The Workers’ Party have said that sustainable jobs are more important to this country right now than shoring up banks which have gambled themselves into insolvency.

Workers’ Party spokesman Ted Tynan said that today’s jobless figures which show another huge rise in unemployment show the country is quickly approaching an unprecedented state of mass unemployment and that the government’s job creation and protection strategy was a shambles.

The Cork based Workers Party representative said it now seems inevitable that unemployment will reach half a million within 12 months, leaving an even smaller pool of taxpayers who are expected to shore up the banks and sustain the country without any sacrifices on the part of the business community and a continued failure to tax the wealthiest people in this country.

“With fewer people at work, an unbearable burden is now being placed on the PAYE workers of this country.  Whether they are public sector or private sector workers they simply will not wear the level of cuts and levies now being demanded.  The workers of this country need to unite and stand up to a government which thinks workers can pay the price of government failure and the irresponsible behaviour of bankers.  Enough is enough, it is time for workers to become militant”, said Ted Tynan.

Issued 4th February 2009