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BIENNIAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE 2017
GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT
1. INTRODUCTION
The General Secretary’s Report is intended to facilitate Delegates in getting an overview of the activities of the Association since the last Conference and an integrated view of progress in the various areas of concern to RACO.
The report is as comprehensive as appropriate. Of course, it would not be possible in a report such as this to provide minute details of every activity of the Association and every item that RACO deals with “across the table”. Every activity and negotiation is reported on an ongoing basis through meetings of the National Executive and Brigade/Service Committees. The purpose of this report is to consolidate the key elements of our activities since BDC 2015 and to provide the requisite overview.
Since BDC 2015 the Industrial Relations climate has continued to be extremely challenging. While the economy is improving, the status of Representative Associations in the greater Industrial Relations hierarchy has undoubtedly been called into question. The period has identified serious weaknesses in the Defence Forces manning levels resulting in retention crisis while impacting on operational capability, safety, governance and the well-being of members.
The work of the Association during this period has been dominated by major events internally and externally. These include the various inputs and publications of University of Limericks’ Climate Survey (Sep 2016) and Focus Group Reports (July 2017), submissions (Nov 2016 and Mar 2017) to the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) and preparation and participation at the Public Service Pay Talks (Extension to LRA) in May/ Jun 2017.
While these major issues were being engaged with by RACO there continued to be an ongoing requirement to address the “day-to-day” issues that impact directly on members’ lives and careers. The reliance of the decision-making process dependent on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) influence and authority over almost every item/issue on the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) table has frustrated the ability of Defence Sector stakeholders to resolve even the most minor issues. This has resulted in considerable delay and frustration for the Association and the members involved rendering the current C&A process dysfunctional.
The Association conducts regular formal negotiations at several different levels. These include National Level Parallel Pay Talks, the Defence Forces Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme (including Conciliation Council, Facilitation, Adjudication and Arbitration, and various Sub-Committees of Conciliation Council such as Pay and Allowances, Induction or Promotion), and the DFHQ Forum. There are also ad hoc arrangements and mechanisms to facilitate engagement by the Association in issues that are not appropriate for the other fora. For example, issues relating to bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment in the workplace through participation as a member of the Independent Monitoring Group (IMG), which has since overseen the delivery of a Defence Forces Climate Survey in 2016 followed by a more comprehensive Focus Group Report in 2017.
This report describes the negotiations and activities at each of these fora, together with other matters such as External Association, Legal, Members’ Services and Individual Cases.
2. NATIONAL LEVEL- PARALLEL TALKS
RACO, together with the four Garda Representative Associations (the Association of Garda Chief Superintendents, the Association of Garda Superintendents, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the Garda Representative Association) and PDFORRA, is not permitted to affiliate to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and, consequently, was never represented at the central talks between the Social Partners to negotiate national pay programmes. However, as a result of an agreement reached between the excluded associations on the one part and the Departments of an Taoiseach, Finance, Defence and Justice on the other, two processes, one for the Garda associations and the other for RACO and PDFORRA, operated parallel to the central talks from November 2000 to the end of Social Partnership in December 2009.
Biennial Delegate Conference 2017
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GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT