Begg: Partnership process facing make or break test

THE Government has been told by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) that its response to the Supreme Court ruling on Ryanair will be a litmus test for the future of social partnership in this country.

In a hard-hitting speech directed at Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who was a guest at the ICTU biennial conference, General Secretary David Begg said it was the end of the road as far as accepting unpalatable measures by employers and the Government.

“We know a government always has a difficulty balancing demands and requirements of the foreign direct investment community with needs of the trade unions and population. The last 20 years we have gone along with that even though we don’t like it.”