Public workers 'won't be scapegoated'

The mood on picket lines around Dublin was one of acceptance there would be pay-cuts in next month's Budget, but a determination that public sector workers "won't just take this lying down".

"If we roll over now where is this going to stop?" asked a member of the Public Service Executive Union outside the Department of Finance. Declining to give his name he said he and colleagues didn't mind paying their "fair share, but we don't see why we should be scapegoated".

He added: "There's plenty of money to sort out the banks but then they take the easy option, targeting low-paid workers to pay for it. Everyone is in this boat but there has to be a fairer way."

Many protestors on picket line argued they were fighting to retain the quality of public services.

Professor Ciarán Brady, of the Irish Federation of University Teachers was outside the locked gates of Trinity College. "If you look at the contribution Trinity has made in the past number of years, it has moved up the international university rankings from more than 100th place to 43rd. That's been done by everyone working here, from the teachers, to the librarians to the guys who lock the gates at night," he said.  "Now they are looking to cut our pay and further erode staffing levels. Our concern is to maintain a quality service."

At the gates of the National Museum in Kildare Street, Padraig Clancy, a curator and member of the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU) said all divisions in the museum were under-staffed.

"The education departments in every museum site are down to one staff member each. If they are out sick or on holidays there is no education department that day. It is very disappointing for families and schools if they can't get a service. You can't provide the service you'd like and that has a knock effect on morale," he said.

"Realistically this one day of protest is not going to stop cuts but we have to get it across to Government that we have done our bit."

Olive Murphy, a parliamentary reporter and member of Impact on the picket outside Leinster House, said she hoped the protest would compel the Government to listen to  workers. "It's pretty pointless if they don't listen but it seems they are determined to keep going regardless. It makes us feel powerless, angry, disaffected, disrespected," she said.

Staff numbers in her section were down by 10 per cent due to incentivised early retirement. "They expect the staff left behind to do more and now to be paid less. Service quality will go down and it's all having a knock-on effect on people's health and commitment to a job we were once proud to do. We just can't take any more."

Cian Neville, a clerical officer in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and member of the CPSU, said he was angry the Government had abandoned any notion of tax increases for the rich.

"I don't see why they can't bring in high taxes for anyone on over €100,000. There's no sign of them going after tax exiles. Instead they fly them into Farmleigh to wine and dine them and give them a chance to lecture us. There has to be some social justice."

Asked about the view that public sector workers had safe jobs, pensions and were relatively well-off as a result, he said: "Everyone has a right to a job. It shouldn't be a sin to have a safe one. I don't see how us doing down our pay and conditions is going to help the private sector one bit."

Kieran Allen, lecturer and Siptu member at UCD agreed, adding the Government success in cutting public sector pay would "stir up a new round of pay-cuts in the private sector".