Unions plan mass demonstrations over pension levy

HUNDREDS of thousands of people will take to the streets in nationwide protests next week demanding the Government take the sole burden for economic recovery off the shoulders of ordinary workers.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is organising mass demonstrations across the country on February 21 in what unions say will be the last warning to Government before they start disruptive strikes.

A number of unions are already starting to seek a mandate for industrial action. They will start strikes within days of the protest if the Government does not backtrack on the imposition of the public sector pensions levy in its drive to save €2 billion and if it does not introduce measures forcing the wealthy members of society to play their part in the savings.

Workers will also protest at attempts by employers and Government to defer paying the terms of the new national wage agreement and at a perceived drive to depress wages as an attempt to stimulate competitiveness.

Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary David Begg said the protest was the union movement’s way of “kicking off” its campaign.

He said it would develop in various phases in order to bring pressure to bear on the Government.

“Our preferred option would be to re-engage [in the social partnership talks which broke down last week] and shape the framework document of two weeks ago. It represented a fair approach to correcting the issues which affect people across the economy,” said Mr Begg.

“The whole focus seems to be on the public service element of this. Actually, there are a whole range of difficulties that have to be confronted at the moment, principally unemployment, pensions, mortgage repossession and the fair spread of the burden through the tax code.”

The framework document was formulated by the Government, unions and employers at the end of January as a way of saving the €2bn and developing better entitlements for workers.

However, the theory of the document failed to materialise in practice and the talks broke down with ICTU claiming the burden of economic recovery was not being spread fairly.

Yesterday, ICTU said they had formulated “framework 2”, a 10-point document covering all the issues they want addressed by Government as part of the social partnership model.

That will be published widely in the media in the coming days and will also be presented to Government in the hope that it will revive the partnership talks before the public service pension levy legislation is introduced on March 1.

SIPTU president Jack O’Connor said the Government must make the wealthy in the country make a fair contribution to the recovery or else prepare for the prospect of sustained industrial action. “The Government has backed away from that and until such time as that is addressed we are looking down the barrel of major difficulties and dramatic things, and there is no point in saying otherwise,” he said.

IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone said unions would only return to the social partnership negotiations if there was clear evidence that engagement would be meaningful.

“There is no point in us going back to Government with a wing and a prayer that this will fix itself,” he said. “There has to be clear evidence that we will engage as we committed to do under the framework document. We won’t get too many chances to engage. There is no plan. The only remedies are those putting the entire burden on working people.

“We are only going to get one more chance to do this. “If the demonstration works it will satisfy people. If it does not people are saying they are prepared to do more. This will not require much winding up.”