Ireland
Trade unions mobilized for a demonstration outside the Irish parliament in protest at the government’s budget proposals that include €4 billion in cuts. Social and welfare payments are affected while public sector workers will see their pay cut by 6%-8%. This follows on from last year’s “pensions levy” which effectively meant a 7% cut in take home pay for public sector workers.
Read more at > Impact (EN)
Read more background at > Impact (EN)
And at > SIPTU (EN)
A national strike by doctors took place on Monday 19 July in protest at government plans to cut health budgets. Doctors’ unions warned that the cuts will mean 30,000 fewer doctors in four years’ time while the number of fixed-term workers will be slashed. Unions are concerned about the implications of these cuts for the level and quality of health services provided. Read more at > news website (EN)
Around 3500 staff of the European institutions took strike action on 8 May in protest at budget cuts that will see significant changes to their pay and conditions. One estimate is that some workers will see an effective 60% cut in pay in real terms over the next 5 years. They will also face longer working hours without an increase in pay and their retirement age rise to 67. [Read more at > Euractiv news website->http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/europe-day-takes-ironic-turn-eu-news-519616?utm_source=EurActiv%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=ec96c0aa9c-newsletter_daily_update&utm_medium=email&utm_term
The Federal negotiating committee, of which the VPOD public services union is a member, has strongly criticised the proposed Federal budget which will impact on the pay of Federal government workers. The committee has rejected the budget and called for negotiations. One of the main changes is the increased role for performance-related pay in salaries, with union concern that the changes will increased the pay gap in the public sector between the high and low paid and the old and young. The unions are also concerned that pensions changes will hit the lower paid, making it more difficult for
