Northern Irish labour unions are set to request positions on all major boards endorsed by Stormont, in response to a fall in representation on such entities by 80 per cent over the past three decades. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), in a policy document released today, contends that the trend of board nominations gravitating away from employers and labour unions, due to compliance with open competition regulations, has given rise to “quangocrats”; a class of individuals composed mainly of active Northern civil servants assigning retired colleagues to such boards.
Ictu, boasting a 200,000-strong membership across the Northern region, advocates that the reduction in state board directorships filled by labour union nominees should be reversed. It also asserts that the newly formed Stormont Executive should revert to the previously effective social partnership model. Ictu has called for the Executive to embrace social partnership as it has been widely adopted in the Republic over recent years.
It has been increasingly observed over the last 30 years, the policy document states, that labour unions have been progressively sidelined from public policy development and decision-making in the Northern region; a trend which further strengthens Ictu’s argument. The policy document, titled “Democracy at Work — Social Dialogue and the Tripartite Model”, puts forward the viewpoint that the prevalence of genuine representation has been overlooked repeatedly on many Northern public entities, under the pretence of professionalisation.
The shift from assigning board nominations to employer representatives or labour unions, a matter justified by the perceived need for open competition, has resulted in the emergence of a “quangocrat” class, wherein active civil servants nominate their retired peers to boards.
A decline in representation has occurred over the years, from 51 union representatives on public boards in 1988 to 22 by 2008 and a mere eight at present. This change has curtailed representation and has limited diversity, according to Ictu. Existing selection procedures have drawn public criticism, including from impartial parties such as the former Commissioner for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland, Felicity Huston who openly stated that the civil service had fully cooperated with her in her duties.
She stated last year that the selection procedures were drafted by civil service personnel, which tended to serve their own interests. Their former colleagues would then meet these criteria and secure appointments, she claimed, resulting in a major issue.
Owen Reidy, the general secretary of Ictu, remarked earlier in the week that the situation in Northern Ireland is significantly lagging behind that of the Republic. He divulged that while there has been some backward movement in the last decade, the two cannot be compared.
Citing the instances of the Health and Safety Executive and Industrial and Employment Tribunals, equivalent to the Workplace Relations Commission, the report suggests a trend of moving away from nominating representatives, despite conditions ensuring representation of both employers and employees.
Gerry Murphy, the deputy general secretary of Ictu based in Belfast, pointed out that it’s proposed that an HR manager could stand in as a representative for workers. He stressed that transformative currents are sweeping Northern Ireland, with the role the unions have to play being acknowledged.
As the Northern Ireland assembly resumes efforts to address the economy and revamp public service, Murphy expressed belief in the value that everyone, including the private sector, would find in union involvement. He cautioned against another ten-year period of economic stagnation and industrial conflict.
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