IMF could take over and "order" mass dismissal of public servants

[odlum]

According to todays Irish Times the spectre of the IMF taking over the economy has rared it's ugly head with a Union Cheif outlining the possibility to the trade unions.

Government set to tell unions of huge cuts in public pay bill - The Irish Times - Tue, Jan 13, 2009

Oh dear, I see the letters I , M and F are being mentioned. Very serious.

[markeys]

Well if the unions don't play ball the IMF is a distinct possibility. The gap in our current spending V income is just too freaking large!

What galls me is how unions can trample over themselves to get on the benchmarking train and spout all sorts of drivel about equality of pay with the private sector when they want pay increases. Now that the public sector is the leader in terms of pay, we hear no more from the unions about equality of pay. Seems to me the unions have an awful biased view of equality in this country despite all their talk about solidarity. Me Fein attitude is alive and kicking within the trade union movement! Maybe someone could explain to me why a nurse / doctor / accountant / Human Resource Manage in the public sector should be better paid than the same in the private sector?

[Kevin Doyle]

Get a Grip, the IMF will not 'take over' the running of the country. Mr Hennessy is indulging in a spot of scaremongering and using a bankrupt institution, which is on the verge of collapse itself, to do it.

PSUs are doing what they are mandated to do. That mandate will change. What will happen is that the Public sector will move to implement rapid cost saving measures, in addition to a mixed bag of moderate pay cuts and voluntary redundancies.

[DeathKnell]

Get a Grip, the IMF will not 'take over' the running of the country. Mr Hennessy is indulging in a spot of scaremongering and using a bankrupt institution, which is on the verge of collapse itself, to do it.

PSUs are doing what they are mandated to do. That mandate will change. What will happen is that the Public sector will move to implement rapid cost saving measures, in addition to a mixed bag of moderate pay cuts and voluntary redundancies.

Hmm.. Your expectations and certainties have moderated somewhat from your formally belligerent defence of the benchmarking fiasco and doubting the need for dratic cuts up until a few weeks ago.

Good to see.. Keep it up Kev...

[TradCat]

I think it's clear that the unions are on-board for cuts. Let's give credit to them for that. They are showing far more patriotism that the Bankers.

If cuts are made and their is good example from the top then I accept that there will also be an increase in taxes.

But let's keep the spending on infrastructure as high as we can and when normality is restored let's make sure there is never another property boom in this state.

[Kevin Doyle]

Hmm.. Your expectations and certainties have moderated somewhat from your formally belligerent defence of the benchmarking fiasco and doubting the need for dratic cuts up until a few weeks ago.

Good to see.. Keep it up Kev...

No, you have been bellowing for drastic cuts. When I say moderate (2.5-5% cuts for the majority of CS's) that does not imply a repeal of the awards given in Benchmarking.

I have been consistent in what I have said needs to be done and what will be done.

I have never once said drastic cuts are needed.
Get your facts straight before you start throwing accusations around.

Mr Hennessys comments are a response to a recognised hardening of opinion in the Public Sector toward the introduction of any cuts in pay at all.

Bogey man scaremongering that’s as hollow as his pen.
.

[DaveM]

Get a Grip, the IMF will not 'take over' the running of the country. Mr Hennessy is indulging in a spot of scaremongering and using a bankrupt institution, which is on the verge of collapse itself, to do it.

The quotes are from Public Service Executive Union general secretary Dan Murphy, not something that Hennessy has conjured from thin air. How is quoting a union leader scaremongering?

[DaveM]

I have never once said drastic cuts are needed.

Not wanting to be glib, we are in an invidious position where we need to address a budget deficit of €20bn. If not in the current situation, how bad does it actually have to get before you think drastic cuts are required?

[Kevin Doyle]

The quotes are from Public Service Executive Union general secretary Dan Murphy, not something that Hennessy has conjured from thin air. How is quoting a union leader scaremongering?

See who the PSEU represents, that very same shower of Pr*cks who will actually be involved in the decision making process (Namely Senior Management). Hennessey never qualified that. It’s also well known within the TU movement where Hennessey lies on this issue and its no surprise he latched onto an arbitrary comment from the PSEU.

[Kevin Doyle]

Not wanting to be glib, we are in an invidious position where we need to address a budget deficit of €20bn. If not in the current situation, how bad does it actually have to get before you think drastic cuts are required?

Well then, if you introduce drastic cuts in the Public service you will see a corresponding reduction in the quality of that service. As the OECD report pointed out, there isn't much fat to trim.

If you want to cut the salaries of Public servants by 30% that’s all well and good, wrapping the flag around you as you do it does not make it any more necessary when the a whole raft of other cuts have not been implemented.

Very simply this is what will be done. Moderate cuts in pay, Moderate use of VER's, complete suspension of all unnecessary capital expenditure, root and branch reform of expenses for all Public Servants, immediate implementation of efficiency initiatives, raised taxes.