Madam, – It is frightening to hear reference by members of the Government being made to further pay cuts in the public sector and the use of that threat to force the unions to engage in reform of that sector.
No doubt the media will take up the cause in the months ahead and a campaign of disinformation, vilification and general dismissal of public sector workers will crank into gear again, in order to justify further attacks on the pay and conditions of public servants.
Who will stand up for us when this happens, as the mantra of “at least you have a secure job and pension” is uttered by those baying for more blood? Also, I wish the Government would spare us the sanctimonious self-righteous bleatings of “we were prepared to take the hard and brave decisions”.
Fianna Fáil has consistently shied away from any brave decisions over the past number of years. Why doesn’t it take a really brave decision and call a general election? Now that would impress me! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As a public sector worker, married to a public sector worker, I am highly distressed at the Budget proposal for 2010. I cannot countenance a further reduction in my pay and that of my husband. The cuts proposed discriminate against the lower paid workers (which we both are) and are not applied proportionately to high earners in the public sector.
I come from a long line of public sector workers from Education, the Garda Síochána, nursing and civil service and until recently it was an honour to also serve my country. My colleagues and I are outraged at the arrogance with which these cuts were imposed, particularly given that it was reported before the talks that there would be cuts of 5 per cent upwards in the public sector.
Before this latest cut is implemented my current living conditions are as follows.
As a master’s educated graduate, I have to live on less than €500 per week.
From this net amount, I have to service a mortgage, a wedding loan, car loans, and pay utility bills, including motor tax and water charges.
I taxed both of our cars for three months last week. It costs €60 per annum more for me to tax my car each quarter than if I pay it in one instalment. I cannot afford to tax my car for 12 months and am penalised for that fact. Given the state of the roads I have to contend with to drive to work each morning, I am disgusted that my household spends more on taxing our cars, than on heating our home for the year.
When the mortgage interest rates go up in the next year, I will lose my home. Given that we have never missed a payment on a loan and have always paid our bills promptly and in good faith, this prospect is beyond comprehension to us.
Although I signed an employment contract in early 2005, it was changed this year to a 35-hour working week for a small section of HSE employees. This was an additional pay cut this year that I had to bear.
The cost to my household of losing another 5 per cent each is as follows: A further €240 net per month is lost from my household. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. My husband and I have this year to date lost over €600 net per month. This is not money we can afford to lose, nor are we prepared to accept it. Ours was a low income base to begin with. No household could sustain losses of this kind and continue to function.
I indicate my situation as illustrative. Many of my colleagues are in situations which are worse than mine and are highly distressed. Morale is the lowest I have ever seen it, particularly given that we did not contribute to the downturn nor benefit from the so-called Celtic Tiger.
Health workers, nurses and gardaí are not prepared to accept cuts of this magnitude and all workers and unemployed individuals must support each other in the coming months to prevent these and additional cuts, and associated spending on the banking sector. – Yours, etc,