Public sector workers voting FG are like turkeys voting for Christmas

[blacbloc]

No political grouping is more assiduous or virile in its hatred of the public sector than Fine Gael. It and can't wait to savage the income levels and hard-won conditions of ordinary workers there.

Let's smash right through the idiotic crap so many people here are pedalling: the pay and conditions of private sector workers are less than they should be mostly because of greedy employers who screw their employees into the ground. Workers from overseas are particularly vulnerable but no Irish worker is invulnerable to it either - far from it. You only have to look at the face of the facts: the vast majority of business people are clearly enjoying a standard of living that exceeds - by a sizeable margin - that of any of their employees. They are allowed to get away with anything, what is more. One Supervalu owner/manager I know of breaks the law regarding the minimum wage with impunity: - staff once they turn 18 are entitled to the minimum wage but he refuses to pay it until they are 18 years and six months old. No back pay. This guy is loaded - big successful shop - no excuse.

Of course some employers are fair but they are the exception rather than the rule. Keeping workers on the treadmill is the received wisdom of Ireland's 'entrepreneurs' and 'wealth creators'. Most of them, however, do not merely want to make a decent living - they want to be filthy rich. Employees wages are a necessary evil to be kept to an absolute minimum.

If Fine Gael are to be concerned about anything, it should be about improving the lot of private sector workers and bringing them up to the same standards as public sector workers.

(Having lit the blue touch paper, I'm now going to stand well back and watch the economic fascists of p.ie spontaneously combust in the face of this egalitarianism. Nothing upsets them more than the notion of fairness, the poor dears.)

[wexfordman]

If Fine Gael are to be concerned about anything, it should be about improving the lot of private sector workers and bringing them up to the same standards as public sector workers.

(Having lit the blue touch paper, I'm now going to stand well back and watch the economic fascists of p.ie spontaneously combust in the face of this egalitarianism. Nothing upsets them more than the notion of fairness, the poor dears.)

I assume the reason you are expecting people to combust, is cos you know how ridiculous your post is!!!

If you bring private sector workers up to the standard of public sector, the country will be bankrupt in a week!! Simple as, no argument!!

[Sonic_exyouth]

No political grouping is more assiduous or virile in its hatred of the public sector than Fine Gael. It and can't wait to savage the income levels and hard-won conditions of ordinary workers there.

Let's smash right through the idiotic crap so many people here are pedalling: the pay and conditions of private sector workers are less than they should be mostly because of greedy employers who screw their employees into the ground. Workers from overseas are particularly vulnerable but no Irish worker is invulnerable to it either - far from it. You only have to look at the face of the facts: the vast majority of business people are clearly enjoying a standard of living that exceeds - by a sizeable margin - that of any of their employees. They are allowed to get away with anything, what is more. One Supervalu owner/manager I know of breaks the law regarding the minimum wage with impunity: - staff once they turn 18 are entitled to the minimum wage but he refuses to pay it until they are 18 years and six months old. No back pay. This guy is loaded - big successful shop - no excuse.

Of course some employers are fair but they are the exception rather than the rule. Keeping workers on the treadmill is the received wisdom of Ireland's 'entrepreneurs' and 'wealth creators'. Most of them, however, do not merely want to make a decent living - they want to be filthy rich. Employees wages are a necessary evil to be kept to an absolute minimum.

If Fine Gael are to be concerned about anything, it should be about improving the lot of private sector workers and bringing them up to the same standards as public sector workers.

(Having lit the blue touch paper, I'm now going to stand well back and watch the economic fascists of p.ie spontaneously combust in the face of this egalitarianism. Nothing upsets them more than the notion of fairness, the poor dears.)

Right..
I would agree, but FG can only get in with labour, the most staunch defender of the Public Service.

[droghedasouth]

You only have to look at the face of the facts: the vast majority of business people are clearly enjoying a standard of living that exceeds - by a sizeable margin - that of any of their employees.

The vast majority of higher civil servants are clearly enjoying a standard of living that exceeds - by a sizeable margin - that of any of the lower civil servants who answer to them.

All hospital consultants on 240 K are paid 4 or 5 times what a nurse is paid.

[smitchy2]

Right..
I would agree, but FG can only get in with labour, the most staunch defender of the Public Service.

I disagree. FG have to try and form a government without Labour and maybe with the Greens if they can hold their vote. Otherwise their public sector reforms will be hampered.
This is the list of what FG has proposed to reform the PS.
Cutting the the Public Sector Pay Bill
of which:
- Freeze in pay (suspension of national pay agreement)
- Freeze in public sector salary increments
- 5% pay cut on public servants earning over €100k
- Hiring restrictions
- 15,000 person voluntary redundancy and early retirement programme
- Other savings (cuts in overtime through flexible hours, uncertified sick leave, restrictions on flexitime etc.)

A Smarter and Leaner State through "Performance Budgeting"
of which:
- Cutting the cost of the political system (Oireachtas reform etc.)
- Drugs savings from generic prescribing and cuts in retailer / wholesaler margins
- Cut in subsidy to CIE through open tendering for new bus operators
- End FÁS support for employer training (shift to employer-driven networks)
- Rationalisation of agencies / programmes through stronger Local Government (VECs, Pobal etc, CEBs.)
- Cutting the Rent Allowance in line with housing market trends
- Step up cut in state payments for professional services to 12% (from 8%)
- Require OPW to demand cut in rents for Government buildings (legislate if necessary)
- Cut in the cost of running the asylum system (efficiencies and falling numbers)
- ePayments only for social welfare by 2011 (as part of a broader phasing out of cheques)
- Reformed Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Savings for Gov. departments and agencies from 20% cut in ESB prices
- ePublication Strategy (electronic only publication of reports, greater use of email and cutting advertising cost through Internet
- Sell eVoting machines
- Other savings needed from "Performance Budgeting" to cut the cost of Gov. (to draw from An Bord Snip etc.)
- Emergency suspension of all non-contracted discretionary day-to-day spending in 2009

[meriwether2]

You voted for Christmas when you voted for FF.

Look outside. Its Christmas. Levies, child benefit cuts, impaired public services. Happy Christmas.

I will use this analogy again. The country was in a car, coming to a crossroads. A drunk driver sped across, smashing into the car. There is a pile up. Emergency services are called. The innocent driver has to be cut from the wreckage, and loses his leg.

Upon regaining consciousness in hospital, who does he blame for losing his leg?:
-The ambulance man who cut it off, or
-The drunk driver, who technically, did not actually cut off his leg?

Its only when you read the above opening post do you realise how fukked as a country we are. This country is full of stupid people. Thats how stupid people get elected, and do stupid things, which led to yesterdays budget.

[wexfordman]

FG should build on ps reform, and go head to head with labour on it, if the go the ps reform route and meaningful reform, could they manage to get in without labour ?

[KingKane]

OK, there are any number of threads that this point could be made in so I'm closing the thread. If Blacbloc wants to pm me about a thread he'd like it merged with then fine but we need to exercise some self control about new threads.