Ictu announces day of demonstration

A national day of demonstration against the Government’s proposals for tackling the recession will be held on Saturday, February 21st, in Dublin.

The date and venue was decided today by the Irish Congress of Trade Union’s executive council having been proposed by the public service unions affiliated to Congress.

Ictu general secretary David Begg said the decision was taken to concentrate resources and attention on one major demonstration in Dublin which will begin at 2pm from Parnell Square.

Other protests will be held at later dates throughout the country.

Ictu said the protest will not just be about the recent pension levy that will be imposed on public servants, but will focus on Congress’s belief that the Government reneged on the framework agreement agreed between it and the social partners on January 28th to find a way forward to implement €2 billion worth of public spending cuts.

Congress has published an alternative 10 point plan for national recovery - There is a Better, Fairer Way- which sets out an alternative to Government proposals which include a 48 per cent rate of tax on highest earners,

Earlier today, the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU) had said it would ballot its members on proposals to take industrial action following the announcement of the pension levy by the Government last week.

The union was seeking its members' vote on up to two days’ strike action and is to seek authority for up to two further days of selective strikes by members in particular areas.

The action is intended to entail all PSEU members who will be hit by the levy, but the union said local social welfare offices and other emergency services would be exempt from the action as it did not want to affect the vulnerable in Irish society.

The executive committee of the PSEU said the union would use any mandate from its members with other public service unions.

General secretary designate of the union Tom Geraghty said the PSEU was committed to resolving the issue "in the context of the overall Ictu response to our current economic crisis" and was seeking a return to talks with the social partners "if there is a genuine commitment by all parties to the achievement of a fair outcome".

"However, the level of anger and frustration among members at the fact that the Government imposed unilaterally a penal tax on low and middle income earners, while refusing to broaden the tax base or to tax the wealthy, is such that members will take action in this form if they are forced into this position," the unions said in a statement.

Mr Geraghty said he hoped the Government and employers would "come to their senses" and return to negotiations.

The PSEU union represents about 10,000 mid-ranking staff in executive grades.

The Civil, Public and Services Union is balloting its members, and, if carried, that could result in about 13,000 civil servants taking one-day strike action on February 26th.