Tens of thousands of workers take to streets

THE Government dropped plans to increase taxes on the rich and powerful because of their “huge influence”, the country’s most senior union leader has claimed.

David Begg was speaking as tens of thousands of workers took to the streets in eight locations across the country for a “national day of protest” against Government budgetary policy.

But Tánaiste Mary Coughlan bluntly warned the unions that they would have to demonstrate a “seismic change in attitudes” and accept the Government’s plan to cut the public service pay and pension bill by €1.3bn.