SIPTU General Secretary, John King, has warned that the added cost-of-living increases, resulting from the crisis in the Middle East, will mean additional pressure for wage increases in negotiations with employers across the public and private sectors of the economy.
SIPTU General Secretary, John King, said: “In its recent cost of living announcements, the Government has failed to provide meaningful support for the low-paid and average income households who are currently facing the sharp end of spiralling energy costs and general price inflation. The impact of the global situation on Ireland has been made clear, with the ERSI announcement that it is revising its headline inflation rate to an average of 3.2% this year, up from a previous forecast of 2.1%.
“While the Government’s additional support for those reliant on social protection payments is welcomed, the reality is that the majority of workers will see limited benefit from the measures it has announced.”
He added: “Workers cannot be expected to carry the burden of this crisis alone. The Government needs to start preparing a follow-up series of supports immediately but this time the focus must be firmly on the low-paid and average income earners who have been ignored. Otherwise, the only course of action for workers to protect their livelihoods is through their unions’ engagement with employers.”
SIPTU Researcher, Michael Taft, said: “The Government’s failure to adequately assist workers during the current crisis comes as no surprise to our Union. It has been a consistent pattern of this Government to prioritise corporate interests over the welfare of workers. While the implementation of the Living Wage and the extension of statutory sick pay have been postponed, the Government has moved to provide VAT cuts for the hospitality sector and property developers, alongside new subsidies for owners in the haulage sector.
“It is deeply disappointing to see excise duty cuts that disproportionately benefit higher income groups while tax credits remain frozen for the average worker. At the same time, the Government has failed to establish a robust price monitoring mechanism to identify opportunistic pricing by energy companies.
He added: “The current increases in the cost of home heating oil are baffling; we need a system that requires energy companies to justify price hikes and prevents blatant profit margin inflation