RTÉ reporting 10,000 turnout for protest!

[mollox]

As for the official reason, ICTU described it as a day of action in support of their ten point pact.
So, when you're done howling at the moon, perhaps you could educate yourself about that which you speak.
Don't fall for the divide and conquer BS like a total sucker. Look at who is to blame, look at what can be done to put the country on an even keel, and stop thinking that either we all pay for Fianna Fail's pals or else the nasty IMF will come in. That's not the reality.

I agree with you about the danger of a split between public/private sector but, frankly, I don't see the answer coming from the unions.

A major part of OUR current problems is the cosy concensus that existed between the social partners when money was plentiful. As long as we had huge tax revenues flowing in from the property boom (and remember that the Govt made more out of that boom than anyone else), the govt was able to throw money at problems, mollify the unions through increased public sector employment, benchmarking etc., and keep us all happy with reducing tax rates. Now that property-related tax tap has been turned off and we're left to face the music after crap Govt management and fiscal planning.

Whatever we need to get us out of the sh1t, it certainly isn't 6-12 months of strikes and industrial relations anarchy.

[politicaldonations]

This divide and conquer claim is balderdash. If anything i find the government to be too easy on public sector in their public pronouncements and actions. The divide is real and obvious and needs no encouragement, it arises as a result of the vastly superior pay/pensions/terms and conditions enjoyed by public sector here in Ireland even after allowing for factors which may skew figures. Why should Irish doctors, nurses, teachers, police be the best renumerated in EuroZone when we are now a basket case economy? The public sector were indulged by FF for electoral and other reasons and became our nomenklatura. Why cant they be benchmarked downwards in same way they were benchmarked up to and above private sector through benchmarking? There was never any evidence of troubling recruiting qualified persons to public sector even at peak of boom/bubble, i attended several tests for positions during peak of boom/bubble and the numbers sitting the tests was huge relative to the positions on offer.

[onlyasking]

IT WAS ABOUT THE LEVY. Dont come on here with your silly "private sector supported us"....We don't support you. We actually hate your benefits and your SECURE job and we don't like the sight of you even daring to protest when so many of my colleagues are being sacked left right and center. We provide the wealth in this country. Not the public service. Again take the levy or the IMF will sort you out in a very severe way. It's up to you.

In a few years, judging by this kind of warped analysis, you'll be saluting a fascist demagogue as he savagely crushes the opposition. Given the poison dripping from your every word, conjuring up images of a of frothing psychopath, you'll be jackbooting your way around the country in a caravan of death.

Unfortunately for you, your analysis isn't shared by a majority of the population, as shown in the Irish Times poll on the subject.

Any views on the rape of the nation by your fellow-travellers?

[adamirer]

best chant I heard - '2 Brians, No brains'

[JCSkinner]

I agree with you about the danger of a split between public/private sector but, frankly, I don't see the answer coming from the unions.

A major part of OUR current problems is the cosy concensus that existed between the social partners when money was plentiful. As long as we had huge tax revenues flowing in from the property boom (and remember that the Govt made more out of that boom than anyone else), the govt was able to throw money at problems, mollify the unions through increased public sector employment, benchmarking etc., and keep us all happy with reducing tax rates. Now that property-related tax tap has been turned off and we're left to face the music after crap Govt management and fiscal planning.

Whatever we need to get us out of the sh1t, it certainly isn't 6-12 months of strikes and industrial relations anarchy.

True, what we need is a change of government, bankers in court facing charges and developers bankrupted and their assets sold off to pay their debts.
If it takes industrial action to create that sort of climate, so be it as far as I'm concerned. You may note that I've been one of the loudest critic of benchmarking and the public sector bill and I'm also on record saying Social Partnership ran its course a long time ago.

[thebloggydew]

I went to the march on Saturday, not to support it, but to ask people why they were there & what they were protesting against. The reasons were much more varied than just the pension levy.

I've uploaded some recordings, to my blog, of marchers explaining why they were there. You can listen to them on thebloggydew.com

[Grailknight]

2/3 of people in SIPTU are from the private sector. So not true.