Society

Though Richard Bruton uses the word “reform”, the reality is that the Government's legislation on Joint Labour Committees is intended to achieve a reduction in overall wage levels. By Michael Taft.

As the Joint Labour Committees legislation wends its way through the Dáil – a bill that will lead to less protection for workers in many low-paid sectors – it is timely to look at the growth in deprivation for an increasing number in the workforce; namely the low-paid. The CSO defines deprivation by reference to eleven categories:

Irish corporation tax policy is not about attracting companies that create growth within the country in terms of jobs or through helping to develop indigious Irish enterprises through skills transfer or use of services - it's about attracting companies whose only reason for establishing a base here is tax avoidance. By Donagh Brennan.

The Government, in signing the Fiscal Treaty, has effectively committed itself to introducing up to €6bn more in tax increases and spending cuts in the medium-term, over and above what it has already planned. While the news in the short-term will, understandably, focus on whether a referendum will be necessary, once attention starts honing in on the details of the treaty, we will all come to understand why this agreement has come to be known as the “austerity treaty”.

Investment-based expansion that increases growth, combined with tax-based fiscal consolidation, is more likely to result in fiscal stability than cutting investment and demand while pursuing ineffective spending cuts. By Michael Taft.

Last Thursday’s signing by EU member states of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) saw a surge of opposition to the agreement in Europe, both on and offline.

Where is the anger? Where is the action? What is everyone waiting for? By David Johnson.

This Saturday one of NAMA’s properties in Dublin will be opened to the public. The building will host a series of talks and workshops engaging the public in the questions that surround debt, property speculation and asking how we can use NAMA buildings for social and community purposes.

Today marks the 42nd day of our sit-in. When we began this protest we really didn’t believe that we would still be here in late January. We honestly believed that Jack Ronan would see the light and pay us a just redundancy given the 847 years of service that we have given to Vita Cortex. Sadly, following the collapse of LRC talks on Friday, it is clear that he remains determined to cling to an intransigent position. Some of the moves made on his part, over the course of the negotiations, have left us feeling disgusted.

Why are the unemployed being made scapegoats for failing employment policies? By Michael Taft.

It is astonishing that there has been so little debate on Irish tax policy up to now, given that we have one of the most aggressive low-tax regimes in Europe. By Aidan Regan.