Should Public Sector Unions formally break from ICTU...?

[Silvio Dante]

As a CPSU member myself I was relieved to hear two of the Teacher Unions' delegates both criticise their own leadership and in turn ICTU for being soft on the introduction of the Paycut(pension levy).

When we took our one day action we got no support from ICTU except for a few bland platitudes. The paycut has been directed solely on us and as such I feel ICTU doesn't want to upset certain quarters in the Private Sector union cohort.

I feel its time the Public Sector Unions form their own umbrella group, independent of ICTU and can concentrate on representing our interests without having concern for other interests.

I know the likes of SIPTU has a foot in both camps so there would have to be a split resulting in a new Union that currently covers the PS being formed...

[grassroots]

What would you call it? Fianna Fail?

[birthday]

It might work in the short term with FF but when the the IMF arrive they will not negotiate with you or anyone else. It will be take it or leave it.
Have you PS types any capacity to think beyond the next few months?

''....without having concern for other interests''. At least you are honest in your naked self interest. ICTU under Begg pretends to talk about the public interest.

[Silvio Dante]

It might work in the short term with FF but when the the IMF arrive they will not negotiate with you or anyone else. It will be take it or leave it.
Have you PS types any capacity to think beyond the next few months?

''....without having concern for other interests''. At least you are honest in your naked self interest. ICTU under Begg pretends to talk about the public interest.

It's all about protecting what you've got... No one else will do it for us...

[grassroots]

the public interest=public service interest.
public service is an oxymoron is it not-since service is the last thing most of them do.

[Silvio Dante]

the public interest=public service interest.
public service is an oxymoron is it not-since service is the last thing most of them do.

I, and the people I work with, provide an excellent service and are within our Rights to protect of terms and conditions of employment. I'll apologise to no one for doing so either...

[Cato]

It might work in the short term with FF but when the the IMF arrive they will not negotiate with you or anyone else. It will be take it or leave it.
Have you PS types any capacity to think beyond the next few months?

''....without having concern for other interests''. At least you are honest in your naked self interest. ICTU under Begg pretends to talk about the public interest.

If the IMF ever do arrive I think that a good number of people within this state and particularly on this website are going to die of an overdose of schadenfreude.

[Cato]

I, and the people I work with, provide an excellent service and are within our Rights to protect of terms and conditions of employment. I'll apologise to no one for oding so either...

Do you really believe that you provide an excellent service? What part of the civil or public service do you work in?

There are precious few times that I have been impressed with the service I received from any branch of the civil or public service. I imagine that I am not alone.

While you are indeed "within your Rights (why the capital letter?)" to defend your terms and conditions, surely you must recognize that there are limits to this; specifically affordability and reasonability.

[Proposition Joe]

It's all about protecting what you've got... No one else will do it for us...

It's perfectly understandable that ye want to keep your own nests comfortably feathered.

Just quit with the protecting-the-most-vulnerable-in-society sob story that gets wheeled out whenever the PS unions are on the war-path.

As long as everyone is clear that its all about the COs' own entitlements, not the welfare recipients they serve. Similarly the teachers' pay & promotions always come before the kids with special needs.

The PS unions breaking off into their own corner would be a welcome development. Ye would finally have to give up the fig leaf that the few deluded private sector workers affiliated to congress provide, and drop the pretence that ye stand for all workers rights.

[Silvio Dante]

Do you really believe that you provide an excellent service? What part of the civil or public service do you work in?

There are precious few times that I have been impressed with the service I received from any branch of the civil or public service. I imagine that I am not alone.

While you are indeed "within your Rights (why the capital letter?)" to defend your terms and conditions, surely you must recognize that there are limits to this; specifically affordability and reasonability.

I work in the Civil Service and suffice to say the people in my section provide excellent VFM. If you want our standards to remain as high as they are hands off our pay and conditions...