Unions protest at pay cuts

Trade unions have warned the Government that budget day on December 9th last will go down in history as a "day of infamy" that public servants will never forget.

Speaking at rally outside Leinster House against public sector cuts, the incoming general secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (Into), Sheila Nunan, said that her union's members were proud to be public servants and “had stood up before and would stand up again”.

Around 500 Dublin-based teachers, nurses, firemen and civil servants this evening voiced their objections to pay cuts as the Dáil debated the legislation to reduce salaries by between 5 per cent and 15 per cent.

Ms Nunan said public servants had the stamina to oppose the cuts, saying business and banking had triumphed while public service workers had been forced to bear the brunt

David Begg, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), said there has been an effective campaign of incitement to hatred against public sector workers.

He said if this had been carried out on the basis of race, gender or ethic group, it would have been illegal.

The Budget also cut unemployment benefits for young claimants, jobseeker's payments were cut by €8 a week, child benefits were reduced by €16 a month and a 50 cent charge introduced on medical prescriptions.

Petrol and diesel rose with a carbon tax, which will also be applied to home heating oil, coal and peat briquettes from next May.