Danger of public sector reform

The flaccid, complacent character of the Siptu press conference on Mar 14 advocating support for the proposals set out in the proposed public sector agreement would imply that enthusiasm among trade union members is not broadly based and that, where it exists, support for pay cuts and longer working hours is somewhat less than galeforce in its intensity.

The dialogue that the authorities have engaged in with public sector trade unions does not take into consideration that there are substantial numbers of public sector workers and retirees who are not members of a trade union.

Their perspective is not reflected in the ambivalent architecture of these proposals. They cannot, therefore, be construed as being parties to far-reaching changes inflicted on them which would undermine the fundamental terms of long-standing employment contracts and vested property rights in pension that they have contributed to personally.