The purpose of this circular is to give the up to date factual situation in relation to discussions with Eircom following the recent dispute.  Any variation on the position below will be communicated to you directly by General Circular or through your Branch and Section.  I would urge all members to ignore any instructions written or otherwise from the Company which varies with the information outlined below and to pass on any such information to your branch or section representative.

It is disappointing but not surprising that the Company have acted with such bad grace following the Labour Relations Commission findings where the Company was left with no option but to abandon the position it had held publicly in the run up to those hearings.  There is no doubt that there has been a “sour grapes” attitude to their behaviour since then and it is disappointing that they have not been professional or adult enough to deal with what are very important issues through the agreed LRC settlement terms and the existing agreed industrial relations and partnership processes. 

What is of particular concern is that the Company would write directly to individuals indicating that those individuals no longer have a future in their particular work area and that they should consider leaving the Company or face the prospect of being put into a resource business unit.  It is unacceptable that the Company would target individuals in such a manner and in particular individuals who have given long and loyal service to the Company and who are deserving of more understanding and better treatment than has been shown by these recent arrivals. I believe that the Company deliberately timed its actions to coincide with my family holiday and that type of opportune behavior does not indicate any desire to mend fences. There are two ways of doing business with the Communications Workers' Union, and that is

a) In a professional manner with parity of esteem to the agenda of both partners.
                                                             or
b) In a confrontational manner which has been the hallmark of the Company’s behaviour in recent months.

As a trade union we have to be able to react to the Company’s behaviour whether it is through diplomatic means or otherwise, as we have recently so ably demonstrated. 

I am due to meet with the Chief Executive, Mr Rex Comb next Thursday and it is my intention to establish whether or not the Company wishes to work in conjunction with its workforce to face the difficult agenda ahead or whether he will continue to deal with your representatives in a confrontational manner.  It is a decision only he and his Board can take.

In relation to recent difficulties it is important that each member knows the sequence of events since both sides freely accepted the LRC resolution proposals. 

• The Partnership Steering Group met on Friday 27th July 2007 to discuss the findings of the Labour Relations Commission.
• At that meeting the Company formally tabled its change proposals (some 25 proposals) which they claim would culminate in the loss of 254 jobs in the Wholesale Network area.
• At that meeting the Union requested all of the details relating to the Company proposals and also sought the locations for the proposed job reductions.  It was necessary to get this information in order for the union to prepare its response.
• The Union then made arrangements to engage with the Company on its proposals as provided for under the LRC Settlement.
• At this stage NO agreement has been reached on any of the Company proposals or in relation to any of the job reductions.
• There has been NO agreement reached in relation to the setting up of a new resource business structure and at present we are in receipt of proposals from the Company for such a structure.
• The four Unions have put together its own proposals in this regard which will shortly be presented to the company.   Therefore there is no agreement in relation to any resource business at this stage and if agreement cannot be reached there is a facility to refer this matter back to the Labour Relations Commission.  In the meantime no member can be transferred to any company styled resource business unit and any attempt to do so will be vigorously resisted by the Union.
• It is now obvious to all that the Company at Board level has set targets for job reductions.  It should be clearly understood that those targets are management targets which have not been agreed with the CWU or any other union.  It is our clear view that the Company must justify those targets and must provide for people who are displaced if agreement can be reached as outlined in the LRC resolution document which envisages any new resource business unit, and I quote, “as an essential tool to reassign, retrain and upskill displaced staff in line with the principals agreed as part of the blue book”.  Any effort to move away from that part of the resolution proposal would be a clear breach of the proposals as freely signed by the Chief Executive.

I regret the actions of the Company in putting such undue pressure on individuals and their families and it shows a distinct lack of understanding and caring for the impact that such correspondence has.  I wish to take this opportunity to give you an absolute commitment that your union will only deal with the Company proposals where the Company continues to deliver on its obligations so clearly outlined in the existing partnership agreements and in the LRC agreement and we will defend any individual union member or group of members where any attempt is made by the Company to operate outside those agreements.  I have once again with this circular issued a copy of the Labour Relations Commission agreement which is clear and unambiguous and which has been freely accepted by both sides.  You will see from that agreement that while we have committed to immediate and constructive engagement with the Company that in the event that agreement cannot be reached, both sides are duty bound to utilize the services of the LRC and indeed of the Labour Court.  It is our preference to reach agreement by dealing directly with the Company but given the actions since the dispute that prospect is becoming more and more unlikely.

Enquiries from members relating to the above should be referred to Jerome Barrett or Jimmy O'Conner