Sir, – Lord Kilclooney is mistaken to state in his otherwise accurate letter (January 16th) that "there has been no comment from the health sector, teachers or farmers" on the proposal to cut corporation tax.
There has been consistent comment from the trade unions, since the self-interested campaign to cut taxes for big companies was initiated and promoted by a coterie of tax advisers.
Under the terms of the Stormont agreement, the devolution and cutting of corporation tax will only happen in a sequence, following the imposition of welfare “reform” and “a comprehensive programme of public sector reform and restructuring” that will amount to at least 20,000 public sector redundancies. Those are the stakes for this huge gamble.
The trade union opposition has been sidelined and ignored by much of the press, despite the accuracy and detail of our objections. We remain opposed, and have gone so far as to pay for full-page advertisements in the three Belfast dailies, objecting to this tax cut for the wealthy at the expense of public services and 20,000 jobs, with no guarantee of new employment (except for tax advisers).
That said, our comment has annoyed First Minister Peter Robinson, who expressed his acute annoyance at our statements, accusing us in the Northern Ireland Assembly of telling “a downright lie from the pit”.
Time will tell who is right. – Yours, etc,
PETER BUNTING,
Assistant General Secretary,
Irish Congress
of Trade Unions,
Belfast.