COMMUNITY workers across the Northside fear for their jobs and local services due to a new programme that could see funding slashed by almost
?¬750,000.
The Ballymun/Whitehall and Tolka Area Partnerships, which provide a range of services to local disadvantaged groups, are expected to be merged when the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is introduced.
SICAP, due to be rolled out in April, will be funded through the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and a public procurement process is being used to choose who’ll run local partnerships, also known as Local Development Companies (LDCs).
The current partnerships have submitted tenders to continue operating but funding for Dublin partnerships is expected to be cut by an estimated
?¬742,000.
An announcement on tendering was expected to be made last week but community workers heard nothing and are still in the dark over what SICAP will mean to their jobs or the local communities.
Last week hundreds of workers took part in a protest outside the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government at the Custom House to voice their concern over the change.
They were supported by SIPTU and IMPACT unions who claim that the change effectively privatises community social inclusion programmes.
The workers were also protesting over the refusal of the department to negotiate with union representatives following a Labour Court recommendation last December to establish a forum to discuss concerns regarding the introduction of SICAP.
IMPACT assistant general secretary, Geraldine O’Brien, said workers in the sector are very concerned about the move.
“There will not be enough contracts awarded to ensure all LDCs will receive future funding,
? she said.
“This will ultimately lead to a reduction in services and the probability of job losses. These LDCs facilitate crucial work in the communities they serve, from drug addiction services, upskilling early school leavers and homelessness services.
“No transition process has been put in place by the Department to ensure this work will continue. Private companies, obviously more interested in profit than service provision, could end up providing these services.
?
IMPACT says it’s now in the process of preparing a ballot of community sector members for industrial action against possible redundancies and job losses.
SIPTU is also balloting its members and warned that companies that end up operating programmes under SICAP could face strike action.
“Workers across the country are being placed on protective notice with some having already been made redundant,
? said SIPTU community sector activist, Donnie O’Leary.
“If this ballot is successful it will mean that community workers across the country will defend their colleagues’ right to maintain their employment with its existing terms and conditions. This right will be defended by industrial action, up to and including strike action.
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Cllr Paul McAuliffe (FF) warned that the community sector could face a
“brain drain
? of talented workers fed up with uncertainty around their futures.
“The tendering process is a farce and was designed to introduce significant cutbacks through the back door,
? he claimed.
Cllr McAulliffe, who is a director of the Ballymun Whitehall Partnership, warned that community organisations will struggle to stay afloat following funding cuts.
“In my own locality there are two partnership companies, Tolka Area Partnership and Ballymun Whitehall Partnership, that have been forced to tender for the same contract,
? he said.
“One of these organisations will have serious issues to consider including redundancies and the closure of programmes.
“As a director, it remains unclear to me what will happen to the staff and community programmes that currently operate in areas like Finglas and Ballymun.
?
Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF) also expressed her dismay at the introduction of SICAP.
“As a member of the Ballymun Whitehall Partnership it is shocking to consider we may not exist after next week,
? she said.
“Before SICAP there were two partnerships operating within Dublin North West. The results of the tender process means only one of those partnerships can exist and will exist on a much smaller budget but will also have to cover a greater geographical area.
“The people involved in providing services for years; the dedication and commitment they have given to areas like Ballymun, Finglas, Cabra and Whitehall has been so easily forgotten by this Government.
?