Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to contribute to this debate because, obviously, I was a public servant, a teacher, at the time the FEMPI measures were enforced. There are many public servants and teachers following this debate with interest. There would have more of them in the Gallery had the debate not commenced earlier than scheduled.

Statistics published last night show that the rent situation in this country has rocketed beyond belief, with a couple, two people on an average wage, now paying 40% of their income on rent and mortgages here being the third highest in Europe after London and Amsterdam. The Government wonders then why young teachers, nurses and other public servants cannot wait until 2018 for full pay restoration. The landlord will not wait for his or her rent until 2018. That is the reality, yet young workers are expected to abide by this situation.

As has been said already, a person with a 40 year career can expect to lose approximately €250,000 throughout the course of his or her lifetime, which is an absolute outrage. It was not justified that ordinary working people were made to pay for the crisis that they did not create in 2011 and it is certainly not justified now when we are told we are in recovery and growth rates are expected. It is clear what is happening and workers should take note. This Government, and capitalism in general, intends to maintain austerity even though there is not the same justification that they can make for it. They have used the crisis - one should never waste a good crisis - to drive down pay and conditions in the public sector and then to carry that through into the private sector.

Of course, we had the division between public and private sector throughout the crisis which was cleverly stoked up by Fianna Fáil and its partners in Government at the time and carried on today.

Where does Fianna Fáil stand on FEMPI because it is carrying and maintaining this Government? It has done something really sly here, namely, renewing it without any debate in the Dáil. Fianna Fáil Deputies in here offer tea and sympathy for those affected by it. Are they in favour of full restoration of pay and the end of pay apartheid in the public sector and are they going to make it a key issue with the Government? Clearly, they are not going to do so. They will go after public sector votes but they will let this continue.

We constantly hear the mantra that the ASTI is the odd one out and everyone else has signed up. Is it not possible to exit something? Does someone need to be forced to take part in it? It seems as though they do not have a right to opt out. FEMPI was used as the threat to force teachers, nurses and others to vote for this agreement because FEMPI was held over their heads like an axe. It was a case that if they did not agree with it, the Government would cut their pay and freeze their increments. If the Minister seriously intends to freeze the pay or increments of teachers, I sincerely hope they take a stand.

I commend the ASTI because we would not be talking about the two-tier pay system if it had not taken a stand. It would be game over, ball burst and move on, but because the ASTI took the stance it took, which unfortunately was not taken by the other two teachers' unions, we are now having a discussion and the ASTI has made this an issue. I believe the reason the ASTI is making this an issue is because unions can no longer pretend to represent workers if they are willing to stand over something like this. It is not possible for someone to look young teachers in the eye if they go into the staffroom knowing that they earn more money than young teachers for doing exactly the same work. It is called apartheid and inequality.

The Luas workers were slammed for taking such a stand, yet when we appear on a panel in the media, we hear the statement, "Didn't the unions sell out young workers?" Yes, they did and now we have a union taking a stand and saying "No" and being blackguarded and threatened with its members' pay being cut. All the unions should have taken a stand and they should follow and support the ASTI.

I read that the firefighters are to get a rent allowance of €4,500. Is the Minister offering that to teachers or nurses or is it just a case of buying people off individually? I fully support the firefighters, by the way, but I want the same thing extended to all workers. We are going to have a brain drain in this country. It is already the case that we are unable to keep nurses in this country, yet the Government is continuing this. I cannot help but feel that it suits it because it justifies keeping people in horrific conditions imposed during the austerity regime and it is now maintaining it despite the fact there is not the same economic justification. I offer my full support to the ASTI. It is hoped the gardaí will also maintain their opposition to it. Unfortunately, they are not in the same position as other workers to take industrial action but the Anti-Austerity Alliance will back any public sector workers on this.

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