€150,000-a-year job to SIPTU man

I read this report in the Indo today:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/euro150000-siptu-job-row-puts-heat-on-coughlan-1914199.html

In it, the reporter tells us that the Tanaiste wants to appoint SIPTU vice-president Brendan Hayes to post of deputy chairman of the Labour Court (salary 150,000) using the 'Buggins' turn' system where the top position is shared between ICTU and IBEC, instead of opening the position to qualified members of the public.

Nice work if you can get it.

...and in other news: Turkeys to decide on Christmas menus. Sheesh

Cronyism is good, huh ?

On an ironic note. When completing journalism training, one of the guest lecturers was Sam Smyth, really nice guy and very interesting. But I remember him being very critical of letting opinion get in the way of a story. We're just there to report the facts.

Funny, the opening paragraph is full of emotion and opinion "Gaffe-prone", "plum job" "ignore an agreement". It get's some stick for being dull, but the Times does still stick to the old fashioned principles.

Anyway. I'm not saying she hasn't considered this, but there's little substance to the article. After "The Irish times has learned..." there's nothing else to back it up, just a description of the old system, the pay and how much of a disgrace it would be if she did do this. Yet nothing actually concrete just yet.

She may want to and she may have raised it, but it's unlikely she'll be allowed to. So what's the drama?

Sure didn't all these union leaders benefit most out of the benchmarking fests over the years?

Latrade said:

On an ironic note. When completing journalism training, one of the guest lecturers was Sam Smyth, really nice guy and very interesting. But I remember him being very critical of letting opinion get in the way of a story. We're just there to report the facts.

Click to expand...

It is hard to think of a reporter who is WORSE than Sam at letting opinion get in the way of a story.

Do you not think it is outrageous though, that this role pays so much when so many people are losing their jobs?

Still, if SIPTU can get the 3.5% pay rises they are pushing for their members, then at least we know Mr. Hayes can act completely free from the influence of public outrage.

These sort of closed shop positions serve no one other than the top brass in IBEC and the unions.

There's another story in the paper today that 'THE leader of the country's biggest union is not considering a cut in his €124,000 pay while his members are facing wage reductions and job losses.'

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/siptu-boss-refuses-cut-to-8364124000-pay-1915673.html

Also interesting to see that David Begg earns over €136,000 and Peter McLoone earns €155,300 - I thought these guys were always going on about the 'vulnerable' in society? Easy to do that when you're on that kind of cash!