Public service strike only the beginning - Kilcoyne

Public service strike ‘only the beginning’ - Kilcoyne


Edwin McGreal

MEMBERS of the public service in Mayo will picket their workplaces today as part of protests against proposed Government cuts and a leading union official has warned that it is only the start of resistance from members of his union.
Pickets will take place outside town council offices, outside Mayo County Council, Mayo General Hospital, Government departments at Davitt House in Castlebar and outside a number of primary and secondary schools in the county.
“The aim of this action is to stop the public service being decimated,” said SIPTU organiser for the western area, Michael Kilcoyne, who is also Mayor of Castlebar.
“There’s never been a finer example of the important work public service carries out than this last week with the flooding. People have been out working on flood relief but if the government and the opposition had their way, these cuts would be forced through and we’d be without important public services.”
While cutbacks are being made across the board, Kilcoyne argues that the public service has already been hit and insists it should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of others.
“The public service has already taken a hit. It is two years since they had a wage increase and they’ve been hit by the pension levy too. The public service are not the people who have got the country into the mess we’re in. It is the government and the banks who must take responsibility.”
And Kilcoyne added that today’s strike is not the end of the road, but only the start of a journey that will be fought extensively.
“This is only the beginning. I can see industrial action continuing and lengthening from now into the New Year, into spring and into the summer. Cuts do need to be made but I don’t see why the public service needs to suffer so much. There should be a third tier of tax for people earning over €100,000. I think things like employment schemes need to be established to help people back to work.
“We have no problem with the rationalisation of services, that will be done. But punishing people when it is not their fault is not on. There are plenty of examples of people who are far from well paid and they’re being asked to take further cuts.
“The current Government has been in office for three terms and they are so removed from reality that they really have no clue about what is happening out there. There seems to be one rule for wealthy people and another rule for everyone else.”