Madam, – Further to the comments of Brendan Atkinson (June 27th) on judges’ voluntary payments, the failure of politicians to abolish ministerial pensions for serving TDs and the silence of the trade unions on these matters, I must advise that while the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)remains part of the partnership process, they have to remain silent on these issues.
Any criticism of pay and conditions for judges and politicians would, by implication, have to apply to other equally higher paid employees as all such grades are benchmarked against each other.
What the trade unions now need to do is to go back to their roots and demand a more equitable society.
If all those with incomes in excess of €80,000 a year were obliged to pay 35 per cent taxation on such incomes there would be no need for the existing levies on people’s wages, let alone future levies.
However, I suspect that the social partners who fall into such earnings brackets would sternly resist such an egalitarian move.
So, 90 years after the founding of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, has anything really changed?
In the early 20th century most trade union leaders clearly identified their class enemies.
In contrast, most of the early 21st century trade union leaders collaborate with them. – Your, etc,
NOEL MURPHY,
National Secretary,
Independent Workers Union,
North Main Street,
Cork.