Thousands of lower-paid civil servants held a one-day strike today in protest over the Government's controversial pension levy. The general secretary of the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) claimed there was a 100 per cent turnout of his members at pickets throughout the State.
Blair Horan said 13,000 members of the union were involved in the action, which affected civil service departments as well as revenue commissioners, and social welfare and passport offices around the country.
Mr Horan said that the pension levy was particularly unfair to lower-paid civil servants who are represented by his union, and that it was important to make that statement today.
"Unfortunately, this did inconvenience the public but it was essential that lower paid civil servants could demonstrate their anger at the Government’s decision," he said.
He said further protests against the levy were planned from March 9th - but these would be on a more regional basis and would not involve all-out strikes.
Mr Horan said the union also supported the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' proposal for a social solidarity pact to assist economic recovery. The Ictu proposals could involve a one-day strike in the public sector and significant parts of the private sector at the end of next month.
Mr Horan said that the CPSU was seeking to have the pension levy, which passed through the Dáil last night by 81 votes to 72, scrapped.
Some 6,000 of the union's members work in offices throughout Dublin and there were pickets at Government Buildings in Kildare Street and Merrion Street. About 50 protesters were picketing at Leinster House, and there were smaller groups protesting outside the nearby Passport Office and the Government Publications Sales Office on Molesworth Street.
The union said 700 people turned out in both Limerick and Cork, while some 600 people picketed in Sligo.
There were also pickets in Letterkenny, Castlebar, Galway, Tralee, Killarney, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise, Tullamore, Athlone, Longford, Westport, Ennis, Cavan and Dundalk.
All Social Welfare local offices, apart from those run by independent contractors, were closed to the public and larger offices and telephone help lines were also affected. The Department of Social and Family Affairs said every effort would be made to ensure payments are not hit although it warned there may be some short term delays.
The CPSU's strike committee authorised two shifts to work today in the computer centre of the Department of Social and Family Affairs to ensure that unemployment payments could be made before the weekend, Mr Horan said.
All public offices of the Revenue Commissioners including Customs, vehicle registration tax and tax inquiry offices were also closed. Revenue public phone services were unavailable.
The Dáil, Seanad and Oireachtas Committees sat as normal today as staff were redeployed to cope with the strike. Sinn Féin smembers of the Oireachtas said they would not pass the CPSU picket at Leinster House.
Mr Horan said lower paid employees could not afford the effective wage cuts. "Targeting the lower paid while top bankers get off scot-free is just not on," he said.
"Lower paid CPSU members got no bonanza from the Celtic Tiger but instead suffered an explosion in rents and house prices along with increased childcare costs. They have had enough, and won't be singled out for a pay cut."
