Alliance unions demand meeting over leaked letter

UNIONS and bodies representing emergency service personnel have demanded an urgent meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ public service committee after a letter leaked from the committee’s chairman appeared to indicate his union was willing to accept cuts in public service jobs in order to protect pay.

The letter from IMPACT general secretary, Peter McLoone, to his officials, described by one trade union source as a “prelude to surrender”, claimed any deal with the Government that avoids cuts in public sector pay would likely involve major reductions in the numbers of people employed in the sector over the next three or four years.

Crucially, he added, “additional exceptional measures will also be needed in 2010 to deal with the budgetary crisis next year”.