Coughlan denies campaign against public sector
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan today denied the Government orchestrated a smear campaign against the public sector as she repeatedly refused to rule out more pay cuts for workers.
Under attack for encouraging a “vulgar campaign of abuse” to soften up public opinion for two salary reductions last year, Ms Coughlan rejected the allegations and insisted the cutbacks were fair.
She also stood over what was branded a sweetheart deal that will see some of the country’s most senior civil servants suffering lesser basic pay cuts than the lowest-paid public workers.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore demanded a reassurance that the lowest paid would not be hit a third time in next year’s Budget.
But Ms Coughlan, standing in for Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the Dáil as he co-chaired talks to save the North’s power-sharing executive, insisted the Government couldn’t make such promises.
“We are not in a position to give such an undertaking and it would certainly be wrong to give such an undertaking in the month of January,” she said.
It was the second day in a row that Ms Coughlan insisted no one could forecast what measures were needed to steady the country’s finances in the year ahead.
Mr Gilmore suggested the persistent refusal to rule out more cuts signalled the Government’s intentions.
The Labour leader said poorer workers were taking a bigger hit than those being paid six or seven times the lowest pay because of a sweetheart deal for assistant secretaries – the third highest paid civil servants.
The salaries of 150 assistant secretaries, paid up to €146,000 a year, were marginally reduced because their cuts were worked out including a bonus scheme that was scrapped last year.
The Tánaiste said that decision was arrived at by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and backed by the Government.
Defending last year’s pay cuts, she said lower-paid public servants “suffered less” proportionately than those with much higher salaries.
She also rejected claims by Mr Gilmore that the government encouraged a campaign of abuse against ordinary people doing a decent day’s work to soften them up ahead of last year’s pay cuts.
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