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2009

Middle ranking Gardai condemn Budget measures that cut pay indiscriminately across the public service

Date Released: 09 Dec 2009

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has deplored the attack on its members in the Budget and the decision to impose pay cuts on low income public servants. AGSI is part of the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance representing 100,000 public sector workers.

“The average Sergeant and Inspector will be €170 a week poorer”, AGSI General Secretary Joe Dirwan said this evening. “It is totally disgraceful to treat dedicated public servants, who do a difficult and sometimes dangerous job, in this callous way.

“Even more deplorable is the decision to hit low paid groups such as hospital cleaners, who would have been excluded from pay cuts in the innovative proposals put forward by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions last week. Unfortunately these proposals were rejected by the Government.

“Although our members earn far more than lower income groups drawn into the tax net today, many of them will not be able to meet commitments such as mortgages as a result of this Budget and others will struggle to keep their heads above water.

“The AGSI executive is deeply disappointed that the Government allowed itself to be stampeded into this indiscriminate policy of slash and burn by private sector employers, who will now use it to drive down pay in the private sector as well. We cannot rebuild our economy on the basis of a race to the bottom.

“Our Executive will review the Budget and its implication at at its meeting tomorrow”. (Thursday December 10)





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