Motion no: 23
Conference notes that: IFUT and SIPTU work in harmony together in UCD, UCC, TCD, Maynooth and NUI Galway and that no precedent is being set in terms of membership or spheres of inf uence. Prior to 1 October, 2016 SIPTU had sole negotiating rights in DCU and IFUT had sole negotiating rights in the Church of Ireland College of Education and the Mater Dei Institute of Education and also sole rights to represent academic, library and professional staff in St. Patricks College, Drumcondra. On that date all four colleges merged on the basis of explicit assurances of parity of esteem for the staff of each of the four colleges. This assurance was given not only by management but also by all four unions involved, including SIPTU. Furthermore, the assurance was given repeatedly and without quali cation. It was, therefore, the basis upon which IFUT members accepted the merger. The Department of Education and DCU have made it explicitly clear that they have no objection to IFUT and SIPTU sharing representation rights for academic, research and library staff. The sole objection has been from SIPTU. Congress's original proposal to settle this dispute was that IFUT, SIPTU, IMPACT and UNITE would agree on strict boundaries of membership in New DCU and that a clear and explicit prohibition of predatory recruitment would be observed by all four unions. This proposal was accepted by IFUT, IMPACT and UNITE. It was also acceptable to the local Branch of SIPTU but, after some months, not by SIPTU Head Of ce.IFUT has increased its membership every year for the past ten years by concentrating on recruiting in areas where union membership is, traditionally, very low. IFUT has never once broken any of the Congress rules and guidelines regarding recruitment of members. Nor has there ever been a dispute between IFUT and SIPTU in the numerous colleges where we work in partnership. There are substantial numbers of non-union employees in DCU, many of whom have applied in the past to join IFUT. All such applications were refused on the basis that, prior to the mergers, SIPTU was at that time the sole union in DCU. These employees remain outside of the trade union movement. Conference therefore resolves:That, following the example of UCD, TCD, MU and NUIG, IFUT and SIPTU should share representation and collective bargaining rights in DCU, but only for those speci c staff categories which IFUT already organises and not otherwise. This agreement should be reviewed every 12 months by Congress to ensure that neither union engages in activities likely to undermine the other. Finally, mindful of Congress's long standing position that unions should spend more time recruiting non-union workers and less time ghting amongst ourselves, Conference afirms that it will not penalise any union for recruiting new, previously unorganised, workers within their existing spheres of influence.
Amendment
Conference notes the Disputes Committee Report 16/3 which was issued in response to the Appeal Submitted by IFUT and UNITE to Disputes Committee report 16/1. The Disputes Committee Findings are: This Dispute's Committee does not accept that the original Dispute's Committee report contained incompatible clauses. Rather it was an attempt to find a compromise which would be acceptable to all the unions involved. As the attempt at compromise has failed this Committee finds: IFUT, UNITE and IMPACT will give their full list of members and details to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. SIPTU will not take into membership anyone who is on this list. IFUT, UNITE and IMPACT accept that they will not take into membership any other worker at DCU.IFUT, UNITE and IMPACT will have rights to represent these members on an individual basis to ensure that they are getting their entitlements from a Collective Agreement, but not where any representation would have the effect of changing the Collective Agreement. FUT, UNITE and IMPACT will not continue to seek recognition for Collective Bargaining Rights and accept that Dublin City University recognises SIPTU as the sole Representative Body for Collective Bargaining Purposes for staff employed by the University, in accordance with the Agreement between Dublin City University and SIPTU. However, SIPTU should initiate suitable arrangements where the views of IMPACT, UNITE and IFUT on any issues within the scope of the Collective Agreement can be ascertained. IFUT, UNITE and IMPACT will continue to represent their members in national level negotiations in the normal way. In these circumstances, Conference afirms that the decision of the ICTU Executive to accept the Disputes Committees Report 16/3 to the Appeal submitted by IFUT be accepted by the parties as the resolution to this dispute.
