Alliance denies rift on fighting cutbacks

The head of the 24/7 Frontline Alliance has denied that there is a split between public sector unions on the approach to fighting cutbacks in the sector.

Des Kavanagh wrote to the ICTU chairman last week raising concerns about what he saw as threats to allowances paid to emergency workers in his organisation - and how they were being dealt with in negotiations with government.

He has yet to get a reply from Peter McLoone, but Kavanagh is insisting there is no split in union ranks.

However the chairman of the Frontline Alliance said he could see how nine-to-five public servants might be less concerned about the allowances paid to their frontline colleagues.

"My concern is, on behalf of the alliance, to point out, that...the Taoiseach from the word go has referred to equity - he has referred to the importance of the cuts being fair if cuts were being imposed," he said.

"My point would be that to target frontline workers would be grossly unfair."