Madam, – A virtue was made of the right to protest by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice when they spoke out about the “cheating” of Thierry Henry last week. I hope they remember that I and my colleagues in the public service will be marching today to exercise the very same right to protest against cheating and sleight of hand by certain politicians and certain major players in the banking industry.
We know their names.We have the evidence. It has been played over and over again. The only difference is that this is not a game.There’s too much at stake. We’re keeping our shoulders to the wheel for this precious little country of ours and we are taking it out onto the streets. There will be many calls to get rid of the lot of us, the usual waste of space insults, just like the calls to get rid of the Army recently. Like the Army, we are around in fair weather and foul, and we are not afraid to play our part in the rescue from this calamity that was visited upon us. We’re standing up for ourselves and the service we provide for the people of Ireland.Fair play demands talking to us, not walking over us. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As a private sector worker I am very angry at today’s proposed strike by a large proportion of public sector workers.
We have no sympathy left to give them. They need to get real and understand that we have all taken a hit during this economic crisis, which has not been easy. Cuts have to be made, as the public purse is almost empty. My husband has been unemployed for almost 15 months and we have had to live on one income since then. We don’t moan or whinge about it, but just get on with life. They prefer to hold the country to ransom like some spoilt child whose toys have been taken away.
They have had it so good for so long, particularly during the boom times, when our Government lost the run of itself by paying them too much. A secure job, a guaranteed pension with a modest contribution from public servants and exceptionally good working hours represents a good deal, and the 400,000 or so unemployed citizens of this country would agree with me, I am sure. The public sector protests that they did not cause this mess. The time for recriminations is over.
Expecting support from their fellow citizens who do not have the luxury of a secure job is downright insulting. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I note with interest the results of the Irish Times/ Behaviour Attitudes poll (Home News, November 21st) and, in particular, the finding that almost 70 per cent of people have not had their pay cut in the past year. This comes as no surprise to me or my colleagues in the non-commercial public sector and confirms anecdotal evidence.
When one considers the overall numbers working in the Irish economy, it is clear that the majority of the 30 per cent that have had pay cuts in the last year are public servants (non-commercial) and, of course, this same group is now being targeted for further cuts in next month’s budget. This is not fair and this lack of fairness is the reason for today’s strike.
While I, along with many of my colleagues in the non-commercial public sector, am of the view that pay cuts, in addition to other measures including further taxes, are necessary if we are to get ourselves out of the current crisis, they must be across the board in every sector of the economy, both public and private. Cuts must be fair and must be seen to be so. Your survey confirms that to date this has not been the case.
Much of the commercial public sector (ESB, Bord Gais etc) has, far from cutting pay, actually given pay rises to staff. Even our zombie banks, entirely dependent on State support to avoid bankruptcy, have also handed out pay increases. This simply beggars belief. In the absence of fairness, I fear that we are moving closer and closer not just to further strike action but also to civil unrest. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Hearing the announcement that members of Siptu, Impact and TEEU in Cork, Galway and Clare will work through today’s Day of Action, in order to support the flood efforts, I felt a tinge of optimism for this country’s future – something I have not felt in a very long time.
A great piece of PR for the unions and a glimmer of hope. Let’s stop being distracted by who has suffered most in the public versus private debate and let’s get on with uniting to achieve what’s most important – building a future for this country. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I am a college lecturer and a public servant. I am 34 years old and I have been teaching for five years. I work full-time hours and am not on a permanent contract. I earn €34,000 per annum, which includes a supplement for a first-class postgraduate degree. I am not secure, but I love my job. I have a nine-month-old son and a self-employed wife, whose business has all but disappeared.
I see Government Ministers’ ludicrous salaries and their sickening expense claims. I see them pretend to take control of our affairs and then be bullied and dictated to by corrupt banks. I see them U-turn, flip-flop and cynically test the waters of public opinion. I see them manipulate facts, talk about “averages” in public service pay and drive a wedge between the workers. I see them pay off crooks and conmen.
I am not striking for more money or for better conditions. I am striking for a cap of about €100,000 on public service salaries, including those of Government Ministers. I am striking for more equitable taxation. I am striking for those who can’t strike and for those who won’t. I am striking for the moral high ground that our Government can see but has chosen not to take. – Yours, etc,