Saturday morning reading my Irish Times – and getting ready for a day of sports with the kids.
It’s been a challenging September for everyone: kids back to school, those with jobs back to uncertain work, those without jobs back to the dole, all of us cursing that summer arrived in September and cheated us again.
Then I read that SIPTU is getting its members ready for strikes! The usual claptrap – the workers are being asked to pay for the sins of the wealthy – the developers and the bankers.
I do agree with Fintan O’Toole’s recent piece – Ireland stuggles to acknowledge or act on accountability. We need to be seen to deal with any/all who were found to break the law in bringing the country to its knees.
But back to reality. A No Note to Lisbon as a protest vote against the government would obviously be crazy. But this type of SIPTU posturing is not a lot better. We need to tackle the fact that we are spending €400m more per week than we are generating. Part of the solution is reduced costs – part of that is labour efficiency, part of it is labour cost reductions, part of it is overhead reduction and elimination.
I’m no less disappointed than everyone else that I can now expect to pay much higher levels of taxation for the remainder of my working life. But I want to live here and I want to do something about it. SIPTU members, like the rest of us, will not be found wanting. But a little leadership and inspiration would be helpful. SIPTU members want the country back firing on all cylinders and want to secure a great future for their children.
My muesli would taste a lot better were I reading some inspiring thoughts from SIPTU as I prepare for another fun Saturday of sports with the kids – part of what makes me want to live here. And looking forward to tomorrow’s Ladies All Ireland football final.
Why are you surprised by SIPTU? It seems everyone expects some one else to make the sacrifices. It starts at the top – witness the Roddy Molloy and FAS fiasco. With that kind of example how can the ordinary person be persuaded to take a hit? What is sickening about SIPTU and the unions, however, is the pretence they peddle that they are acting for the downtrodden and exploited and they are some kind of socialist revolutionaries. They are no more or no less than another cynical vested interest, who have done well out of the Social Partnership farce, and who the government has to date been afraid to take on. I would put my money on FF/Greens taking the easy option again this year i.e. more taxes, no reform and bending the knee to the unions. Further reduction in competitiveness but hey when did they ever care about the future – it makes for an easy life!