Apple tax ruling - Appeal hard to square with pay rows

IRELAND could be facing a winter of discontent as teachers and gardaí make pay demands backed by threats of industrial action and Dublin Bus workers use the public as pawns in a cynical game of blackmail. 

The dilemma facing a tottering government is how to justify rejecting Apple’s €13 billion when public service unions are queuing up for better pay.

Taken individually, the claims look fair in the context of a pay freeze. But if viewed as a whole, which is how the Government must see them, the stark reality is that this country simply cannot afford to fork out huge sums to appease the unions.