Crowe calls on Government to back off frontline workers wages

Dublin South West representative Seán Crowe TD challenged the government’s efforts to force frontline workers to acquiesce to substantial cuts in wages and in their terms and conditions of employment.

Crowe said he wholeheartedly supported the demand that the Government “back off frontline workers and start looking to the top of the public sector to reduce their pay and pension bill.”

The Tallaght based Deputy speaking after a huge gathering of Public Sector workers in Basketball Arena in Tallaght outlined the difficulties and hardship that are facing staff on a daily basis.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“From the begining of negotiations on a successor to the Croke Park agreement, the government has consistently warned of compulsory redundancies in the public sector. It then threatened more cuts including that of core pay.

“ We know from the government’s own figures that low and middle income public sector workers have seen their pay significantly reduced between pay cuts and the Fianna Fáil/ Green Party pension levy.

“There are now two and sometimes three tiers of pay for workers doing exactly the same job.

New graduate teachers and nurses are being asked to take huge cuts in basic pay and quite rightly have highlighted this gross inequality.

Sadly this is the kind of inequity that the current government is trying to replicate right across the public service despite the rhetoric of labour ministers.

“Public sector workers are also generally working harder, longer and for less money – particularly those at the frontline who have seen their numbers depleted over the last two years.

“By contrast those at the top have been protected. Bonanza pay and pensions remain in place. And the government still without any embarrassment breaks its own pay cap for its well-paid special advisors.

“The government needs to back off frontline workers and start looking to the top of the public sector to reduce the pay and pension bill.

“It needs to stop disproportionately targeting frontline workers who have already contributed so much for more cuts and move to tackle the gold plated pensions and high pay still enjoyed by current and former Taoisigh, Ministers and senior civil servants.

“Attacking pay from the bottom up is not a reforming measure. It’s the cowards option.

“Senior managers and office holders including the Taoiseach are paid more than their European counterparts. On taking up office the French Presidency Francois Holland cut his own pay by 30%. By contrast on entering government the Taoiseach Enda Kenny reduced his lavish salary by a mere 6%.

“The protection afforded to high rollers in the public sector contrasts starkly with the plans of the government to slash the wages of frontline workers.

“In the Taoiseach’s own Department two of the Special Advisors are paid €168,000 while in the Department of Social protection the Special advisor to Joan Burton receives €127,000.

“This government who promised radical reform cannot with any credibility call for cuts to pay in these negotiations while it continues to protect the lavish pay and pension pots of ministers and senior civil servants.”