Pensions face axe as Cowen orders €3 billion cuts!

Written by Stephen Boyd Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:07

Angela Merkel and the major EU governments are taking an interest in making sure Irish working class people pay up for the economic crisis. They are going to check Brian Lenihan’s budgets from now on, just to make sure they contain enough cuts. And to pacify their “European partners”, Brian Cowen has ordered his Ministers to come up with €3 billion in cuts by the end of the month.

Southern Government’s new gas field giveaways

Written by Sean Byrne Thursday, 10 June 2010 10:58

At a time when the government continues to implement savage cuts on working people on the one hand it is still in the process of giving away billions of euro worth of our natural gas to private interests. Two onshore gas fields are next to being a gift. One in Clare and one in the North West. The closing date for the licence applications is 11 June.

Gormley's announcement a 'cloak' to justify double taxation water charges

Written by Joe Higgins MEP Thursday, 10 June 2010 10:52

"Minister Gormley's annoucement that the funding necessary to improve the water infrastructure will amount to €1.8 billion comes as no surprise given the legacy of neglect and the absence of water conservation as well as rain and grey water harvesting measures advocated by myself and others during the buidling boom.

Public service deal - Why you need to Vote No

Written by Stephen Boyd Friday, 16 April 2010 08:30

The most important objective for public sector workers was the scrapping of the pension levy, restoration of pay cuts, protection of pensions and terms and conditions. None of these objectives are met by this rotten deal.

Public sector workers’ jobs, wages, pensions and services to the public are to be sacrificed to satisfy the greed of the international bond markets.

Southern Ireland Economy "Recession - no end in sight"

Written by Michael Murphy Thursday, 15 April 2010 08:30

New economic data shows… Recession - no end in sight

Recently released economic figures have given lie to the idea that Ireland is in the midst of an economic recovery and that the recession is over! Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan and the government emphasised this so called recovery to sell the harsh December budget. The theory went that if we pulled up our socks now and took our medicine, it will all be over soon, he was lying and now the reality is hitting home.

Fianna Fail & Greens...24 Billion reasons to go!

Written by Stephen Boyd Monday, 12 April 2010 11:48

A second financial black hole, of at least €24 billion, left by the bankers and developers after their orgy of speculation is a huge debt that the government has decided will be paid by the working class.

The banking crisis is even worse than first thought, and there is a real prospect that this drama hasn’t fully played itself out yet.

Public sector agreement an historic sell-out!

Written by Joe Higgins, Socialist Party MEP Friday, 02 April 2010 10:09

"It really beggars belief that trade union leaders would have the brazenness to propose to low and middle income public sector workers that they should agree, not just an acceptance of the savage wage cuts already meted out, but ‘revolutionary’ measures that can have a further devastating effect on the incomes and working conditions of those workers.

"This is a shameless sell out.  It demonstrates utter contempt for rank and file trade union members. It portrays a trade union leadership in utter thrall to the discredited neoliberal economic agenda and utterly incapable of offering any alternative to the resultant onslaught on workers’ jobs and living standards in both the public and private sectors.