Irish unions should take Bevan’s route

ANEURIN BEVAN, the great British trade union leader and politician, once said we all know what happens to people who walk on the middle of the road... they get knocked down.

I believe that the Irish trade union movement is in grave danger of getting knocked down. The benchmarking report is not worthy of consideration by any group of workers other than a tiny few who would be rewarded on the backs of the huge majority.

The national wage agreement only proves that the ICTU and the Government have become far too cosy. We have been outmanoeuvred by politicians who are running the country into the ground and then use the media to lower the expectations for the workers.