Historic Betrayal by ICTU and Public Service Leaders

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Sunday December 06, 2009 15:25 by Paddy Healy - NPSA,

Officers of Public Services Committee should Resign

Emergency Meeting of NPSA, this Monday at 7.30 in Teachers Club

Public Services Committee of ICTU recommended a series of strikes against cuts in pay and pension and compulsory redundancies. One strike against pay cuts took place and another was called for last Thursday. PSC leaders entered talks with government. They deferred the strike without a written agreement that permanent pay cuts were off the table. They then entered sectoral talks. They finalised agreements on huge changes in each sector in written documents. The government then pulled the plug on the temporary nature of the pay cuts.

Though the deal is off as I write, the position of the trade union movement in resisting the transformation agenda has been seriously damaged to the detriment of members. Trade union negotiators publicly lauded the sectoral agreements a mere two hours before the breakdown.

By advocating an agreement in the context of the continuation of the pension levy and the public sector embargo, the union leaders were agreeing to these measures

IF experienced General Secretaries were negotiating their own pay, pensions and conditions of service, would they have made the same disastrous errors outlined above?

The continuation in office of the current officers PSC would weaken and damage the sort of united campaign of industrial action and other measures that are needed to defeat imposed cuts in pay and worsening of conditions. They should resign now!!

Paddy Healy 086-4183732
paddy.healy@eircom.net