EMPLOYERS and trade unions have been accused of acting "irresponsibly" in the talks on a new national agreement. The president of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), Ms Jillian Hassett, said the talks were being driven by short term gain aimed at a "pre election plunder of the economy", in which the Government was a compliant partner.
Ms Hassett was speaking at the NYCI conference in Ennis, Co Clare yesterday. At the conference a motion was passed setting out the aims of the NYCI in any new national programme. It called for better youth service funding an extra 1,000 Youthreach places for early school leavers the development of local drugs task forces; abolition of Junior and Leaving Certificate exam fees and representation for the NYCI on the central review committee which will monitor the new agreement.
Ms Hassett said: "National programmes are supposed to be about planning for the future, with the interests of all citizens at their heart. Issues like unemployment, particularly among young people, and increasing drug use are not getting the attention they deserve. The unions and employers should; not be allowed to collapse the talks. There are wider issues at stake."
The NYCI has 42 affiliated; organisations representing 500,000 young people. It is represented in the "second tier" of talks on a successor to the PCW. The NYCI programme manager, Mr Donal Geoghegan, who attended the "second tier" discussions last Thursday, said the proceedings were dominated by formal presentations rather than by a real exchange of views.
He criticised the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation for not contributing to Thursday's proceedings. The NYCI felt it was a "second class partner" in the negotiations. However, if a new agreement was reached, and the NYCI, won representation on the central, preview committee, which would monitor it, that would make the exercise worthwhile.