Notes on the Front

The following is a statement from eleven service-support workers who were made redundant by Chartered Accountants Ireland.  In the grand scheme of things it may be a small story – but it is story, many of which don't hit the headlines, that is being repeated in hundreds of workplaces every month.  It is not just the fact of redundancy – it is the manner in which businesses behave.  It is all the more incredible that the Chartered Accountants Ireland, a regulator body, believes that this behaviour is acceptable.

Welcome to the new way of conducting business (very very similar to the old way).

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Chartered Accountants Ireland: Watchdog turned Wolf

Despite their role as regulatory watchdogs Chartered
Accountants Ireland's actions in forcing compulsory redundancies on our members
have been a textbook example of how a responsible employer should not treat their
workers.

Their actions are a throwback to the days of the worst
excesses of rogue employers:

• The selection in secret of employees none of whom were aware
  that redundancies were even planned
• The refusal to consider voluntary redundancies or other alternatives
• The refusal to look at any other cost saving measure prior
  to dismissal of workers
• The use of internships even while redundancies are being
  implemented

Above all else, the refusal to enter conciliation talks in
the Labour Relations Commission qnd the flagrant breach of our Collective Agreement.

In addition, this not-for-profit organisation, which is
claiming to be cash strapped,  is paying
its CEO in excess of €300,000, and the organisation's pattern and level of
spending is lavish for the current climate.

Despite Unite the Union representing just over 40 of 130
plus staff at Chartered Accountants Ireland all of the employees selected for
redundancy are UNITE members. They are not Chartered Accountants, they are
support staff working across multifunction roles.  Between them they have given 150 years of
service to this institute, some of them have over three decades of service.

The Chartered Accountants Ireland branch of Unite the Union
has never previously taken Industrial action or even considered it. We have met
all previous requests for cost cutting measures, no matter how difficult, with
a positive response. The maverick actions of Chartered Accountants Ireland
management have left us with no option but to take industrial action to protect
our members from unfair dismissal.

Our sole demand to Chartered Accountants Ireland is simple
and reasonable: Honour your Agreement: Attend the Labour Relations Commission.

Their course of action shows a complete disregard for the
industrial relations mechanisms of the state and the reputation of the
chartered accountant brand. It is time that they held themselves to the
standard that they expect of the accountancy profession.

Statement issued by the Chartered Accountants Ireland branch of UNITE the Union.