Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Government would do well to heed the warnings that were given by retired workers and pensioners outside the gates of Leinster House yesterday. It will press its amendment at its peril. I ask the Government, even at this point, not to move the amendment, which will delay the passing of the Bill. It was most eloquently put by one retired worker who said, "We may no longer be worker bees, but we are still bees with a sting." If the Government is in any doubt about that, it should cast its mind back to the grey army that took to the streets on the issue of medical card entitlement and the rebellion the then Government faced. We are talking about almost 500,000 retired workers who are very angry that they have no say over cuts to their pension entitlements.

As Deputy Paul Murphy stated, we have seen a relentless attack on pension rights generally and these workers have seen very considerable attacks on their pensions. Defined benefit pension schemes are being closed down or moved to defined contribution schemes. Aviation workers, for example, have lost 22.5% of their monthly incomes without any serious consultation. Retired workers in RTÉ, Coillte and Bord na Móna have not seen any increase in their pensions for ten to 14 years. Many of the workers on these schemes do not qualify for the State contribution pension scheme and therefore rely on a very modest occupational pension. Many have seen the link that previously existed between their wages when they were working and their pension entitlements severed.

People may think that this is not an issue for them because they are not pensioners, but all of those who are working now have an interest in it because they will be pensioners at some stage and they will realise at that point how important it is to have a real say in respect of their pensions. Of course, these workers paid for their pensions through their PRSI contributions. They paid very considerably more than their employers did relative to what happens in most countries in Europe. Workers here pay pretty much the same level of PRSI contributions as the average worker in Europe, but employers in this country pay about half the amount that their counterparts abroad pay. It is often cited that people are living longer and that the pensions we have to pay people are somehow a problem, which is quite insulting to pensioners and illogical. We should be celebrating that people live longer. We should also remember that if employers paid the same level of PRSI contributions as their European counterparts, we would have billions of euro extra to ensure decent pensions for all pensioners in this country.

Another important point pensioners and retired workers asked us to stress is how they believe the failure of the Government to allow them have a say over what happens to their pensions is that they believe it breaches multiple parts of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It breaches the sections on the right to property, the right to equality before the law for everybody, the rights of the elderly and the right to good administration. I will not go into all the details, but that is undoubtedly true. If for no other reason than this country is supposed to be signed up to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Government should not move its amendment and should allow the Bill to pass and give pensioners the right to simply have a say and be consulted, and have the avenue of the WRC available to them if any changes to their pensions are proposed.

The pensioners also expressed considerable disappointment that the official trade union movement, which they built, has been so quiet on this issue. I must admit that is disappointing. In France, when there is any attack on pensions, there are extraordinary revolts by workers and pensioners, who understand instinctively that an attack on pensions and pensioners is an attack on all workers and their rights.

Even at this late stage, I ask the Minister of State to withdraw the Government's amendment and not defer the Bill. If the amendment is not withdrawn, the Government will incur the wrath of the pensioners to whom I refer. It should be under no illusion but that wrath will be very considerable for the three Government parties, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. These retired workers literally built this country. The people who protested yesterday included public servants, nurses, Coillte workers, Bord na Móna workers, aviation workers, ESB workers and many more I do not have time to name. These are literally the people who physically built this country. The Government should not continue to ignore them and treat them with the disrespect with which they are being treated. It should give them the right to have a say over their pensions or it will feel the sting of these retired workers in the near future.

See this speech in context