Sir, – The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill gives Government power to unilaterally cut pay and pensions, to change allowances, to freeze increments and to change conditions of service including working hours in the public service (Home News, May 24th). It enshrines in law a more penal version of the original Government demands made to unions in the recent Croke Park II process.
It has a key coercive clause. It contains a provision “for a suspension of incremental progression for three years for all public servants unless they are covered by a collective agreement that modifies the terms of the incremental suspension and which has been registered with the Labour Relations Commission”. This means that unless a trade union signs up to the agreement, even if the pay of members is under €65,000, its members’ increments will be frozen for three years. This is a draconian measure far beyond anything contained in the original Croke Park II proposals.
Union members or executives may vote for or against Croke Park II as revised. That is their privilege and their right. But what are the consequences if trade unions do not immediately reject this Bill by declaring that they will not register an agreement with a public service employer under its provisions? They would be forcing their members to vote on current proposals with the only choice being “Haddington Road” or worse. They would be enabling the Government to impose the legislation on all other unions and public service workers. They would be sanctioning pension cuts on members who have no vote on any proposals.
By doing this they would be becoming quasi-arms of government. They would be assenting to a version of corporatism which would undermine the right to free trade unions and to free trade union activity by individuals in the public service. They would be assenting to an unprecedented erosion of trade union rights in Ireland into the indefinite future. Unions can make this legislation unworkable if they refuse to register their agreement with the LRC even if they agree to “Haddington Road”.
As a former president of the TUI and a former member of the executive of Dublin Council of Trade Unions, I appeal to all unions to reject this Bill by making it clear immediately, that irrespective of their decision on Haddington Road, they will not register such an agreement under the provisions of this anti-worker, anti-trade union Bill. – Yours, etc,
PADDY HEALY,
Griffith Court,
Fairview, Dublin 3.