Emergency protest over Victimisation at Anti Union Ballymun Hotel

by Jim Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:40

Most organisations have a human resource manager of some sort and they are employed to deal with cases of bullying. If the union activist's job description does not include solving human resource issues such as bullying well then he was foolish to get involved and it is his own fault for losing his job.
Membership of a union is not part of any job description and the members of a union are not employed or paid to involve themselves in management issues and employee relations problems.
Realistically a union activist can only do so if the organisation agrees.
But usually as I have already explained an organisation as their own way of dealing with issues.
Employees are not running a charity, they are running a business for profit and the only reason they employ people at all is because they can afford to or it is profitable to do so.
So it is really up to the employers to decide whether they recognise unions or not.
They only reason they would ever recognise a union is if refusal to recognise the union makes the operation of their business unprofitable.
If a business can source non-union workers who are less contrary and more obedient they will do so.

by paul o toole Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:20

How could there be an official 'unoin activist' if there are no unions or union workers on site as you seem to assert.
True, employers do not have to recognise unions if thet choose not to, but it is the right of any worker to be a member of a trade union if they choose and cannot be prejudiced for being a member. Wether or not the employer chooses to recognise any unions or not is irrelevant in the face of labour law-they must conform-unionised or not.
If there ever was a case for the need to unionise it is here in Ballymun Plaza Hotel as is made obvious by the act of this manager firing a staff member for standing against bullying.
Seems to me Jim, you think it is ok for managers to bully and fire at will on the grounds that they are there for a purely profit motivated basis, without even a hearing.
Do you think it is reasonable to abuse staff at will or selectively if the motivation for this abuse is to cut margins and get higher productivity from staff or is bullying an acceptable exercise for whatever reason.
Any person has a right to expect fair treatment from anyone in a managerial position union or not.

by update Fri Apr 18, 2008 13:21

It has just been announced that the Ballymun Plaza Hotel has gone into receivership . Staff are meeting now in the Axis Centre Ballymun

by Jim Fri Apr 18, 2008 13:29

As I already explained the employee was fired because he wastrying to resolve a case of bullying, an industrial relations and human resources matter, for which he was not employed to do so.
Everyone is entitled to be a member of a union and should not be penalised for being a member and likewise no employer is obligated to recognise a union.
When an employer refuses to recognise a union it is understood that the union does not try to interfere in the operation of the employer's organisation.
It is clear that this is what this union activist was trying to do.
The management of an organisation have systems and procedures to deal with bullying and if they refuse to recognise a union then the union or union activists have no place to interfere with management decisions and procedures to deal with internal problems.
The employers hold the cards not the union and the union activist was not employed by the company to manage bullying.
It was not in his contract and when he went beyond his remit, he was in breach of the agreement he signed with his employers.
It is unfair for a bullying case to solve by a union activist when non-union employees go through the human resources channel when company policy is not recognise unions in the first instance.

by stephen simpson Fri Apr 18, 2008 17:38 stephen at simpsonspropertymaintenance dot com coultry aspect 0862687936

(The following text has been converted from all capitals to comply with editorial guidelines)

I'm a manager in the plaza and I’m shopstuard one of my staff came to me to complain that he felt he was been bullied by another manager I called a meeting with that manager to sort it out internaly in his words he told me to piss off I then called a meeting with the main manager before we got the chance to have our meeting the owner came in and sacked me .. And the only reason he did that was because he new he was been put out of the hotel today .. But as a manager never mind been in the union bullying of any sort will ever be ok to any staff under me or over me now I dont think I did anything wrong in the way I was dealing with the matter and just to let you no there was no HR in the hotel. Each manager had to deal with there own area

Stephen Simpson

by stephen simpson Fri Apr 18, 2008 17:59 0862687936

jim in that hotel there is no HR i got sack for trying to sort the bullying complaint i am a manager in that hotel and the complaint was put in about another manager each manager in there is told to deal with each complaint themself so i was right in the way i handled it and the staff member that put in the complaint was my staff that worked under me

by John Fri Apr 18, 2008 18:06

What happened to staff in this hotel is outragous, you just can't threat staff members like this. You can't sack staff for being members of a trade union either. These people are out of work now and may find it hard to get employment.

It is very bad news for Ballymun, there is little empoyment in the area and this sends out the wrong message to future investers.

by stephen simpson Fri Apr 18, 2008 18:12

yes John you are right i was the manager involved it is really bad for the area and B.R.L with the big change. Alot of staff is gone home crying wondering what is going to happen but this is not the first Hotel that Nevil Keegan did this with they only ever worried about the own pockets the staff with kid that worked there since it opened work hard to get it a good name all was a waste of time.. the hotel was reaching its targets so i can't see why he was not paying the rent but with saying that bennetts didn't care about the staff as well

by Michael Gallagher Fri Apr 18, 2008 18:32 libertypics at yahoo dot ie

Photos not to be used in any way without the permission of the photographer.

by Kevin Wingfield - Ballymun People Before Profit Fri Apr 18, 2008 22:34 086-3074060

People Before Profit condemns closure of Ballymun Plaza Hotel
Ballymun People Before Profit today condemned the management of Ballymun Plaza Hotel over the shock closure today.
In a statement, Kevin Wingfield of Ballymun People Before Profit said:-
“The decision of the anti union management of Ballymun Plaza Hotel to shut today without notice is deplorable.
“More than forty workers have been deprived of their livelihoods.
“This follows the failure of the management to recognise the union, SIPTU, which three quarters of the workforce had joined despite intimidation and bullying.
“Ballymun Plaza Hotel was built with tax breaks and incentives which Ballymun Regeneration trumpeted would be a new dawn for Ballymun, with well-paid local jobs and facilities for local people.
“But the management and owners of Ballymun Plaza Hotel, which benefited from the breaks paid for by public money, could not even offer their workers decent conditions and wages, still less recognise their right to be represented by a trader union.”
“The Regeneration of Ballymun has not meant well-paid jobs for local people,” Kevin Wingfield continued, “In the massive construction works, the promised jobs for local people and apprenticeships have not materalised and it has become a cowboy’s paradise.
“Local Ballymunners supported the Gama workers when they were fighting to recover their wages due. And they will support the fight for jobs and trade union rights in Ballymun Plaza Hotel under any new management.
“Ballymun People Before Profit calls on Ballymun Regeneration, Dublin City Council and the government to step in and ensure that Ballymun Plaza Hotel is rapidly re-opened with the jobs of those who have been working there restored, with continuity of service, decent wages and conditions and recognition of the right of the workers to be represented by their trade union.”

by Miriam Hamilton - SIPTU Tue Apr 29, 2008 13:39

Comrades,

As you may be aware by now, the Ballymun Plaza Hotel closed 10 days ago with the loss of 40 union members’ jobs. The hotel is owned by Bennett Construction who evicted the operator for failing to pay rent since the hotel opened 19 months ago. The workers are fighting to make sure that when a new operator is secured that they be re-engaged and that TUPE is adhered to. The workers have since then collected over 5,500 signatures from the local community supporting their right to return to work, have held protests at the sister hotel, The Tallaght Plaza over failure to get their wages paid and have maintained a regular presence in Ballymun to demonstrate their commitment to fight for their jobs. All of this work will culminate in a rally to be held in Ballymun, at the Ballymun Plaza, on Thursday, 1st May at 5pm.

We are urging people to attend this rally which will be on between 5pm - 6pm.

Attached is the poster for the rally. Can I ask that you forward it to friends and activists who may be in a position to come to Ballymun on Thursday.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have helped out to date. Your support has been greatly appreciated by all of the workers.

In Solidarity,

Miriam Hamilton

Poster for Ballymun Rally 1.4 Mb