Unions vent fury at public sector pay cuts
Unions lined up tonight to launch vicious attacks on the Government threatening months of angry disputes and strikes over pay cuts.
With elite earners in state bodies losing 15% of wages, Congress, Impact, teaching and nursing unions claimed middle-income workers would feel most pain.
Impact leader Peter McLoone, who led Congress attempts to strike a better deal for workers, called for preparation for strike.
“All existing and former public servants must now mobilise to protect their incomes,” he said.
President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and General President of SIPTU, Jack O’Connor, attacked Budget 2010 as “callous, unjust and uncaring”.
“It represents a merciless attack on working people and on the most vulnerable in our community while the wealthy in our society escape virtually untouched,” the union chief said.
Public sector unions had offered savings of about €900m during failed pay negotiations.
Staggered wage cuts move from 5% for the first €30,000, to 7.5% on the next €40,000 and 10% on the following €55,000.
The highest paid workers such as hospital consultants on €125-€165,000 were hit by 8% cuts, 12% for €165-€200,000 and 15% for those on €200,000 or more.
Mr Lenihan said the €1bn reductions would hit all public servants in the higher pay bands including hospital consultants.
“Those at the top will lead by example in this national downward readjustment of pay,” Mr Lenihan said.
Mr Lenihan noted public servants have already been hit by income and pension levies but added more cuts were needed.
“Unfortunately, more is required,” he said.
“The country can no longer afford a pay and pensions bill that accounts for more than a third of all current spending.”
Liam Doran, Irish Nurses Organisation chief, said the Budget was grossly unfair, short-sighted, damaging and provocative and would never be accepted.
Mr McLoone added: “The entire public service workforce has now been alienated both by the Government’s actions and the way in which it has acted,” he said.
Teachers’ unions claimed Budget 2010 would be divisive.
Asti general secretary John White issued a stark warning: “The Government will have to live with the consequences of these pay cuts.”
INTO incoming general secretary Sheila Nunan said public servants and their families had been squeezed again to pay for the economic crisis.
“Now they are being asked to stump up for debts of bankers, speculators and developers whose recklessness and greed is at the heart of the crisis,” Ms Nunan said.
The Unite trade union warned the cuts will lengthen and deepen the recession.
Regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said: “There will be a level of anger among those people most affected that this government will not have imagined.”
He praised the levy on exiles but warned: “In comparison to the pain that will be felt at the lower end of the survival scale, they are like a candle in the wind and should be recognised as too little too late.”
The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) said the 7.9% pay cut for those on 100,000 euro was brutal and grossly unfair.
General secretary Dave Thomas said: “This is blatantly unfair, and proves that the Government has chosen to selectively penalise public sector workers.”
The Prison Officers’ Association, on average among the highest earners in the public sector, said it was appalled by the cuts branding them unjustified.
Defence Forces union members also said they would support efforts to reverse the cuts.
