Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, there was a tale of two Irelands. On one hand, there was the Ireland of the highly paid and the rich. In this case, I am referring to the top 1% of civil servants who are on €150,000 or more a year. The Government was out across the media to justify pay increases of €15,000, €20,000, €30,000 or more for some of the highest earners in the country. Secretaries General of Departments will get a raise of almost €40,000. This will bring their total pay up to €250,000 per year. The total annual cost of these increases will be €60 million. On the other hand, the Government had a very different message for low- and middle-income workers. There will be no immediate pay increase in July. The Government did not say it will have to do something about their pay because it is legally bound to do so. No. The message to the low- and middle-income workers is that they will have to wait and that there will be no action until the budget. There is an insulting pay offer to public sector workers, which amounts to 3.5% in a year at a time when inflation stands at 8%. In other words, workers are being asked to sign up for a significant pay cut.

This morning the ESRI warned that Irish households face the biggest drop in living standards since the 2008 crisis, but the Government continues to say it can do precious little. That is a political choice. A different choice is entirely possible. The Government says it is bound by the 2017 legislation. That is legislation against which People before Profit voted. However, the Government could bring in new legislation next Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. It can say there continues to be a financial emergency for ordinary people and the one in three people who are living in energy poverty and say that it will not, at the moment, pay the already well-paid even more.

Workers in both the public sector and the private sector need a pay rise. If they do not get a raise equal to or higher than the rate of inflation, they will experience a cut in their living standards.

There is a reason that Mick Lynch, the leader of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers has become such a popular figure, including in this country. Not only is he unflappable in the face of ridiculous right-wing media questioning, he also represents the fact that when workers are struggling, they look at the idea that when they get organised, they have power. That is what we need to see here in order to see wage increases being won. Instead of massive pay increases for the top 1%, the Government needs to take action now to protect low- and middle-income workers from the cost of living and housing crises. We need price controls on essential goods to stop the spiralling costs. We need wage increases at least equal to the rate of inflation for public and private sector workers. We must raise the minimum wage immediately to raise the wage floor for all. Will the Tánaiste prioritise low- and middle-income workers instead of the highest-paid?

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