been sunk into Jim’s research. Life is
about to change though, as Jim has written a book which
looks set to become a best seller.
While working in her lab one night, Millie discovers that a
lethal toxin has disappeared from her fridge. At a social occasion the next night, an old friend of the Hunter’s dies and
38
WINTER-SPRING 2014
his death is attributed to poisoning. This is followed by more
deaths and at least two of the victims are directly connected to the
Hunters.
The police suspect Jim as he is
the obvious link between the poison and the victims. But nothing
can be proved. Could Jim be a
killer? If so, why now when
everything is going so well for
him? If Jim is not the killer why
would anyone want to frame
him? Many small town secrets are exposed
as the police search for the possibly unpalatable truth.
Colleen McCullough is famous for The Thorn Birds, one of the
most talked about and widely-read books of its day. This offering is unlikely to launch her back into stratospheric sales.
Both the plot and characters are somewhat improbable and
the book lacks authenticity. However, it is pacy, dramatic and
easy to read.
Kathryn Smith
International
Tournament of death
Photo: ILO/Apex Image
Unions have
warned that
thousands could
die as Qatar
prepares to host
the 2022 world
cup. SIOBHÁN
CURRAN reports.
WHEN A top premiership
manager speaks out about
workers’ rights you know
somebody’s got a problem. So
when Arsenal boss Arsène
Wenger called on soccer’s
world governing body FIFA to
act on human rights abuses in
Qatar – venue for the 2022
world cup tournament – many
people sat up and listened.
Photo: Getty Images
Wenger highlighted the plight of French-Algerian footballer
Zahir Belounis, who was effectively trapped in the country for
two years under its restrictive ‘kafala’ sponsorship law. This
gives employers the power to withhold exit visas from the 1.3
million migrant workers drafted in to build the monumental
stadiums and infrastructure needed to host this huge and
prestigious event.
The resulting list of human rights
violations
includes
excessive
working hours in extreme heat with
no access to drinking water,
hazardous working conditions,
workers going unpaid for months,
the confiscation of passports,
overcrowded labour camps and,
needless to say, a prohibition on
forming trade unions.
The International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) has estimated
Wenger speaks out.
that up to 4,000 workers – a dozen
a week – could be expected to die
by the time a ball is kicked. This in a state declared the
world’s richest country in 2012 with a staggering per capita
GDP of $100,889, compared to $51,704 in the USA.
Last September, the Guardian newspaper reported that 44
Nepalese workers died of heart failure and workplace
accidents in just one three-month period, after being forced
to work in daytime heat of 50 degrees. European construction
firms can easily replace them as thousands more desperate
migrant workers are expected to flock to this construction
frenzy before 2022.
Migrants work in the country’s booming construction
industry for low, sometimes no, wages.
A union delegation, recently returned from the oil-wealthy
state, found absolutely no improvements. Workers said they
were being forced to live in squalid labour camps with up to
14 men typically sleeping in each room and 600 sharing two
kitchens.
Forced to work in daytime heat of 50 degrees, it’s
estimated that up to 4,000 workers – a dozen a
week – could die before a ball is kicked in 2022.
European construction firms can easily replace them
as thousands more desperate migrant workers are
expected to flock to this construction frenzy.
But the world may be waking up to the fact that there’s
nothing sportsmanlike about the goings on in Qatar. Following
the international pressure from unions and organisations like
the UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, FIFA
finally held meetings with both the ITUC and the Emir of
Qatar towards the end of last year.
Under-fire FIFA president Sepp Blatter subsequently promised
to find a solution. “Football will be the winner because we can
show the world it is possible to create good working
conditions,” he claimed. Let’s hope he’s right. If not, the
tournament must be moved to a country with more respect for
human rights.
Register your protest via www.rerunthevote.org l
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 39
Union business
IN BRIEF
Public pay declines
AVERAGE PUBLIC service pay has
fallen by nearly €50 a week since 2009
according to official data. The figures,
from the Central Statistics Office (CSO),
do not include the so-called pension levy,
which has further reduced public service
pay by 7% on average.
The CSO calculates that average weekly
wages in the public sector are down by
€47.88 (5%) since 2009. This compares
to a much smaller average decline of
€2.41 (0.4%) in the private sector. The
figures also reveal an 8.3% decline in
public service employment between 2009
and 2013.
Council mergers
proceed
LEGISLATION AIMED at reducing the
number of local authorities from 114
to 31 has been published. The Local
Government Bill 2013 is set to be enacted
before next summer’s local elections.
IMPACT moved to ensure that the changes
will be managed through the Croke Park
process when the legislation was first
mooted last year. That commitment
remains as part of the Haddington
Road deal, which means there will be
no compulsory redundancies and staff
will get protection in redeployment or
relocation situations.
Agricultural action
TECHNICAL STAFF in the Department of
Agriculture, Food and Marine have voted
overwhelmingly for industrial action.
The dispute follows the department’s
decision to refuse IMPACT members the
chance to compete for assistant principal
posts, in defiance of a new policy that
says all staff can apply for civil service
vacancies.
Cabin crew settle
AER LINGUS cabin crew in Shannon
airport voted strongly in favour of Labour
Relations Commission proposals to resolve
a dispute over staffing of new planes
being introduced for transatlantic routes.
Among other things, the proposals scotch
management plans to outsource the work
and close its Shannon base.
40
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Sleepover row referred
to court
HSE MANAGEMENT’S failure to deal with excessive sleepover demands on staff
in residential child care and disability facilities has been referred to the Labour
Court. IMPACT and Siptu say the HSE and various employers are in breach of
Irish and EU working time legislation, with many staff expected to work 55-70
hours a week.
HSE management has admitted that residential child care and disability
agencies are routinely breaching working time legislation by requiring staff to
work an excessive number of sleepovers on top
of their standard 39-hour working week. Staff
are systematically required to work seven-hour
sleepover shifts for just €6.40 an hour, well below
the statutory minimum wage of €8.65.
The HSE and agency management have failed to
reach a resolution on the issue during six months
of talks, despite being required to do so under
the Haddington Road agreement.
IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell said
the HSE and its agencies were claiming that the
sleepover issue could not be resolved because of cost and resource constraints.
“There appears to be no effective limit on pay costs for chief executives.
Meanwhile managers order staff to work as many as seven sleepovers a fortnight,
in flagrant breach of Irish and EU working time laws. All for the princely sum of
€3 an hour after tax,” she said.
SNA job fears cited
IMPACT HAS made proposals for tighter monitoring of JobBridge placements in
classrooms after the union identified a “worrying and growing trend” of supplementing
or replacing SNA posts with work experience placements.
In a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection,
the union said it was aware of at least 100 cases of potential displacement of SNA posts
through JobBridge, which exists to give work experience to unemployed young people.
The union says only experienced SNAs can deliver maximum educational and social
benefits to children with special needs.
“IMPACT supports quality work experience programmes as a means of enhancing skills
and providing a valuable first step into the world of work. However, some employers
in the education sector are misusing JobBridge. Much greater care is needed in
vetting the places on offer and ensuring that JobBridge is not used as a substitute for
employment,” it said.
Meanwhile, the union welcomed the news that 400 additional full-time special needs
assistant posts are to be created by the end of this year. The number of SNA posts
has been capped at 10,575 for the last four years, while demand for SNA services
continues to grow.
IMPACT official Dessie Robinson said the full-time nature of the posts was particularly
welcome. “The recent practice of allocating portions of SNA posts to schools, rather
than full-time SNAs, has placed further pressure on schools working to educate children
with special needs. These full-time posts are very welcome and will go some way to
meeting the increased demand in our schools,” he said.
Coillte at merger risk
A MERGER of Bord na Mona and Coillte would leave the state
forestry company as a small and relatively weak voice within a
much larger company focused heavily on energy production,
IMPACT has said.
The union fears that a rebalancing of company priorities
following a merger would likely divert wood to energy production
rather than maintaining its most economically-advantageous
use. This would seriously weaken Coillte’s economic base,
with consequences for its ability to sustain its social and
environmental functions, including access to state forests for
recreation and tourism.
In a paper called Coillte: The way forward IMPACT’s Coillte
Branch has outlined fears that a merged company would
divert substantial amounts of high-grade timber to energy
generation, with significant adverse effects on Coillte’s forestry,
environmental and social operations.
IMPACT national secretary Matt Staunton said: “If Coillte
activity is rebalanced in this way, the economic return from the
public forest will be weakened. The social and environmental
benefits will then diminish because they are sustained by the
economic return from forestry operations. Irish forest output
should generate the highest possible value economically,
environmentally and socially.”
IMPACT’s Coillte Branch has successfully campaigned against
the sale of Coillte forest harvesting rights. It’s publication Save
Our Forests set out the economic, environmental and social
benefits provided by the company. It also commissioned an
economic assessment of the proposal by economist Peter
Bacon, which concluded that a sale of Coillte harvesting rights
was not justifiable on economic grounds and would cost the
State €1.3 billion.
IMPACT backs
Philippines
appeal
IMPACT’S CENTRAL executive committee has approved a
€150,000 donation to an international trade union appeal for
assistance in the Philippines, which is reeling from the impact
of typhoon Haiyan. The typhoon hit the country last November,
killing over 6,000 people and leaving thousands homeless and
destitute.
The IMPACT donation, which comes from the union’s developing
world fund – made up of 3% of each member’s union subs
– went to an emergency appeal established by international
trade union federation Public Services International (PSI).
The initiative will contribute to immediate humanitarian aid
efforts and will also help establish purpose-built permanent
community solidarity centres to deal with future emergencies.
PSI general secretary Rosa Pavanelli called the union’s
donation an “extraordinary” contribution. “IMPACT’s
support is truly amazing. We are well aware that the
circumstances for your members are not easy and
that you have struggled for a number of years
under difficult conditions. So this contribution
is doubly generous,” she said.
IMPACT’s developing world fund was
established when the union was formed in
the early 1990s and has since contributed
over €7 million to trade union and
community development projects in countries
around the world.
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
41
Photo by Photocall Ireland.
Union business
SHORT CUTS
Employers benefit
ALMOST 90,000 employees are currently
receiving jobseekers benefits because their pay
is too low or their working hours are too few.
And over 40,000 working families are receiving
family income supplement (FIS), according to
recent figures.
The figures emerged as unions voiced
increasing concerns about casual work and
‘zero hours’ contracts, where staff must be
available for work but employers don’t provide
set hours. A recent Dáil answer listed retail
giants like Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl and
Pennys as having large numbers of staff who
also claim FIS or jobseekers benefits.
Driven mad
IMPACT HAS rejected Road Safety Authority
(RSA) claims that the local authority driver
licence service was characterised by long
delays. IMPACT national secretary Peter
Nolan said local authorities had provided
an excellent service prior to the transfer of
services to the RSA. He said the RSA had
greatly exaggerated the length of any delays
which, in any case, were mainly caused by
additional work associated with the transfer.
Water works?
MANAGEMENT MUST produce stronger
service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure that
water services are maintained and improved
when they transfer from local authorities to
Irish Water this year, IMPACT has said. The
union has also continued to press for an
absolute assurance that its members will not
be ‘conscripted’ into the new water company
against their will. IMPACT national secretary
Eamonn Donnelly has told management that
the union’s continued cooperation is founded
on the commitment that staff will not be
moved compulsorily.
Lump sums safe
THE DEPARTMENT of Finance has confirmed
that changes to a tax measure called ‘top
slicing relief’ will have no impact on retirement
lump sums paid under Revenue-approved
pension arrangements and statutory schemes.
In 2012, the Government abolished top slicing
relief on ex-gratia lump sum payments of over
€200,000 made in respect of retirements or
terminations of employment. The relief was
scrapped altogether in the 2014 budget.
42
WINTER-SPRING 2014
Kids learn union
lesson
IMPACT IS among the sponsors of a new schools’ pack that explains the significance
of the 1913-1914 Dublin Lockout on our lives today. The pack, launched in
December, will supplement the existing ICTU Youth Connect programme, which
has delivered lessons about working life, trade unions and international solidarity
to thousands of school children over the past three years. The programme was
initially established with a substantial grant from IMPACT’s former Tax Officials’
branch.
Young actors in period costume sold special Lockout centenary newspapers, as
guests queued for bread and soup at the launch – to mark how thousands of
Dubliners were fed at union food kitchens during the Lockout. Pupils from schools
in Mayo, Cork and Dublin’s inner city explained how the pack had helped them
make sense of the dispute and its lessons for modern Ireland.
The pack includes materials for teachers, case studies, handouts, photos and
video. ICTU deputy general secretary Sally Ann Kinahan said the module
emphasised group work and classroom discussion. “It brings the history of the
struggle for decent work to life and explains the reasons behind the 1913 Lockout
and the impact of those events on our lives today,” she said.
JOBS GROWTH TO SLOW
DOWN A BIT
THE TRADE union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) is
predicting slower employment growth over the next two years. Its researchers
predict employment will increase by 1.1% in 2014 and 1.2% in 2015, compared
to 2.3% last year.
The report says unemployment will fall to 10.4% – more than double the
pre-crisis level – by 2016, while long term unemployment will remain a “core
problem” for the economy. It also foresees slow economic growth this year,
followed by higher rates in 2015 and 2016. It predicts 1.1% growth in gross
domestic product (GDP) this year, after even lower growth of 0.5% in 2013.
Its 2014 growth forecast is lower than those of the Department of Finance
(2%) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (2.6%). But it foresees a
return to higher growth levels in 2015 (1.8%) and 2016 (3%).
NERI says trends in employment indicate a permanent reshaping of the labour
market. It says employment growth is most likely in higher-paid sectors, while
the number of middle-paying occupations is likely to decline or stagnate. It
says over a fifth of Irish jobs are now low-paid.
NERI describes its predictions as “positive but cautious.” It says potential
threats to economic recovery include a weakening export outlook, high longterm unemployment, and an overhang of personal debt.
Obituary
Carmel Kirwan
1941-2013
CARMEL KIRWAN, who died
13th November 2013, made an
immense
contribution
to
organising and supporting
school secretaries over four
decades. She was employed in
Saint Mary’s secondary school,
New Ross, county Wexford from
1978 until her retirement in
2006, and she established a
network of school secretaries in
the south-east.
information available from their
union. She was a strong advocate for training to be provided
and funded centrally for all
school secretaries.
Carmel led a sustained and
hard-working effort, which saw
membership of the vocational
group treble in 2000. In 2003
she helped steer a way through
what
was
euphemistically
known as “the contingency
plan,” with the Department of
Education, in an effort to
achieve better terms and
conditions for school secretaries.
In the early 1980s, Carmel
became involved in the Local
Government
and
Public
Services
Union’s
school
secretaries’ vocational group
and actively promoted the
union to this isolated group of
workers. She was chair of the
vocational group from 1989
until its dissolution in 2007,
when the IMPACT School
Secretaries’
branch
was
formed. She used her extensive
experience
and
amazing
leadership skills as chair of the
branch for its first 18 months,
having previously been a
member of the union’s Wexford
branch.
Carmel prepared a handbook,
setting out the various roles
and responsibilities of committee members, as well as
standing orders guidelines and
protocols for the first annual
general meeting of the branch.
Her input and efforts in the first
15 months proved fruitful as
well-organised and well attended AGMs followed year on
year.
With the support of (now
retired) officials Al Butler and
Alice Moore, Carmel achieved a
very successful outcome in the
Labour Court and then shared this experience with other
secretaries who found themselves in difficulty with their
employers. She always encouraged secretaries to be proactive
on their own behalf and to actively use the help and
After her retirement Carmel
remained a member and attended the AGM each year. She
also attended regional meetings between 2010 and 2012
and her sound advice and years
of experience were warmly
received by many members. Suaimhneas sioraí dá hanam
dílis.
Patricia Whelan, former secretary of the School Secretaries’
branch and vocational group.
IMPACT members get information first
IMPACT members are entitled to receive a fortnightly e-bulletin, which contains news on the
developments that affect your income and working conditions, plus details of union
campaigns. The bulletin goes to all IMPACT members for whom we have a current email
address. If you are not receiving it, please send your current email address, postal address
and mobile phone number to info@impact.ie. You can also get the most up-to-date news
and information from our website – www.impact.ie.
IMPACT-Trade-Union
impacttu
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 43
Sport
Mrs Doyle must keep the
‘sangidges’ coming while we wait
to see if O’Neill and Keane will gel,
says KEVIN NOLAN.
Tea
A CUP of tea, a round of ‘sangidges’ and a nice chat. The
ingredients are evocative of an evening with Mrs Doyle. But
tea, sandwiches and a chat is just one of the little sideshows
that come with the new Ireland management team of Martin
O’Neill and Roy Keane.
The casual aspects of international duty were done away
with in the Trapattoni era. The Italian, who famously banned
mushrooms from the players’ diets, kept things rather
controlled when it came to players’ downtime. They spent
a lot of time in their hotel rooms as Trap stuck to a rigid
understanding of how to be an international footballer.
It was as far as could be from Charlton-era pints in Hill 16 on
Gardiner Street, or Harry Ramsden’s challenge.
We know from his barbs at his ketchup-banning Sunderland
successor Paolo di Canio, that O’Neill doesn’t believe every
idea from an Italian football manager is a good one. So it’s no
surprise that some things have changed.
Spirit
And that’s where the cup of tea comes in. Keane remembered
from his Ireland playing days that the simple act of sitting
around the hotel lobby with his team-mates for a cupán tae,
and maybe a sneaky custard cream, whiled away the evenings,
alleviated the boredom, and helped build team spirit. The
evening chat is back on the agenda.
Under the O’Neill-Keane axis, players have also been given
time off to leave the camp and visit their families. It’s not a
matter of letting the players out on the lash or replacing the
Italian ideal of alcohol for sportsmen (a small glass of wine
at dinner) with the old-school British and Irish habit (a feed
of pints).
Many members of the current Ireland squad drink very little,
some (James McClean for one) abstain from booze altogether.
But it does seem to be a case of handing the players a bit
more freedom, with the manager safe in the knowledge that
few in the current set-up will risk the wrath of Keane by
arriving back after curfew in a wobbly state.
Realist
Of course the real relationship that matters is that between
O’Neill and Keane. Ever the realist, Keane admits that results
alone will define success and the FAI will not stick with the
dynamic duo if Ireland fail to qualify for France 2016. No talk
of four-year plans from this man. Irish football fans are likely
to share this pragmatism, regardless of how they feel about
Keane or the Saipan incident. X
44
WINTER-SPRING 2014
for two
Already the signs are good. O’Neill has even been able to
poke fun at Keane a number of times since they signed on the
dotted line. He told his assistant that his stance in Saipan was
wrong, and joked that Keane’s response was to tell him he’d
picked the wrong team for Celtic’s UEFA cup final.
The media pack is slowly learning about O’Neill’s dry sense
of humour. On numerous occasions, the Derry man has been
forced to follow a quip with the line “that’s a joke, by the way.”
The journalists are also getting to grips with Keane’s dry wit
and icy stare again. The combined wit is more Vladimir and
Estragon than Morecambe and Wise.
On being asked about Fergie, Keane raised his eyebrows
as if to say he didn’t understand, and came back with the
response: “Do you mean Alex Ferguson?” Small things add
up to a lot with O’Neill and Keane, who famously contested
the wording of Manchester United’s press release when he
left the club over the detail of his length of service. The press
pack will have learned to keep their phones on silent at press
conferences.
“The media pack is slowly learning about
O’Neill’s dry sense of humour and Keane’s
icy stare. The combined wit is more
Vladimir and Estragon than
Morecambe and Wise.”
Photos: Sportsfile
The first few days of the O’Neill-Keane reign were a whirlwind
with hours easily eaten up by meetings, contract talks, travel
and training. The pair will spend more time working out how
to work together now the dust has settled after the Latvia and
Poland games.
Again, early signs are positive, with both men keen to attend
matches involving Irish players. Keane attended three games
in the space of 24 hours at one stage, even taking in a reserve
game between Coventry City and his old club Forest. Giovanni
Trapattoni barely attended three games in a year, let alone
one weekend.
It’s in that downtime, between now and the March 2014 game
at home to Serbia, when O’Neill and Keane will find out for
certain if they can work together. Mrs Doyle might need to
keep the tea and sandwiches coming until then. O
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS
45
Win Win Win
n
i
w
50
S UD
OKU
HOW TO PLAY:
Fill in the grid so that every row, column
and 3x3 box contains the digits 1–9.
There is no maths involved. You solve it
with reasoning and logic.
1
7
€
Just answer five easy
questions and you
could win €50.
YOU COULD add €50 to your wallet or
purse by answering five easy questions
and sending your entry, name and
address to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life
prize quiz, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court,
Dublin 1. Get your entry in by Friday 7th
March 2014. We’ll send €50 to the first
completed entry pulled from the hat.*
You’ll find the answers in this issue of
Work & Life.
New public service sick leave rules are
expected to take effect:
A On production of a doctor’s
certificate
B When you’re feeling under the
weather
C 1st March 2014.
A recent film based on Martin Sixsmith’s
book is about:
A Philomena Lee
B Bruce Lee
C Philomena Begley.
Which premiership manager recently
spoke out on workers’ rights in Qatar?
A Mauricio Pochettino
B David Moyes
C Arsène Wenger.
Which pop act had brothers in its lineup?
A The Walker Brothers
B The Kinks
C Brotherhood of Man.
The small print*
You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win.
Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not
be considered). Entries must reach us by Friday 7th
March 2014. The editor’s decision is final.
That’s it!
46
46
WINTER-SPRING 2014
2
1
5
6
1
9
2
6
1
4
4
5
9
1
8
7
8
8
5
7
9
2
2
5
9
6
7
2
3
3
8
5
6
4
7
4
5
1
6
4
1
9
7
3
Easy
9
7
1
4
8
5
1
3
8
2
Difficult
win
€
50
ACROSS
PRIZE CROSSWORD
1. Along with Ivy she is
associated with Christmas (5)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
5. Reapp the wood pulp (5)
8
8. The land of hope and glory (7)
9. DH Lawrence...Lady
9
10
Chatterley’s ..... (5)
11
12
13
10. The right Pine will mature (5)
11. Ballroom, hip hop, or Irish (7)
14
15
16
17
18
19
14. U toss and drives out (5)
17. Strange, scary (5)
20
20. Short resounds (7)
21. I rob a brass neck (4)
21
22
22. Deposit (4)
23
23. Item for the bathroom,
perhaps (9)
24. Goodbye my friend (5)
24
25
26
27
28
29
27. Total, sheer (5)
30
31
30. The prevaricators can be seen
clearly in a shed gersoma (7)
32
33
32. A must for the nursery! (5)
34
33. To tear down, dismantle (5)
34. Pelt the real skin (7)
35
36
35. Bacon can sometimes have
this problem (5)
36. Craft (5)
16. Largest city in Canada (7)
DOWN
18. Audible range (7)
1. Ever popular greeting (5)
19. Segregate with me very tardy (7)
2. Dwells (5)
24. Female relations (5)
3. Enclosure is 0.9144 metres (5)
25. Force the e limp (5)
4. He shows up for finer iced tea (4)
26. Bashfully (5)
5. To break down a sentence into parts
27. The practice of making unethical or
of speech can lead you spare! (5)
immoral monetary loans (5)
6. He who calls this guy calls the tune
28. Play this card game developed in Italy in
(5)
the 14th century, in some star occasion
7. Sluice the reins (5)
(5)
12. Peter Pan is happy there (9)
29. Correct and proper (5)
13. Intricate, express at great length (9)
31. One of Dublin’s fine theatres (4)
15. New, untested (7)
Win €50 by completing the crossword and sending your entry, name and address to Roisin Nolan,
Work & Life crossword, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, by Friday 7th March 2014.
We’ll send €50 to the first correct entry pulled from a hat.
Winners!
The winners from competitions in the autumn issue were:
Crossword: Brian McKeever, Cavan. Bebove: Marian Fogarty, Limerick.
Quiz: Elizabeth Stewart, Fáilte Ireland. The Spinning Heart: John Fields, State Laboratory.
Survey: Concepta Guthrie, Clare.
Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!
Crossword composed by Maureen Harkin
How much is the London ‘living wage’
worth?
A The same as the legal minimum wage
B 16% above the legal minimum wage
C Its weight in gold.
2
3
2
9
Prize quiz
7
Your view
n
i
w0
€
10
How do you like
Work & Life?
WE HOPE you enjoyed this issue of Work & Life, the
magazine for IMPACT members. We want to hear your
views, and we’re offering a €100 prize to one lucky
winner who completes this questionnaire.
Simply complete this short survey and send it to Roisin Nolan,
Work & Life survey, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. You can also
send your views by email to rnolan@impact.ie.
We’ll send €100 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.*
The survey
4. What were your least favourite articles?
1 __________________________________________________
2 __________________________________________________
1. What did you think of the articles in the spring 2014
issue of Work & Life?
3 __________________________________________________
5. What subjects would you like to see in future issues
of Work & Life?
Excellent
o
Good
o
1 __________________________________________________
Okay
o
2 __________________________________________________
Bad
o
3 __________________________________________________
Awful
o
Comments ________________________________________
6. What did you think of the balance between union
news and other articles?
__________________________________________________
The balance is about right
o
__________________________________________________
I want more union news
o
I want less union news
o
2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures in
the spring 2014 issue of Work & Life?
Excellent
o
Good
o
Okay
o
Bad
o
Awful
o
7. Any other comments? ______________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Comments ________________________________________
Name ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. What were your favourite three articles?
__________________________________________________
1 __________________________________________________
Email ________________________________________________
2 __________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________________
3 __________________________________________________
IMPACT branch ______________________________________
The small print*
You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered).
Entries must reach us by Friday 7th March 2014. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!
WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 47
Commercial membership services
MPACT has facilitated the provision of a number of national membership services and discount schemes on behalf of its members. These include Additional Voluntary Contribution Schemes (Pensions),
Life Assurance, Salary Protection in the case of illness and Car, House and Travel Insurance Schemes. A number of local discount schemes are also negotiated by local branches.
I
The Union uses the size and composition of its membership base and, where possible, competition between the various service providers, to seek the best possible deals for the widest possible sections
of our membership. It is probable that the majority of members will get better value from these schemes than if they sought the same service individually. However, this will not be true in all cases and
there will be occasions where individual members may, because of their specific circumstances, be able to get better value elsewhere. It is not possible always to ensure that all schemes will be accessible equally to all members and the scheme underwriters will not depart totally from their normal actuarial or risk assessment procedures and rules.
IMPACT does not make any claims as to the quality or reliability of any of these products/services and while advising members of the availability of the National Membership Services and Discount
Schemes does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service. IMPACT's role is that of facilitator to ensure that such schemes are available to its members. All contracts are directly between
the product/service provider and the individual member. IMPACT is not in any way a party to these contracts and will not accept any responsibility or liability arising from any act or omission on the part
of the product or service provider. Neither IMPACT nor any member of its staff receives any fees or commissions or other rewards from these product or service providers arising from such schemes.
While IMPACT does occasionally provide such product/service providers with limited information regarding IMPACT branch and/or workplace representatives for the purpose of advertising such schemes,
the Union does not make any personal data relating to individual Union members available to them for any purpose.
The Union requires that product/service providers agree to ensure that all such schemes comply with all lawful requirements including the Equal Status Act 2000.
Advertisements for agreed membership services will have an
FACILITATED
logo on them.
Some of the companies providing agreed membership services may offer other products or services (that are not as a result of any agreement or arrangement with IMPACT) directly to IMPACT members.
The Union has no role whatsoever in relation to such products or services. Likewise, other product or service providers may make offers directly to IMPACT members through advertisements in the Union
newspaper or otherwise. These do not arise as a result of agreements or arrangements with IMPACT and the Union does not ask members to consider availing of such products/services and accepts no
responsibility whatsoever for any such offers.
The product/service providers with which IMPACT has agreed the provision of membership services and/or discount schemes are as follows:
Brassington & Co. Ltd.
Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.
Travel Insurance – all Divisions.
Car Insurance – all Divisions.
Salary Protection and Life Assurance –
Local Government and Health Divisions only.
Group Insurance Services (GIS)
Marsh Financial Services Ltd.
Car Insurance – all Divisions.
AVC Schemes – all Divisions excluding Municipal Employees.
House Insurance – all Divisions.
Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Civil Service and Services & Enterprises Divisions only.
December 2004
DISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004)
48
WINTER-SPRING 2014