AGM 2017 - Motions Carried
Alliance of Retired Public Servants
1.
The RMA re-affirms its support for the Alliance of Retired Public Servants as the main organisation for restoring public servants’ pensions, including restoration of the serving peer link, and eliminating the inequality relating to the pensions of public servants who have retired since 29th February 2012. The RMA now calls on the Alliance to vigorously continue its campaign of lobbying public representatives for the purpose of achieving full pension restoration and statutory negotiation rights on behalf of retired public servants.
2.
RMATUI notes the continued growth in the Alliance of Retired Public Servants and commends the work of the Alliance in representing the concerns of its affiliated organisations. This AGM urges the Alliance to redouble its efforts to obtain a negotiating licence, and to seek the support of all its affiliated organisations to lobby for the necessary enabling legislation.
Medical /Social Protection
3.
The RMATUI demands that a full medical card be automatically granted to all citizens on reaching 70 years of age.
Pension Parity
4.
The RMATUI reaffirms that parity between the pay of serving teachers and the pensions of retired teachers is a core principle for RMATUI and asks that TUI fully supports and ensures that pensions of retired colleagues are increased in line with any future pay increases with serving teachers.
5.
This AGM of RMA TUI rejects recent written statements by Minister Paschal Donohoe to the effect that the principle of parity, increases of pensions in payment with the pay increases of serving peer, lapsed in 2010. No such information was given by the Government side or by Trade Union leaderships to those members voting that the relevant Public Service Agreement contained such an implication. Accordingly, this AGM calls on TUI to reject Minister Donohoe’s statement and to insist that Irish Congress of Trade Unions publicly reject the Minister’s position on this matter and will engage with Government to ensure that established rights to parity are maintained.
The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts
6.
RMATUI expresses its disappointment that efforts to date have not resulted in full pension restoration for all our members. RMATUI now calls on the TUI and its allies in the ICTU to demand that a timetable for full Pension restoration for public service pensioners be a pre-requisite for acceptance of any agreement on Public Service Pay.
7.
In view of the recent public statement by Tom Geraghty, Secretary of ICTU Public Services’ Committee, definitively asserting that the Financial Emergency is over, this AGM of RMA TUI:
a) calls on the Teachers Union of Ireland to clearly demand that the government desist from certifying the continuation of the Financial Emergency in any document to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas thus allowing FEMPI ACTS to lapse and
b) Further calls on TUI to insist that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions tell the Government that it will not tolerate any such certification of the continuation of the Financial Emergency and will not recognise any of the restrictions of FEMPI in negotiations with government or public service employers on future pay and pensions of public servants
Organisation
8.
That RMATUI members have full access to the members section on the TUI website.
9.
This AGM of RMATUI welcomes the formation of new RMA branches in Wicklow and Cavan and commends the efforts of the RMA Officers in this regard. The AGM further acknowledges the commitment of its Management Committee members in servicing all RMA branches and likewise, the commitment of RMA branch officers throughout the country.
Motions Referred to Organisation/Constitution Sub-committee
1.
In order to facilitate members who wish to attend the business section of the AGM only and to avoid the cost of a long journey and an overnight stay, the AGM should be located in an area that is easily accessible from most parts of Ireland by means of a one day round trip.
2.
That RMATUI develop a members section on the RMA website.