Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

This Private Members' motion by Fianna Fáil is the height of hypocrisy. This is the party that cut the wages of workers. It is the kettle calling the pot black. I am opposed to the Private Members' motion and the Government amendment. Both motions target public sector workers for major cuts, amounting to €300 million a year and €1 billion by 2015. Public servants have been unfairly targeted and they have already lost 14% to 22% through wage cuts. They have already had the so-called pension levy and lost 30,000 through redundancies in the service, with more to follow. There were some 6,000 redundancies in the health services and there is also a moratorium on recruitment.

The rejection of Croke Park II is a blow to the Government and to the overpaid trade union bureaucrats. It is the beginning of a rank and file fightback to take back the unions from bureaucrats, many of whom were in league with the Government's austerity programme. Workers have rejected austerity and they resent being forced to shoulder responsibility for a recession they had no hand, act or part in creating. Trade union leaders would be betraying those who voted "No" and said they had enough of austerity and cuts if they were to enter talks again. The talks will only focus on how cuts are to be distributed across public sector workers. There must be no concessions to the cuts agenda.

Following the Croke Park II vote, trade union leaders have no mandate to enter talks on the cuts agenda. If the trade union leaders want the introduction of progressive taxes, they should refuse to let the Government off the hook. They should refuse to enter talks and launch a campaign of all public sector workers seeking the tax changes identified by ICTU. If they really believe austerity has failed, they should lead a campaign for a real alternative. Unfortunately, the reality is the trade union leaders are more concerned with protecting the Labour Party in government than advancing the position of their members.

It is a pity the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, left the Chamber. It is shameful that a Labour Party Minister would attempt to cut pay and pensions, undermine the working conditions of workers and threaten them with cuts through legislation of 7%. What would Connolly have thought of that? What would Jim Larkin, who led Dublin workers 100 years ago this year in the 1913 Lock-out, think of it? What would Helena Moloney and Delia Larkin, founders of the Irish Women Workers Union in 1911 to support the rights of women workers, think of that? What would the founders of the Labour Party in my home town of Clonmel in 1912, just over 100 years ago, think of it? The Minister should consider his position and he should resign.

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