Page 53 - Raco 2017

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT
53
Biennial Delegate Conference 2017
8.2.3
Since 2013 RACO continues to pay €3,000 for each issue (net). It also provides for the introduction of a dedicated electronic newsletter and accompanying website for distribution to RACO members. The publishers also provide the BDC Booklet free of charge as part of the current arrangement.
8.3 WEBSITE
The layout of the RACO website (www.raco.ie) was updated in 2016 and continues to provide a bank of up-to-date and archived material for members. The facility to mass-mail members through the website is well established and continues to enable the Association to provide timely information directly to members. Additional functionality such as conducting of surveys and balloting have been added. It is expected that this BDC will endorse the use of electronic balloting.
8.4 INDIVIDUAL CASES
8.4.1
Many individual cases or claims are taken on by the Association on the basis that they include a matter of principle or that they have general applicability. Indeed, many of the issues pursued by the Association first arise through the experiences of individual members. Our experience has been that dealing with individual cases often reveals flaws or inequities in the system. Therefore, individual cases often develop into a general issue whereby RACO endeavours to negotiate changes to the system in question to ensure that other members do not experience the same difficulty in the future.
8.4.2
Cases arise by the member contacting an elected representative or a member of the National Executive. However, more often the member contacts the RACO offices directly. Many individual contacts are simply seeking the advice of the Professional Staff on matters such as pay, correct increment point, promotion criteria, AFs 451, selection for overseas service or career courses.
8.4.3
In many cases the problem can be resolved by a single or small number of contacts, often informal, between RACO and the Official Side (either Military or DOD). Other cases, however, require ongoing formal negotiation, either at Conciliation Council or one of its Sub-committees, or at DFHQ Forum. Since BDC 2011 the Association has continued to have approximately 15-25 such cases ongoing at any one time. These have concerned a range of matters including pay, promotion, Substitution Allowance, change of station, legal matters and selection for overseas service and overseas allowances.