Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

In August, we will celebrate the struggle of workers in Dublin to organise a trade union. Recently, I had the privilege of reading Strumpet City again for the first time in a while. It reminded me of the reasons for having trade union leaders - workers broke bad laws to get recognition for their unions, to have the right to organise and to seek higher pay and proper conditions.

Undoubtedly, members of the Labour Party, including the Minister, Deputy Howlin, will take part in the celebrations and make speeches about that heroic struggle. The 1913 battle was in response to bullying by employers, in particular the infamous William Martin Murphy and IBEC's predecessor. They locked out any worker who did not sign a statement disowning the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, ITGWU, Larkin's union. Now, a Labour Minister is engaging in bullying tactics to force public sector workers to accept cuts in pay and conditions. A gun is being put to their heads - accept the Haddington Road agreement or else. This and previous Governments have used the imperialist tactic of divide and conquer, pitting worker against worker and sector against sector.

The right of workers to vote on a proposal's merits is being undermined by the Bill, a coercive clause in which threatens to freeze the increments due to workers in the public sector unless they sign up to the agreement. The Bill contains a provision for the suspension of incremental progression for three years for all public servants unless they are covered by a collective agreement that modifies the suspension's terms and has been registered with the LRC. As such, unless a trade union signs up to the agreement, its members' increments will be frozen for three years even if they are paid less than €65,000. This draconian measure is far beyond anything contained in the original Croke Park II proposals.

Some €1 billion is still being taken out of these workers' pockets and, consequently, the economy. This affects workers' ability to put their children through college, which is the only path forward for many people if they are to avoid leaving the country. This is down to a Labour Minister increasing the cost of college. The Bill may push workers who are under mortgage pressure over the line.

The Government is taking the path for which it criticised Fianna Fáil. If it does not get the answer it wants, it changes the deal slightly while retaining the same austerity measures and puts it again. It is absolutely-----

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