Madam, Colm Keena’s article (Business This Week, October 23rd), which highlighted that John Carr (head of the INTO) and Peter McLoone (head of the Impact trade union) earn in excess of €170,000 per year, has let the cat out of the bag.
The article stated that the salaries are linked to Civil Service grades. In other words, these trade unions leaders are supping at the top table with the country’s higher ranking civil servants. There is a phoney war being waged between those at the top in Government/Civil Service and the trade union leaders about the need for pay cuts.
Neither group will act against its own self-interest and agree to pay cuts of 30 per cent for those at the top.
The rank-and-file of both the public service and the private sector are being played off against each other by the Government and the union leaders.
The real scandal is that the chief executives of State bodies, secretary generals of government departments, city and county managers, Garda commissioners, Army generals, judges, hospital consultants, Ministers and, shockingly, trade union leaders are earning over €150,000 a year and are also guaranteed excellent pensions when they retire.
It’s time to call a halt to this charade. – Yours, etc,