Derry trade unionists launch survey with aim of improving working conditions

Derry Trades Union Council (DTUC) has launched a local workers' survey and has encouraged workers across the council area to complete it in order to build better workplaces.

Chair of DTUC, Niall McCarroll, says that as a working class movement DTUC has provided a voice for workers and social justice campaigns.

It aims to further reach out with the launch of a local workers survey, as it extends its solidarity with the people of Derry and District 'demanding an end to the many hardships which workers and their families experience and have experienced for far too long'. 

Mr McCarroll says: "Like everyone else I have listened to plenty of guff over the years. 'Hang in there' is the message from all sections of the establishment, 'we are sympathetic and very empathetic we know things are difficult but if you keep working for nothing with no improvements things will improve'. 

"Nurses, hotel workers, health care assistants, nursing home workers, shop workers, classroom assistants, retail workers, community, voluntary sector workers and indeed call centre staff have all heard this and still they wait, we all wait. 

"We need to organise and begin to direct our own affairs, we need to represent ourselves because we are not being represented." 

He adds: "Derry Trades Union Council call upon all local workers to join a trade union, get active in your local branch and shape your trade union into a fighting, working class organisation.

"This is how we will change our lives make our communities better, create a culture of solidarity across all workplaces, uniting all workers. Lets begin to create this new modern workers movement. 

"Unionised workers of the past, including our local factory workers championed the cause of labour and won many of the rights we take for granted today such as maternity pay, 8 hour days and weekends off.

"Todays demands are not being won, workers need decent pay and we must collectively mobilise to end the scourge of poverty pay, creating the situation were no worker needs to work two jobs to survive.

"By completing the DTUC survey we can commence the call to mobilise, use this survey to bring us together - together we can make a difference - together we can deliver for each other.

"We are told by the privileged few that we must wait to gain the same privileges. Time is up."

The survey can be completed by visiting https://forms.gle/ c56BPh7vHxEQFPMw8