THE WORKERS' PARTY OF IRELAND

Labour should be ashamed of Croke Park II
The Workers Party has condemned the new public sector pay deal as part of an EU wide policy to deliberately push down workers’ wages, and stated that this strategy is clearly part of the Lisbon Agenda. It is part of an economically and socially disastrous race to the bottom whose sole objective is to boost corporate profits.

Michael Finnegan, President of the Workers’ Party stated: “The Labour Party, as an employer and as part of government, should be ashamed of its role in tearing up the original Croke Park deal and forcibly reducing the pay and conditions of almost 300,000 public sector workers in this country. This deal will cause hardship and desperation to many families. It will push more and more families into severe debt and having to decide between paying their mortgage and putting food on the table for their children.”

 

“The Labour Party has once again betrayed its electorate and reneged on those who placed their faith in that party over the years. The Labour Party has steadfastly refused to introduce a third rate of tax for high earners which is the most equitable way of generating income for the state. Labour Party ministers are to the forefront in handing over our oil and gas reserves to multinational conglomerates at zero gain to the state. Labour ministers are actively destroying Irish jobs through the fire-sale and privatisation of our publicly-owned commercial State companies of which Coillte is the most immediate example”.

 

“The Labour Party has bailed out the bankers. The Labour Party has bailed out the speculators. This deal is the third direct attack on the incomes and livelihoods of public sector workers. As well as the direct attack on wages, public sector workers have also endured a massive attack on pension rights as well as swingeing cuts in sick leave and maternity leave.”

 

“It is now clearly established in the public domain” stated Michael Finnegan “that less than 2% of public servants are high earners in the €100,000 plus bracket per year. Yet failed property speculators who brought this country to its knees are being paid up to €200,000 by NAMA. It is also an established fact that many lower paid public servants have to rely on FIS and other social welfare supports to live from week to week. I would ask Tánaiste Gilmore and the Labour Party how many bankers and speculators are relying on FIS or signing on the dole?”

 

“This year” concluded Michael Finnegan “marks the 100th anniversary of the 1913 Lockout, one of the seminal moments in Irish labour history.  It is surely ironic that the Labour Parliamentary Party has picked this moment to align themselves with our modern William Martin Murphys and desert the legacy of Connolly”.

 

Issued: Tue Feb 26th

Peace, Work, Democracy and Class Politics