Taoiseach appeals to public sector on strike

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has appealed to public sector unions not to engage in next week's 24-hour strike but to continue discussions with the Government.

But Labour leader Eamon Gilmore dismissed the call as "meaningless", and if Mr Cowen was serious about averting the strike the Taoiseach and Ministers should get directly involved in the talks and not leave it to officials.

During Leaders' Questions in the Dáil Mr Gilmore had asked what the Taoiseach was going to do to halt the strike which would result in all schools closing and hospitals operating a Christmas Day roster on November 24th.

Mr Cowen said: "I would ask that people would, even at this late stage, consider the position further and avoid the necessity of withdrawal from work on that date, given the impact it will have on society, and allow their representatives to continue in discussions with the Government as we seek to find a way forward."

Mr Gilmore said that was meaningless when it was officials who were engaged in the discussions. If Mr Cowen seriously wanted to avert the strike he would have to engage directly. This was necessary to avoid a period of industrial strife and conflict. "What should not be allowed to occur and into which the Government is sleepwalking is a strike next Tuesday. If that strike goes ahead, the Government will inevitably go down the road of conflict, industrial action and strife, which is not what the country needs."

Mr Cowen asked the unions to reconsider because of the impact on services. The Taoiseach said the Government was giving the unions its view of "where we believe the necessary efficiencies and changes have to take place in order to reform our public services in the longer term as well as in the short and medium terms".

He insisted that €1.3 billion in savings had to come from the public sector pay bill. It was "an inescapable fact that public sector pay must be part of that contribution. There is no way around that".

He said everyone sees how difficult the choices are and how limited the options may be.