Madam, – Incoming chairman of Anglo Irish Bank Alan Dukes is to be commended for his belief that staff taking on extra responsibilities should be given additional pay (Breaking News, March 24th).
His suggestion that this is what happens in the public sector, though, indicates an unexpected gift for comedy.
As public-sector workers, we have had two pay cuts in the past year, while numbers have been reduced, so we are actually being asked to take on extra responsibilities in exchange for less money.
This situation has arisen because of a collapse in the public finances that can at least in part be traced to the activities of Anglo Irish Bank. Since this bank is now supported on its shaky foundations by the same exchequer that pays public-sector wages, money saved from reduced public-sector pay is now to be used for increases in bank salaries.
There is a brilliant symmetry to this. It is unfortunate that the man associated with the Tallaght Strategy is now pursuing what one might think of as a Tallaght Hospital Strategy – that is to say, one of ignoring unpalatable realities. – Yours, etc,