Unions prepare for strike action

PUBLIC sector unions have said social partnership is dead and told their members to prepare themselves for strikes.

Union leaders said they were not prepared to accept what they see as a 14% pay cut in the space of less than a year for workers on low to middle incomes.

“We know the Minister for Finance has been working hard now for the best part of a year to put an end to that [social partnership] and he has certainly put an end to it today,” said Irish Congress of Trade Unions president Jack O’Connor. “Budget 2010 must rank as the most callous, unjust and uncaring budget introduced by any Minister for Finance since the 1930s in this country. It represents a merciless attack on working people and the most vulnerable in our community while the wealthy in our society escape virtually untouched. This is a budget for the 5% who own 40% of national wealth in a blatantly obvious way.”