REPRESENTATIVES OF the 24/7 Frontline Service Alliance have described meetings with leaders of the Opposition parties at Leinster House yesterday as “positive”.
The group, which represents public servants including nurses, gardaí, firefighters and prison officers, met Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore as well as TDs from both parties. Alliance chairman Des Kavanagh said the group was pleased to note the parties’ “empathy” on the position of frontline workers.
“There’s no doubt that both parties that we met today are equally concerned as ourselves about attacking frontline services and in doing so attacking the public,” he said.
Mr Kavanagh said the group “will not accept the targeting of frontline workers”, adding that public sector workers paid three times more in additional contributions than private sector workers.
“It is clearly the case that many public servants as a result of the pension levy and additional taxes are in serious financial bother right now. Many of those people have lost between €3,500 and €5,000 per annum in their earnings and, at the same time are being threatened by further cuts.”
Mr Kavanagh said he would not speak on behalf of the individual groups represented and that each union would announce their strategies which the alliance would then work together to implement them in a cohesive way.
“There are a variety of options. Some of us are obviously confined in terms of legislation in relation to what we can do because we represent gardaí as well as other employers. But for those other employees there a complete range of options available.”
Liam Doran, general secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, said that those who adhered to the “cut, slash and burn gospel” now had to consider the alternatives.
“Why is it that the issue of taxing non-earned assets has not been on the agenda? Why is it that they are not prepared to look at the taxation system and hit high earners? Why is it that they are hell bent upon hitting people who are on very, very ordinary incomes . . .it’s not a crime to earn €45,000 a year for being a frontline public servant.”