Ministers helpless to stop farcical ESB pay hikes

ENERGY Minister Eamon Ryan, on our behalf, is the sole shareholder of the ESB. Hence, the owner and presumably the boss.

Environment Minister John Gormley says, in the face of a 3.5% pay increase for ESB workers, that government intervention on ESB pay scales is not possible. The ESB unions suggest their members should be considered employees of a private company.

To add to the lunacy, the unions say that they — “just like all the other workers in profitable companies in the private sector” — are entitled to this pay rise under social partnership. What profitable companies? Did anyone else get the increases awarded under the laughable and discredited “social partnership”. This farce raises many issues and confirms that the privateers in our financial services are not the only self-serving, greedy and irresponsible people in this society.

However, the bigger question is this: if ministers Gormley and Ryan think something is wrong, they have been elected to change the rules to put it right. If they can’t do that, what are they there for?

It is hard to decide which is the greater oxymoron: “social partnership” or “determined leadership”.

God help us all.

Seán de Paor

Kilbredeóga

Co Chorcaí