Labour: Govt 'sleep-walking' into strike
The Government was tonight accused of sleep-walking into next week’s one-day strike against public sector cuts.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore called on the Taoiseach to call in the state’s industrial relations mechanisms to help resolve the impasse.
The Labour chief also asked Brian Cowen what he was doing to avert the planned strike.
Mr Cowen told the Dáil he regretted the walk-out was going ahead over the impact and that it wasn’t clear what it would achieve.
“I would ask that people would, even at this late stage, consider the position further and avoid the necessity of withdrawing from work on that day given the impact it would have society,” Mr Cowen said.
Mr Gilmore maintained the Cabinet was sleep-walking into a strike and said the appeal was meaningless, particularly as so many people backed strike action.
“If the Taoiseach is serious about averting the strike, and I hope he is, though I didn’t detect that from the tone of his answer... then he and his ministers needs to engage directly in these talks rather than leaving them to officials,” Mr Gilmore said.
Meanwhile 5,000 council and healthcare maintenance have voted to join public sector workers on pickets next Tuesday.
The group, made up of a variety of unions, called on the Government to target high earners for the proposed €4bn savings, rather than the middle and low income workers.
Members will join tens of thousands of nurses, teachers, top ranking civil servants and Siptu’s public sector members in the walk-out.
Finbarr Maguire, of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, branded Government levies unjustified and said there had been overwhelming support for action next Tuesday.
“There was also total opposition to further proposed pay-cuts,” he said.
Mr Maguire, acting general secretary of the group of craftworker unions, said workers are available for talks on what emergency cover can be provided.
“The Local Authority and Health Service Craftworkers Group regrets the inconvenience to the public but our members cannot and will not endure any further reductions in their earnings,” he said.
“The reductions already imposed are securing significant savings for the Exchequer.
“The Government now needs to look to other sectors than PAYE workers to contribute to the correction of public finances.
“Further cuts in pay, job numbers and services will only hit low and middle income earners, while the high income groups who did best out of the boom continue to remain insulated from the effects of the downturn.”
The 5,000 workers are employed in care and maintenance in councils, hospitals and other public facilities throughout the state.
The union’s health workers, council staff, fire service members, third level employees and Government staff backed the strike with on average 82% in favour.
