As was forecast, four Unions, all claiming the Government’s Austerity agenda is totally unacceptable, have walked out of current Croke Park discussions this evening.
The unions involved are; Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU) and Unite.
All those who have exited the talks have described the present Coalition Government’s demands, which aimed at cutting an extra €1bn from the State payroll, by introducing premium payments for working evenings and weekends, outsourcing, and wage cuts for higher paid public servants, as totally unrealistic.
Irish Medical Organisation’s (INMO) General Secretary Liam Doran stated that if the Government moved to legislate for pay cuts, they would mobilise ‘by all means at their disposal,’ to resist these measures and threatened that they would be looking very long and hard at TDs who entered Leinster House to cut the pay of people earning only half their wages. INMO state that this decision to withdraw was taken by their Executive Council after it became apparent that there was no possibility of the ongoing process continuing to protect the existing income of their members.
Ireland’s largest public sector union IMPACT, have confirmed that they will be remaining in the talks for the time being, thus leaving limited negotiations still ongoing.
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