Texts and emails, Tuesday 5 January 2010
Topic: Representatives of the public sector unions detail what
they intend to do about the public sector pay cuts imposed after last month’s
budget.
Panellists: Blair Horan of the CPSU, Clare Quinn of Dublin Chamber of Commerce,
Jack O’Connor of SIPTU and UCD economist Moore McDowell.
Will u please discuss proposal by Hanafin 2 stop lone parents benefit when
child l3. R we 2 e latch key kids no parent at home. What jobs give 3 months
off n summer so can mind r kids?
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How much of a pay cut has jack O’ Connor and these other vastly over
paid union reps taken, if any? Some unions have increased subscription rates
and for what, to paid these guys who blow hot air week in week out!
John
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I worked in the C.S.O. For 7 years and figures are adjusted to suit
expectations! Not to be relied on in a serious debate.
Eileen.
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The govt has targeted the most vulnerable and unrepresented section of
Society. The Disability Sector. They cut the Xmas Bonus 2.8% and 4.2% and each
rise since Charlie McCrevey has had a corresponding decrease in Housing Benefit.
SHAME on the UNIONS and Govt.
Colm, 3rd yr. Soc Sc student UCD.
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I am fed up listening to the public servants argument that the pay cuts
in the private sector are bonuses and overtime. My husband is a senior manager
in the private sector and had a 60% pay cut last year. His salary is based on
the performance of the company therefore he suffered because of the recession.
His basic pay is very low because his pay structure is performance based. A
public sector worker at the same level as my husband would not suffer such a
pay cut and their basic pay is substantially higher maybe there should be a
performance based pay scheme in the public sector and our departments would not
be in the state they are because if people didn’t perform they would not get
paid. That would make a few of our government ministers unemployed and most of
the senior managers in the HSE broke.
***
Does that 44% of people earning less than €30000 include earners that
are on job sharing, term time, reduced time, etc.?
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Minister Hanafin made the remark that social welfare payments were way
out of line with the rest of Europe but failed to mention that her salary was
also way out of line.
Sean.
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How much of a pay cut did jack take on his 170k a year? These people
live on a different planet. Inflation last year was minus 6.5 per cent so even
with a 5 Per cent pay cut the low paid are still better off than last year. We
are still one of the lowest taxed people in Europe.
***
Why does Vincent suspend his critical faculties when he interviews Jack
O'Connor? I regularly watch the programme and am very disappointed to see his
more than deferential handling of this particular individual, again. Shameful
cowering/pandering.
***
Will someone remind Blair that our recovery will depend on entrepreneurs.
Over taxing them will disincentivise our chances to get out of this mess as job
creation and retention going forward is key. Louise.
***
The dole figures were down today yes most of the new qualified i know
are going to Canada that’s why figures are down and nobody will be around to be
in unions who do nothing for newly qualified who join and can’t get a job
because most retired early are back in their old jobs thanks to agency.
***
Moore obviously isn’t one of the lower paid sector id like you to ask
him what salary is he on I’m on disability didn’t get any bonus this year i am
reduced to having to stay in bed most of these days as I cannot afford to buy
enough fuel to keep warm does. Moore think this is a just cut my weekly income
from this wk will be reduced to e196 its disgraceful situation to be in 2010
people like me are living below the poverty line.
Julie, Cork.
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It didn’t take long for the unions to forget about the construction
sector. Our pay has been slashed by up to 25 %. Why would they be interested in
us now when our dues have disappeared to maintain their sell-out lifestyles.
Union leaders have a lot to answer for. They collaborated to overheat our
economy while getting 6 figure salaries and mercs. James Connolly would turn in
his grave.
Karl, Cork.
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The gap is not between public and private but between people who have
jobs and people who do not.
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why is everybody talking about the need 2 cut pay 2 remain competitive,
what we need 2 do is drive down the cost of doing business .ie. water, gas, electricty
etc.etc.it seems a me that business people 1st option is 2 start cutting pay!
how many people at IBEC have taking a pay cut! Always cut at d bottom 1st,
never at d top! what a joke those people
at IBEC are. they are really out of touch
Instead of whinging & threatening future union unrest why don't
those bods do it NOW! Shoot us while we're down & bury the citizens &
the government with the remains of the celtic tiger... I believe there's still
space in Dublin's Pine Forest. With any luck the snow will take ages to melt.
Anne Maguire.
***
One point: Some people in private sector have not been affected at all.
Some questions : If one has a contract is the employer obliged to pay, provide
increments and pension as per that contract? If there are too many employees in
the public sector why does the employer not offer the wonderful redundancy
payments to public sector workers that are offered to those in the private
sector who sometimes find alternative immediate employment and benefit
financially from the disruption? When will the govt deal with those tradesmen
etc earning who insist on cash payments? Why do we not require those receiving
the dole to do some community work and to account for their free time particularly
when public sector workers were asked to account for their activities during
strike days when they received no pay?
***
As a young student there is an opportunity cost to working in the
private sector members of the public sector have jobs for life as a result huge
amounts of young leaving cert students want to become public sector employees
and in particular teachers no young person wants to take the risk...something
has to be done to entice young people to enter into the private sector..for
this to happen wages in the public sector must be reduced..
***
Question. Ask you panel what should I do. I’m 29 have a mortgage car
loan usual debts. I’m 8 years a prison officer. I must do forced overtime. i
work in an under staffed prison. Im in a dangerous job and what thanks do i
get.. I have no disposable income after the pay cuts im just covering my debts.
I work un sociable hours. My xmas and new was spent in jail. Why is the gov
picking on the middle earner. I never earned big money with the boom but now I’m
suffering and having to clean up the gov mess. I’m thinking of quitting the job
and going abroad. This gov is a disgrace.. I am 100% behind strike action. And
there are plenty more like me.
***
The government is already dysfunctional! We've been blamed for most of
the woes of the previous annus horibilis but in this matter the public servants
have no responsibility! Perhaps your panellists might be more judicious or just
downright accurate in their choice of words!
***
Welcome back Vincent and happy new year. As a nurse in cold cork I have
to say the unions are a disgrace and have not represented their members
honestly. Many of my co workers do not want to strike at all. We know we must
all do something to get this country back to a successful mode but to have a situation
developing public versus private is an embarrassment. I put it to them to take
provincial ballots . . and see what percentage want to take industrial action.
Dublin on its own appears to pull us with them. Stay warm.
***
The government has done a great job in a near impossible situation, its
time for the unions to stop being so negative and join with the rest of us in
our quest for recovery.
Mark M, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin.
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As a secondary teacher, I am appalled at the conservative stance of our
union, the ASTI. The teaching profession, along with the public sector needs
radical reform. The country is on its knees and our union leaders, on their
comfortable €100k packages are living in cloud cuckooland if they believe that
forcing us into dead end strikes will alleviate our precarious financial
position. As for me, I'm happy to have a permanent job. I will manage my
finances much more prudently in the face of the paycuts. We must all cut our
cloth to suit our measure. The most important thing the ASTI could do is to
focus on fighting cutbacks to children’s education. The paycuts are a done
deal. Get over it and move on.
Frank M.
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As I head abroad to work I wish the public sector workers all the best.
And I'm delighted I won't be paying their wages anymore!
Chris, Cork.
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I am a public union worker but I don’t want to make the economy any
more sick than it already is by striking.
Peter.
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State deficit is over 24billion can some1 tell me how much do Banks owe
the State an when will they Start2 repay the state, will it B at once or
annually. Or is what they gave Nama4a price way beyond its real value, seen as paying
off their debt 2 the State. An does any1 know when some kind of update is
going2B Given2 the people whose Money kept the Anglo Irish Bank open, also when
will Nama put a for sale list out or can we write 2them an just ask wats4sale!
The Garda investigation has been going on4 sum time on Anglo Irish Bank surely
they have something that they can say.
David, Co. Wicklow.