Social Partnership in Ireland

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• Social Partnership in Ireland
• A National and Enterprise Level Perspective
• 8 May 2008

Presentation by Brendan Mulligan
Assistant Chief Executive HSE Employers
Agency
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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective
The early days industrial unrest

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective
high immigration
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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Early 1980s macro economic perspective
• 19 unemployment
• Rising income tax
• High inflation
• 200 strikes in 1984
• 400,000 days lost to strikes

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Pay Bargaining in Ireland
• 1981 1987 free for all collective bargaining
• 1987 onwards Social Partnership Agreements, pay
  and tax trade off
• Gradual rise in real income win/win

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

Partnership approach
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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• What is Social Partnership?

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective
Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Social Partnership is a
• Social mechanism, its part of governance, its
  a
• cultural accomplishment, its an instrument of
  social
• learning into a variety of things but at the end
  of the
• day its about relationships between people.
• Dermot McCarthy
• Secretary
• Department of An Taoiseach

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Towards 2016
• Ten year framework Social Partnership Agreement
  2006 2015
• Government, employer organisations, trade unions
  and voluntary organisations

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Towards 2016 contd/
• Challenging modernisation agenda for Irish health
  service
• - Extended working day
• - Skill mix
• - New contracts consultants and junior
  doctors
• - Standard terms and conditions of employment
  
• - More effective, efficient rostering/attendance
  arrangements
• Performance Verification
• - Cash on delivery

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Benefits of Social Partnership Agreement
• Macro economic and labour force stability
• Unemployment 4.5
• Immigration now exceeds emigration

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Celtic Tiger

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• National
• Enterprise Level

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Health Service Executive (HSE)
• HSE provides health and personal social services
  in the Republic of Ireland
• Largest employer in Ireland
• 120,000 staff
• 14 billion budget
• Powerful trade unions

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Social Dialogue Forums
• Health Service National Partnership Forum
• 12 Senior managers 12 senior union officials
  22 partnership facilitators
• 150 Partnership Committees/Groups
• 9,000 staff in 800 Partnership projects
• Common interest
• - Better service for patients and clients
• - Better working environment
• - Better value for money
• - Better management / staff / union
  relationships

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Health Service National Joint Council
• Primary forum for managing employee relations
• Meet bi-monthly
• Independent Chair
• Develops HR policy jointly with unions, e.g.
• - Dignity at Work Policy
• - Trust in Care Policy
• - Discipline and Grievance Procedure
• - Managing Attendance
• - Equal Opportunities
• - Balancing Safety and Service Policy
• - Early Warning for IR Conflict

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Positive outcomes from
• workplace social dialogue
• Common objectives
• Build trust, cooperation
• Cross functional communication
• Democratic
• Smooth implementation of agreements
• System-wide approach
• All key stakeholders

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• Challenges
• Change is difficult
• Economic downturn
• Employers struggle to meet pay increases
• Union leaders detached from members
• Pensions
• Inflation
• Tight budgetary control
• Sustaining cooperative employment relations

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Social Partnership in IrelandA National and
Enterprise Level Perspective

• The Celtic Tiger can evolve a leaner species,
• capable of thriving and building an economy and
• a society we can be proud of in a constantly
• changing globalised world. This is social
• partnerships greatest challenge.