Tax Commission DECLARES WAR ON WORKERS pierre ie

jobs but for everyone's and in eo doling are directly challenging the Tory governments of Thatcher and Haughey.

So too the many thousands of #work— ers thmoughaut the country who fook action In support of the hunger strikers last year demonetrated that any working people know thet fi is the same@ rotten sy@tem which teror= Isee the minochy In the Morth and steals jobs of workers in Limerick, But while the bosses and the trade | Leaders have tried to hold off rank end file pressure for action against the injustices of PAYE-PRSI by telling for restraint until the Comeigsion an Taxation issued its report. | Now that the Commission has published ats findings, these game leaders must be rather worried. The tilone here received a emack in the face “and there is no hiding the fact. Among the proposals suboitted to the Commission by the ITGw, Irelend"s largest trade union, * That the progressive nature of the Tax system be retained, sytem of paying according to In ether words, the present / evel of income should continue but with more flexible and realistic tax bands, * That the-tam and social welfare gystems be integrated, This would sean that the atate would pay eVery worker a guarenteed giniews income which would be Uncligied with other income for na Purposes. This would help the unemployed and loans and VHI payments. * That bet allowances for children be * That eo proper tax om wealth and property be intreduced, At the moment more ‘than 7O¥ of the 2 ; foe oe agar oy - 4 tansiaak at aii in cai on such wealth, leced with incressed benefits for This 1 i mean at tex allowcantly. * That VAT be reduced.

Eye one of these proposals has dismissed by a ca mission on Taxation, direct recommendations have been made: trade onists, following existing stentard tax fate of Barginally below + MpS of ce ar igen ed workers Swill inabhade pignififor PRT which is currently — payed at avrate proportionate tothe workers! contribution, be abolished. Instead they propose a 5% levy on profits for sociel insurance, The effect of this would be @ musi lower contribution from mest employers, end some would pay nothing at all, * AL) special tax allowances, especially on housing loamy to be abolished, * Instead of tightening up the Corporate tax eystem a much more flexible snd evative ele— tient ehouwld be introduced “inte it. “Against the advice of “the Department of Finance the Gomtission on Taxtetion has Pecommenied a new system of keeping compeny accounts (current cost accounting) whic will give the employers greats leeway in minimising and concealing their profits. * No tax on wealth, no special taxation of bank orefite:: tax on.income from stocks and shar to be abolished, The Commission on Taxation boasts ‘that its proposals will broaden the tax net (to in= elude farmers, self-employed, tinemployed, etc) and are fore more just, The real effect however, by letting the rich off the hook, would be to redute the revenue from tametion by up ‘te £1,000n. “This Toss could only be made up OF guts in social service pen dituré and increased turation on consumer goods (VAT). The report of the Commissica.a Taxation, to put it bluntly, constitutes a plan for 4 i no longer has an excuse for hesitancy. Action is = to take the initiative, ~~ |

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systematic attack on workers" tbh standards, The leader ee of the trade union sore

urgently 8 ot branches and trades councils