Madam, - Bankers, Ibec, Isme and some politicians, plus all the flotsam and jetsam of a discredited speculators' society, have joined in a campaign to use the present dreadful economic conditions to curb workers' attempts not to be left behind in the scramble for the means to survive.
Almost daily Ibec sends out one spokesperson or another to call for a "wage freeze" to correct our present economic plight. Such calls ignore the universally known fact that this problem was created by decisions taken in US boardrooms and were outside the control of anybody in this country. Upon what scientific economic analysis is the wage freeze theory based?
On Monday the national media announced that, following the decision of the US government nationalise two financial institutions, the Irish stock market's value has risen by eight points. There was no wage freeze in this country but a big change of direction for our national economy had taken place. Uncle Sam had made the change for us.
Surely this is a very clear indication of the failure of successive governments to build some independent, home-based industries that would release us from dependence upon the foreign-based IT companies that protect themselves at times of recession by cutting overseas investments.
We call on the Government to give a little support to the trade unions and tell the Ibec brigade: "Put your own house in order,leave the public services alone, and get your hand out of workers' pockets". - Yours, etc,
JOHN MONTGOMERY, PRO, Ballyfermot Community Association, Dublin 10.