Responding to the various forms of work to rule that members of the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU) which began yesterday and which will be joined by other unions Joe Higgins MEP of the Socialist Party commented:

The capitulation of the ICTU leaders in the run up to the budget has caused much discontent among rank and file members who have seen their wages cut in the last year by more than 15% with only a minimal amount of organised opposition by the union leadership while at the same time the banks can look forward to a further €15 billion in bail outs this year. These are low and middle income public sector workers who are being hammered for the crimes of the big bankers and developers.

Emboldened by this outcome, employers in the voluntary, community and private sectors are taking their cue from the government, with cuts in pay in a number of projects and in the Mater Private, Bon Secours and other private hospitals being pursued.

The time for half measures by the ICTU leaders is well past. I call on rank and file members of the CPSU and other unions to observe their work to rule to the maximum so that it actually has an impact on the functioning of their departments and offices. However, if as is almost certain, these actions and the partial stoppages planned in strategic areas do not force a reversal of the pay cuts by the government, serious industrial action involving the entire public sector and other sectors facing wage cuts will be required.

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