The Labour Party is to table a Dáil motion today calling on the Government to defer its decision to impose a pension levy on public servants.
Speaking at the weekend, party leader Eamon Gilmore said the reason it was pursuing the issue was because of what he said was the inequity and unfairness of the Government's proposals. He said his party supported the need for €2 billion in cuts but disagrees with how they should be achieved.
The salary-based charge will be calculated on gross pay and will mean a 3 per cent contribution for workers on €15,000 up to a maximum 9.6 per cent for staff earning €300,000 euro before tax.
Legislation enforcing the levy is to be brought before the Oireachtas early next month.
The Labour Party's motion notes that the levy is unfair in the way it places an unacceptable burden on public servants on modest incomes and also that it applies to all income, even earnings not taken into account for pension purposes.
Furious public sector unions are already threatening strike action to fight the measure introduced earlier this month.
Representatives of the four teaching unions all met yesterday to discuss the pension levy and the Government's handling of the economic crisis.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), who combined represent more than 50,000 teachers, met to co-ordinate their opposition to the levy.
The TUI, INTO and ASTI are balloting their members on industrial action. The IFUT's executive council is due to meet later this week to discuss whether to seek a mandate for industrial action.
Other public sector unions, including the Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU) and the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU), are also in the process of balloting their members over possible industrial action.
According to the latest
Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll which was released on Saturday, voters are sharply divided on the Government's decision to impose a levy on public sector workers with 47 per cent saying it was wrong and 41 per cent agreeing it was right,
The two-day motion will be voted on in the Dáil tomorrow evening.