News

Public service unions join forces

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Unions representing public servants - including gardaí, nurses, ambulance personnel, defence forces and prison officers - have launched a campaign to oppose cuts in pay, allowances and services.

The Frontline Services Alliance said members were already experiencing the pension levy averaging 7.5%, a pay freeze, and a recruitment embargo.

The Chairman of the Alliance, Des Kavanagh, said: 'McCarthy's recommendations seek to revert nurses and other public service workers to pre-1970 conditions of employment.

'We will never accept that working unsocial hours at night, weekends and bank holidays should attract no additional earnings.'

The General Secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, Liam Doran, criticised commentators who have made repeated calls for cuts in services and pay.

'Our members are not anonymous statistics but committed individuals serving all the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year,' Mr Doran said.

'Commentators who want to slash and burn fail to identify what essential services they actually want to cut or acknowledge that such services are essential to any civilised society,' he added.

Arts community opposing cuts

Actors, musicians and writers have also come together to defend their sector from cuts proposed by An Bord Snip Nua.

The group argues that culture is vital to Ireland's economy and the country's international branding.

It is opposed to the €37 million worth of savings identified in the McCarthy Report, and to the abolition of the artist tax exemption, proposed by the Commission on Taxation.