Taoiseach urges public sector workers to embrace reform

The Taoiseach has urged workers to embrace reform of the public service rather than viewing it as a threat.

Brian Cowen has made it clear that a shake-up of the system has to happen in order to make dramatic savings to reduce the country's debt.

On Friday tens of thousands of people took to the country's streets to voice their opposition to planned cutbacks in December's Budget.

Meanwhile Jerry Shanahan from the UNITE trade union says organisational issues concerning the public service, in particular the HSE, have not been properly addressed for some time.