Madam, – I believe our Government has its act together and has a determination and leadership, not seen previously, to pull this country out of recession. A very large number of us, the citizens of Ireland, are experiencing great difficulties, loss of jobs, loss of homes, loss of income and loss of pension income.
I therefore find it nauseating and totally selfish that particular groups who are in secure State employment are determined to destroy our recovery while causing great inconvenience and hardship to the people of Ireland through work-to-rule, strikes and non co-operation with work practice changes which are intended to improve services to the public.
Everybody is feeling the pain; there is no ideal remedy that everyone will consider totally fair. I am retired from private business and my pension that I spent a lifetime paying into has been decimated. If I had been a public servant this would not be so.
The most recent outrage by the highly paid air traffic controllers is typical of the selfish attitude of a group who showed total disregard for the many thousands of travellers and businesses that were denied access to flights. The chaotic disruption to so many by so few in pursuit of their own agenda displayed an arrogance and contempt for the public that beggars belief. The fact that their irresponsible action has also caused damage to our national image seems to count for little with these people.
Things will get better quicker if we all row in behind the Government and give it a fair chance to do what it has to do. Unions should give the national interest their first consideration and stop pandering to selfish aspirations and demands of those members who already enjoy the security of State jobs and generous benefits. – Yours, etc,