Looks like Cowen has folded to the Unions!

[DCon]

The Taoiseach has warned trade union leaders that any deal on public service
pay cuts must be realistic and recognise the financial constraints on the country at the moment.

Union leaders return to the talks table with the department of Finance today
in a bid to hammer out a deal to avoid widespread industrial unrest.

But speaking in the US – the Taoiseah Brian Cowen said any deal must take
into account the straightened times the country is in.

Taoiseach warns unions to be “realistic” | Newstalk - Ireland's National Independent Talk Radio Broadcaster

[bormotello]

Taoiseach warns unions to be “realistic” | Newstalk - Ireland's National Independent Talk Radio Broadcaster

Unions will organise few strikes, then government will establish new quango for senior civil servants and union leaders, which will spend two years writing report about possibility of efficiencies, probable new post for minister of social harmony will be created, cuts will not be reversed, but because government will pay this year 3 bn as retirement packages for top civil servants, expenditure will be reduced by 750 bn, plus 3 bn included into last budget for retirement packages will be not used next year, it will give government possibility to report about 3 Bn cuts in expenditure ( last year capital spending has been reduced by 7 Bn, but 3 bn went as golden parachutes), then Fianna Fail can go to opposition and laugh on FG/LP government, which will have to impose remaining cuts
Everything as usual

[Conor]

Phase One of Public Sector Reform involved cutting their unfairly high pay

Last Autumn two ESRI studies, the first using the standard human capital comparisons, the other comparing like jobs, both reached the same conclusion: that the PS had an unfair premium over the Private Sector - and that the low-mid paid in the PS enjoyed teh greatest premium. This is mainly as a result of all the increments they get:

Neither ESRI study compared 'like jobs'.

[Clanrickard]

There is no justification for the bank bailouts. However,the money involved is excluded from the 25bn we are overspending. We must align the figures. How woudl you do it?

You keep asking that question yet the PS cheerleaders cannot give an answer.

[inthemire]

You keep asking that question yet the PS cheerleaders cannot give an answer.

I suggest you check out the Good luck to the PS workers thread - or many of the postings i've made suggesting that things like Shell be made pay tax, earners greater than 150k be made pay wealth tax, a 1c tax on Text messages, withdrawl of public funds to pay for Horse Racing prizemoney, temporarily close the Seanad, slash/withdraw TD expenses temporarily, completely stop roadbuilding projects temporarily and transfer any savings to capital projects, etc etc..etc - incidentally, they also include reducing monies paid to higher earnign Public sector workers! it's about balance, fairness, equality - none of which we see from this shower who are screwing poor people, whilst increasing the salaries of wealthy people!

but hey, let's keep bashing at PS - it's easy to do, and doesn't require any sacrifice from us!!

[Dreaded_Estate]

I suggest you check out the Good luck to the PS workers thread - or many of the postings i've made suggesting that things like Shell be made pay tax, earners greater than 150k be made pay wealth tax, a 1c tax on Text messages, withdrawl of public funds to pay for Horse Racing prizemoney, temporarily close the Seanad, slash/withdraw TD expenses temporarily, completely stop roadbuilding projects temporarily and transfer any savings to capital projects, etc etc..etc - incidentally, they also include reducing monies paid to higher earnign Public sector workers! it's about balance, fairness, equality - none of which we see from this shower who are screwing poor people, whilst increasing the salaries of wealthy people!

but hey, let's keep bashing at PS - it's easy to do, and doesn't require any sacrifice from us!!

You would struggle to get €2bn from that list and many will have to be done on top of the PS cuts.

[tonic]

I suggest you check out the Good luck to the PS workers thread - or many of the postings i've made suggesting that things like Shell be made pay tax, earners greater than 150k be made pay wealth tax, a 1c tax on Text messages, withdrawl of public funds to pay for Horse Racing prizemoney, temporarily close the Seanad, slash/withdraw TD expenses temporarily, completely stop roadbuilding projects temporarily and transfer any savings to capital projects, etc etc..etc - incidentally, they also include reducing monies paid to higher earnign Public sector workers! it's about balance, fairness, equality - none of which we see from this shower who are screwing poor people, whilst increasing the salaries of wealthy people!

but hey, let's keep bashing at PS - it's easy to do, and doesn't require any sacrifice from us!!

You would struggle to get €2bn from that list and many will have to be done on top of the PS cuts.

That's very unfair. You are trying to bring reality into this debate and there's just no room here for that class of thing.

Lets us start from the position that the PS does not get paid 55,000 on average, nor do they have a pension that would cost a private sector worker 30% of earnings to amass, nor do they have a high degree of job security.

If we can start from there I believe agreement is within our collective reach.

[Clanrickard]

I suggest you check out the Good luck to the PS workers thread - or many of the postings i've made suggesting that things like Shell be made pay tax, earners greater than 150k be made pay wealth tax, a 1c tax on Text messages, withdrawl of public funds to pay for Horse Racing prizemoney, temporarily close the Seanad, slash/withdraw TD expenses temporarily, completely stop roadbuilding projects temporarily and transfer any savings to capital projects, etc etc..etc - incidentally, they also include reducing monies paid to higher earnign Public sector workers! it's about balance, fairness, equality - none of which we see from this shower who are screwing poor people, whilst increasing the salaries of wealthy people!

but hey, let's keep bashing at PS - it's easy to do, and doesn't require any sacrifice from us!!

So does that save 20 billion?

[slumdog1971]

You keep asking that question yet the PS cheerleaders cannot give an answer.

Stupid post again Clanrickard.

There is no way you can cut 25bn of spending. The only alternative is to grow you way out of it but neither you, tbf or lenny has mind to even consider taht proposal.

Lenihan is drunk on the notion of cutting our way out of recession.

He is a shambles of a finance minister who is so patently out of his depth it is almost painful to watch. People are mouthing off about Mary Coughlan, she has more smarts in her toe than this clown has in his own overblown ego

[Silvio Dante]

Thankfully the union movement has got to its senses and followed the CPSU model of action first and getting talks going, second... Phase one achieved...