Stop the Sell-outs! Now Is the Time
Socialist Republic1983Trade unions and workers' strugglesTrade unions and workers' struggles
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The trade union leadership have totally failed to protest the living Standards of their members in the curr~ent pay round. Increases have consistently fallen below the rise in the cost of living and as we go to press the union leaders seem ready to accept the insulting offer of 6% for public sector workers. These paltry increases however, don ; tell story as most of the settlements involve lengthy pay pauses and are spread over periods greater than 12 months. Even when workers have secured bigger increases these are in danger of being whittled away through PRSI and taxation.
Congress and the unions entered this pay round without any strategy to defenf the living standards or jobs of workers. Instead they have preferred to rely on negociations, the much flauated "meaningful talks" syndrome. How in hell can you have meaningful talks with those who are determined to crush you?
Make no mistake about it! The Coalition Govt. of Fine Gael/Labour have a Strategy; a strategy for driving down the taking the jobs of working people.
That's the message which John Boland, Public Service Minister and Alan Dukes Finance Minister have been doleing out in the pay talks, Pay increases will have to be paid for by job losses. If that wasn't clear enough the "Irish Times" spelt it out on July 4th on the eve of the Annual The first step must Lies of the Coalition, be to bring together Trade unionist should