The context is while the government and the social partners at first robbed the country blind with partnership, and then when the game was up buried their heads in the sand, the country began to slide and slide....

6 months ago a 5% cut in the wage of the PS and a indefinate freeze on increments, as well as a major cuts in PS pensions would have meant we would be well on our way to getting back on our feet by now.

Unfortunately becase of people like the union leaders who depend on popularity among their members for their big wages and expense accounts, we are now facing a situation where social welfare will have to be cut, hospitals closed and on and on. If the unions had held their hands up and accept across the board pay cuts, we wouldnt be in that situation.

We are in any case doomed now....our public sector is too expensive to fund, too many fat cats and wasters in it on big money with permanent job security no matter how unproductive they are. In light of that situation, the country is fecked, its a reality we all have to live with, no amount of arguing on this site will change that reality and its something we must face up to.

This is amazing stuff and I actually believe that you believe it. What this stuff means is that the present mess will be mopped up by workers living on beans for the next 5 years and then the greed merchants can start all over again. It really beggers belief that it is possible for an adult to arrive at the conclusions that you post here.

Because you and your mates keep denying we have a problem won't make the problem go away...in fact it will only make it worse.

And when it does get far far worse because of people like you, I will be on here again to remind you.

And by far worse I mean borrowing 40 billion annually just to pay the wage bill, closing of hospitals, closing of army barracks, closing of A and E's, cutting of social welfare payments, etc etc.

Obviously you know very little about economics or accountancy and the need to balance books...if the outgoings are consistantly more than the incomings, any business in the end goes bust, caused by cashflow problems.

How can any adult make the statement that anyone is 'denying' we have a problem? We have a mountain of a problem.

As for the first year lecture in accountancy, the dogs in the street know that too. The issue is getting out of the mess by spreading the load fairly and in proportion to capacity to carry it, and making damn sure that we never again abandon our futures and the futures of our children to speculators and greed merchants.

Ah, the redundant sanctuary of the armchair accountant.

What snippets of secret wisdom will you bestow upon us today?

__________________
'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'

Inigo Montoya.

Ok grand, let's spread it fairly so, I have no problem with that...

If to follow that logic, 20% of the Public Sector should be laid off immediately. For the rest of the PS, their pensions should be wiped out, that's after them paying the full cost of those pensions without any garauntee of return, and they should all take a minimum 10% pay cut.

That would ensure they labour under the same conditions as the private sector.

Somehow I think I am wasting my breath though.

Rubbish.....you really are smarting over all this arent you, where you rejected for the civil service or something?

Those STILL IN EMPLOYMENT must carry the burden FAIRLY, making more people unemployed is not spreading the pain, it is self defeating self satisfying begrudgery on your part.

You are a totally dishonest spiv.

__________________
'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'

Inigo Montoya.

How old are you? 19?

__________________
'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'

Inigo Montoya.

Hmm, leftfemme stage 3 has been breached. Usual stuff here, nothing new, to see. Next thing you'll be saying, "what business is it of yours" etc etc. What a response leftfemme, well done!!

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Anyone for desert ?

Your problem is that you want to blame the crisis on public sector workers. That is dishonest. Filleting the public sector will not solve the probelm but will only add to the massive numbers on the dole and leave us unable to respond to social difficulties and hardships in any way shape or form. The numbers employed by the state will decline in line with general activity. Embargos have been in palce for over a year now and many many workers employed by the state have lost their jobs.
Again you would have us believe that all workers not emloyed by the state are presently taking a hit, that is untrue so if you want workers to take a 20% reduction in pay, than that should apply across the board and the best way to achieve that equity is to apply increases in taxation on all, repeat all incomes.