Best of luck to all manning the pickets today!

[JollyRedGiant]

What taxes increases do you think will get us €20bn?

To start with the government are chopping €4billion in the budget not €20billion - €20billion would be the entire public sector pay bill - so if you want to shut every school, hospital, library, tax, dole and civil service office in the country and add 300,000 to the dole queues then you have to sack every public servant in the country to bridge your €20billion.

Taking the government's €4billion - a 4% wealth tax on all wealth over €1million would raise the same figure (or more) - avoid any cuts in public services, pay, welfare and pensions and avoid seriously deflating the economy.

[selfemployedmar]

Great support from the public today, Intelligent people know well it was not the Gardai , the Nurses or the teachers who destroyed this country,We thank them for their support,

LMAO God bless your innocence

[PrinceMax]

I know public servants want to present it as though the majority of the public are on their side but I really can't believe that they are getting the great reception they claim. All polls, I've seen in national and local media suggest, that most people have little sympathy. I'm not suggesting they should or shouldn't get sympathy, I'm just saying, it seems unlikely that the majority of people are on your side - especially considering the stance in the Independent - and the large readership that attracts.

[turdsl]

That's all very well but how can we balance the books without cuts?

Could start at the top rather than the bottom,Anglo Irish should have been let fall, The bankers will not put their billions into the economy they will pay their foreign lenders.Let the government put a few billion into the economy and it will circulate,Take the Christmas bonus as an example it would be spent locally that day and everyone would benefit including the Dept of Finance,It is not the P.S.workers but NAMA that will finish off this country

[DeathKnell]

You must live in a nice binary world. If workers are concerned about erosion of their pay and conditions then they can't be concerned about anything else.

Oh please Biffo.. Dont insult us with that drivel.. Thats for the Unionistas on the Radio and TV
. At least be honest with yourself forchrissakes.. Of couse they are concerned about the level and service, but they wont strike over it.. Otherwise, we would have had many strikes over the last 10 years over porto-cabins for classrooms f'rinstance or the level of MRSA in our hospitals etc..

So you see, evidence points to the fact, that once the pay packet is threatened, thats the only way our cossetted middle class public servants will get off their fat holes to strike..
That and the chance to peg off to Newry and do the Xmas shopping.

Its laughable.. The PS cant even organise a fvckin strike properly without shooting themselves in the foot..

Ye make me laugh.. And cry at the same time..

[YoungLiberal]

Jesus I think you may have the prize for the most stupid comment of the day

Listen, my family is packed to the gills with teachers. Cosuins, Aunts, Parents, the whole lot. Two of whom are principals.

I've never known any of them to work to one in the morning. Never. So if you're doing anywhere near the same work as them, you must be doing it really really slowly.

[pd_phoenix]

Listen, my family is packed to the gills with teachers. Cosuins, Aunts, Parents, the whole lot. Two of whom are principals.

I've never known any of them to work to one in the morning. Never. So if you're doing anywhere near the same work as them, you must be doing it really really slowly.

I can concur, I was the first woman in my family not to go into teaching and none of them have been up until 1, unless they were doing the extra work for the grinds they did and that doesn't count!

[JollyRedGiant]

I know public servants want to present it as though the majority of the public are on their side but I really can't believe that they are getting the great reception they claim. All polls, I've seen in national and local media suggest, that most people have little sympathy.

We can only report what we experience - while I was on picket duty this morning not a single person raise any criticism and most indicated support - at least 7 out of every 10 cars that drove past the picket line beeped in support. Many of those on picket duty were a little apprehensive given the massive government and employer propaganda campaign against public servants - yet the response was most definitely supportive.

[sharper]

I know public servants want to present it as though the majority of the public are on their side but I really can't believe that they are getting the great reception they claim.

Very few people are going to walk upto a group of striking workers and criticise them. The only people who are going to approach them are going to encourage them.

[pd_phoenix]

Great support from the public today, Intelligent people know well it was not the Gardai , the Nurses or the teachers who destroyed this country,We thank them for their support,

yeah HUGE support

Farmers hit out at public-sector unions | BreakingNews.ie