IMPACT balloting members

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Caveat

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Have I got this right - there is the threat of strike action if there are any attempts to implement changes concerning public sector redundancies, pay, pensions, working hours, any benefits...or basically anything at all whatsoever?

Is that roughtly it?
 

That's it.
It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.
 

Caveat, As far as I know Impact members will be balloted soon for action which may include strikes. I don't think it will be the only public servie union to do this. I was talking to a public sector worker from a different union and he reckons he will be balloted soon.
As far as I know, a strike is only one of the options the union is looking at.
 
Purple said:
That's it.
It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.
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Purple, unfortunately thats the way it is in this country. Any area that has been mentioned as a candidate for cuts has been met with fierce resistance (farmers, social welfare, child benefit, arts council). The public sector unions are not going to be any different.
Everyone aggrees there must be cuts but very few want it to affect their area.
 
Government wants a strike - every week saves c.2% of the public sector pay bill.
 
csirl said:
Government wants a strike - every week saves c.2% of the public sector pay bill.
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Thats assuming the whole of the public sector is on strike. It might be just targeted to front line services like the newly formed 24/7 group.
 
i was talking to a low paid ps worker at the weekend and her gripe like many like hers is with the higher paid ps workers. The thing is the unions are going to wrap the whole thing up as on vote for strike against pat cuts in the public service, and she will vote for it as it is the only way to protect her low wages. So why dont the govt come out with a tiered cut proposal and get some ps workers on their side?
 
But we don't even know what cuts will be made yet. How can you ballot for a strike when there's been no actual statement or plan as to what changes will be made?

I'm probably wrong, but I heard IMPACT saying the represent the "healthcare" sector, I don't doubt this, but isn't it largely administrative functions rather than front line staff? I.e., the admin functions?

I think the point made on the radio by IMPACT was the most valid, that they have to do this so that they don't set a precedent of "giving in" to cuts. And let's face it, no matter how necessary cuts may be, I couldn't see many giving up without some fight. Whether strikes are the right thing to do is another issue.

I'm not sure how much public support they will gain though.
 

Maybe because the higher paid public servants are not overpaid; the lower paid ones are.

Before anyone comes out with the BS about “how am I supposed to get by on X euros a week/month” please remember that you get paid according to your skill level/ value –add, not what your outgoings are. If that was the case people with a big family/ big mortgage/ drug addiction should get paid extra.
 

My civil servant neighbour says that the unions are taking the wrong stance. Most civil servants would prefer that useless State agencies and surplus and overpaid HSE administrators are got rid off rather than the entire PS taking a pay cut to keep these useless people in jobs.
 


Its nothing go to do with overpaid or underpaid its the amount thats paid. It needs to be cut. The more your paid in an org that cant afford to pay you the more you should be cut, no? Do you suggest an individual assessment of everyone in the PS and cut based on that?
 
Eamonn Gilmore was on RTE this morning and ruled out pay cuts in the public sector. He also disputed the fact that €4 billion needed to raised by the Government despite the fact that we have gone to the EU and ECB and told them that's we are doing.

I am beginning to seriously think that FF especially with Brian Lenihan might be the best option to get us out of this. The others just make me despair.
 
Eamonn Gilmore was on RTE this morning and ruled out pay cuts in the public sector.
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Gilmore isnt in Government, so wont have a say in this.

My sources say that a pay cut (yes, an actual cut, not a levy/tax) averaging 7-8% is on the cards for all public sector workers in the upcoming Budget.
 
Borrowing 400 million per week.


FOUR HUNDRED MILLION EUROS PER WEEK
 

I agree with you, I think you mis-read my post.
 
I am of the opinion that the state has a responsibility towards the civil or public servants that provide essential services of the state (front line staff like law enforcement, heath care, fire & rescue services and their needed management) and that we should pay them adequate.

I am however also of the opinion that a waist full overblown apparatus in the public service is wrong and must be eliminated. We don’t need all the Quangos, pseudo agencies and large levels of administrators in for example the Health Service.


The problem is that we for years have created an oversized “service” that does not need to provide value for money and is based on the fact that the rulers deem it necessary to have the state interfere as much as possible into the citizen lives and businesses. They also want to keep it that way because as soon as the state relinquishes control of its citizens they might revolt and do what they want (like vote NO in Lisbon Referendum).


I know countries where certain types of civil servants (like police, fire & rescue services) have no right to strike at all in exchange for job security, a decent pay package and respect of their fellow citizens.


We need a debate what services we want our state to provide and how far it should intrude into our daily business. Than we should discuss how many people we need to provide that service.


To discuss simply how we reduce staffing levels (i.e. we don’t replace person x is s/he is leaving, even if we need that person to provide important work) or how to reduce pay levels without looking that the substance behind it, is just wrong. We need to discuss if this is a communist republic with an overblown apparatus, a capitalist republic with a minimum of state interference, a social state accepting both state and private responsibility or a mixture.


However having a union polling for strike action based on an umbrella reason like it’s currently going on is wrong. How can fair negotiations go on if one crazy site is having a loaded gun to the head of the other all the time?
 
csirl said:
Gilmore isnt in Government, so wont have a say in this.

My sources say that a pay cut (yes, an actual cut, not a levy/tax) averaging 7-8% is on the cards for all public sector workers in the upcoming Budget.
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If the Government don't get Lisbon or the Greens don't get two thirds approval for continuing in Government, Labour will be in the Government. Not as remote a chance as you seem to think.

Even if it doesn't happen, he shouldn't be saying things like that because it gives Trade Unions the idea that if they can bring down the current Government and get labour in, they won't have to take the hit. If I was a Union leader, I would be delighted with his comments. It was irresponsible to make people think there is an alternative to whats coming. There simply isn't.
 

Christ! This guy thinks he's going to be taoiseach? The current "bad" govt know cuts in the ps are badly needed. Gilmore says no! He has to play to the unions but his will cost him. Public sector votes wont be enough eamon. He realizes he needs public support plus as a labour leader support of the unions... they are not the same and are probably diametriclly apposed at this stage.
 
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