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CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS

SIPTU calls for campaign to promote better, fairer way of tackling economic crisis

Date Released: 10 Feb 2009

The SIPTU National Executive Council, in emergency session today, called for a united trade union campaign to promote a better, fairer way of addressing the problems in our economy than slashing the pay and conditions of workers.

Speaking after the meeting, the Union’s General President Jack O’Connor said, “The assault under way is about correcting the problem in the public finances without the wealthy contributing a single cent. It is equally about achieving the adjustment, which would normally be brought about through a currency devaluation, by driving down wages across the private sector as well.

“We should remember that the first initiative in this campaign on behalf of the wealthy was actually launched against private sector workers by the construction industry employers, who profited most during the boom, when declaring their intention to cut building workers pay by ten per cent. Ironically the builders do not need a devaluation because they are only competing with each other. “While a devaluation would affect all sectors of society, cutting pay achieves the same results exclusively at the expense of workers.”

Mr. O’Connor added that SIPTU would be proposing a relentless national campaign from which nothing would be excluded at the Irish Congress of Trade Union’s Executive meeting tomorrow. He hoped that, combined with the proposals of various other unions, an agreed, unified strategy would emerge to promote a better, fairer way in the interests of all working people and their families across the economy and society.





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