Community Employment supervisors protest over decade-long pensions dispute
Community Employment (CE) supervisors are protesting outside the Department of Finance this afternoon over a 10-year pensions dispute.
Around 1,250 CE supervisors and assistant supervisor do not get access to any occupational pension scheme and are now calling on Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation.
Speaking at the rally retired CE supervisor Paddy Quinn said: "In 2008 the Labour Court issued a recommendation saying that CE supervisors and assistant supervisors should be given access to a pension."
He said this was stalled due to the economic recession but the Government are now continuing to refuse to engage on the issue.
"I had to retire without a pension, I went from €755 a week down to €230 a week, it's a big drop, it's difficult to come to terms with and that's why I am out in support of my colleagues here today," said Mr Mr Quinn who worked for 23 as a supervisor in Co Laois.
More than 250 supervisors have retired with no occupational pension since the 2008 Labour Court recommendation was published. Between 30 and 40 are currently retiring each year.
Fórsa assistant general secretary Brendan O’Hanlon called on the Government to sit down and engage with unions and to implement the pension recommendation.
I think the Government position has shifted over the years but they have never formally came out and rejected the Labour Court recommendation.
"I think the fact that they never rejected the Labour Court recommendation, people assumed that this issue was going to be addressed and backdated probably to the recommendation," he said.
