Anger over call to scrap national wage agreement

One of the country’s most senior trade unionists today hit out at Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s controversial call for the national wage agreement to be scrapped.

SIPTU general president Jack O’Connor claimed the opposition had got it wrong by claiming that the country could not afford the standard 6% pay rise and that it would cost jobs.

As opinion polls showed Fine Gael keeping well ahead of Fianna Fáil, Mr O’Connor accused the party of churning out the same old policies and attacking workers to shore up profits.

“Apart from the implications for the living standards of ordinary working people, suspending the pay agreement is about the worst possible approach imaginable at this point in time,” Mr O’Connor said.

“It would further depress consumer confidence and exacerbate the recession, when what is needed are means to stimulate demand.”

The SIPTU leader claimed Fine Gael had misunderstood the basic rules of the pay deal under social partnership.

“With regard to the employment implications of the pay deal the agreement includes a tried and tested ’inability to pay’ mechanism to protect against jobs being lost,” he said.

Mr Kenny made the call at a stirring speech to the Fine Gael national conference in Wexford this weekend.

Party faithful also heard calls for radical reform of the public service with departments working to targets and mandatory 25 years in jail for murder.

In a stinging attack on the coalition Government and in an attempt to build on strong showings in the last two opinion polls, Mr Kenny told delegates that the Fianna Fail-Green led partnership was stale, arrogant and contemptuous.

Fine Gael has been boosted in the last fortnight after a poll showed widespread dissatisfaction with the Government.

The latest Sunday Business Post/Red C monthly tracking poll, published today, showed the party is maintaining a significant lead over Fianna Fáil.