UNION LEADERS expect tens of thousands of people to take part in a national protest today against the manner in which the financial crisis is being handled by the Government.
The protest will involve a march in Dublin from Parnell Square to Merrion Square, beginning at 2pm, which is being organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).
Ictu says the march is likely to be the first step in a campaign in support of “a fairer and better way” of dealing with the economic crisis.
It has not given a forecast on the numbers expected to attend today, but some union leaders have predicted that tens of thousands of workers will take part.
March organisers stress the protest will not just demonstrate opposition to the Government’s pension levy for public sector staff, but is also a means for private sector workers to express concern about issues such as wage cuts and unemployment.
It is understood that trade union leaders are considering the possibility of balloting members in both the public and private sectors for industrial action. Such a move is likely to be on the table at a meeting of the national executive of Ictu next Tuesday, according to highly-placed sources. They said the move would be aimed at ending divisions between public and private sector workers.
About 13,000 lower-paid civil and public servants, who are members of the CPSU, are to stage a one-day strike next Thursday. Thousands of other workers in the education sector and in the Civil Service are balloting on industrial action.