Quinn warns of frontline cuts if Croke Park is rejected

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has warned teachers that if they reject the Croke Park II proposals, the Government will be forced to hit frontline services.

The warning came as Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of conducting a ballot for industrial action up to and including a strike if the Government or Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) decide to impose Croke Park II proposals.

Delegates passed the emergency motion which would see members withdraw, with immediate effect, from all measures agreed to in the first Croke Park Agreement if the latest proposals are imposed. Members would also refuse to engage in any measures in Croke Park II and would conduct a ballot for industrial action “up to and including strike action”.

The motion also instructed the executive of the TUI that, in light of 86% of members rejecting the Croke Park II proposals, it should call a rally of all public sector workers to consolidate a movement against the latest measures.

Speaking after he addressed delegates at the second day of the TUI annual conference in Galway, Mr Quinn said that while he was a guest of the union to speak on education matters, he knew he would have to make reference to Croke Park II and warned that, if the public services committee of Ictu rejected the proposals on Apr 17, there would be no alternative but to hit frontline services.

“I had to make reference to it [Croke Park II]. I had to say that I wanted to see it passed. The alternatives are that if we want to find the money elsewhere, I’ve only one other place to go and that’s frontline services.

“We will see where we are on Apr 17 but the economic gap and the financial gap in [public expenditure and reform minister] Brendan Howlin’s figures will not disappear because of a vote that rejects proposals which come out of negotiations and we have to deal with that fiscal gap.”

Mr Quinn refused to be drawn on whether the Government would legislate to impose the Croke Park proposals on the public sector if unionsrejected them and said there was a long road to travel before strikes became a reality.

“Look, we have a very sophisticated labour relations system in this country and there are many, many steps to travel before we get to that point. As far as I’m concerned, the next date we have, so to speak, is Apr 17. Let’s see what that throws up and we will deal with that as we have done in the past,” he said

Tom Dooley of Dundalk IT told delegates that if there was any time for considering strike action, it was now.

“We have given a lot and it is sometimes lost in the commentariat the amount of productivity that public sector workers in general have given.

“We are going to lose thousands over the lifetime of Croke Park II in our salaries. If there ever was an economic argument, not just for ourselves, or for other public sector unions who oppose this agreement in taking strike action to save their wages, then there is an economic argument now.

“You are going to lose thousands if they impose it on you. If we have to take strike action, yes we are going to lose money but, at least, we will have fought to save our wages and to try and stop the cuts.”

Delegates also called on the Government to immediately target a combination of additional income tax on the earnings of the top 5% of income units in Ireland along with the introduction of a progressive wealth tax instead of cuts in the public sector.