Blame bosses for collapse of pay talks - Unite

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Sunday August 03, 2008 17:25 by Bob Miller - Unite bob.miller at unitetheunion dot com

Unite to lodge pay claims

Unite leader claims 'social partnership' is now one of inequality

Dublin, Saturday August 2nd, 2008
Unite, the second largest trade union in Ireland with over 60,000 members, has laid the blame for the collapse of pay talks firmly at the door of employers.
“Workers were being asked to carry the entire economy on their backs,” said Unite Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly after the breakdown of talks in the early hours of Saturday. “There was no willingness on the part of employers to make any offer that would relieve the pressure of inflation, rising energy and food costs on the working people who are increasingly finding it hard to cover the basics of life in Ireland in 2008.
“There was no attempt to deal with the other key issues of workers rights, pensions and the plight of agency workers. A cynic would argue these talks were a stalling tactic from the outset and this ‘social partnership’ is clearly now one of inequality.”
“Our 60,000 members in the Repuiblic have bided their time waiting for a breakthrough at national level. Now that this has failed, we will be starting to lodge pay claims on their behalf within the next two weeks.”
He added: “Working people deserve wage increases which are linked to company profits and inflation. Irish companies are making more profits per employee than any country in Europe bar Luxembourg. Irish wages lag 25 per cent below the average of our European peers. The rate of inflation which carries the greatest threat to those least well off in society is heading beyond six per cent by the end of the year.”
“These are the factors which we will address in those claims.”