250,000 State employees on strike

[Gnevin]

Its funny a few teachers I know all say they didn't want to strike etc. How did the vote so largely in favour of it though?

Also know a Garda who is all for it and was marching last week in Dublin. I was in shock when he told me his gross salary last year and before his allowances as well. It was criminal in fact.

Can you give a figure?

[bingobus]

Its funny a few teachers I know all say they didn't want to strike etc. How did the vote so largely in favour of it though?

Also know a Garda who is all for it and was marching last week in Dublin. I was in shock when he told me his gross salary last year and before his allowances as well. It was criminal in fact.

Can you give a figure?

Can't say, I was doing some work for him and thats why he told me.

[Zapatista]

I think this is all brilliant. Hope it goes for a 3 dayer next time.

[Tankie]

Taxi driver on Joe Guffy earlier talking about Coppers and a few other clubs and pubs in Dublin being flat out last night. He said it was like Christmas Eve....he even said that he overheard a  few punters in the back of his cab saying that they hoped that the strike would be on a different day next time as Monday night wasnt the best night to be going out!!

I know this is going to probably get up everyone's noses, but my teaching friends were going daft in Coppers last night. I can see where the private sector anger is coming from, but the private sector were laughing at anyone who took a public sector job a couple of years ago.

Really? i worked in a semi-state company for a year and had to leave as i couldnt deal with the fact hard work is not rewarded and to get a propmotion it had more to do with who you knew and nothing to do with the work you put in....so now the place has thousands of lazy overpaid people...

[Bacon]

I think this is all brilliant. Hope it goes for a 3 dayer next time.

Why is it brilliant?

I just heard on the news there now how the Council workers in Athlone refused a plea ignore the strike to help locals facing severe flooding.

How could you ever look your neighbour in the eye after doing that?

[no mo do yakamo]

If they stay out till the new year we'd have the 1.3 billion savings thats been suggested. Then we could sack the lot of them and recruit people who cared about the country and pay them a performance related wage. Back on our feet come paddys day.

[Tankie]

If they stay out till the new year we'd have the 1.3 billion savings thats been suggested. Then we could sack the lot of them and recruit people who cared about the country and pay them a performance related wage. Back on our feet come paddys day.

i second this plan...leave them out, cut the salary and we are sorted.....but lets be honest these lads are looking at a 3% cut as this government dont have the balls for it.

[no mo do yakamo]

Theyre going have to grow a set then. I aint paying a penny more in taxes. Fact. Cant and wont. If they dont deal with this problem swiftly and efficiently i will use every means at my disposal to be not part of funding it.

[haranguerer]

If they stay out till the new year we'd have the 1.3 billion savings thats been suggested. Then we could sack the lot of them and recruit people who cared about the country and pay them a performance related wage. Back on our feet come paddys day.

i second this plan...leave them out, cut the salary and we are sorted.....but lets be honest these lads are looking at a 3% cut as this government dont have the balls for it.

Great plan 

Where are you going to find people who actually care about the country? Do you mean people like yourselves, is it?

Think I see from your earlier post why you hate the public sector so much too now tankie - from the sound of it you couldnt cut it in it 

[Silky]

I heard earlier about a picket on Harold's Cross Hospice. Have they taken leave of their senses?

This "National Day of Shopping in Newry" has been an own goal for ICTU.

[Rossfan]

What control has ICTU over what individuals who may or may not be members of one of their Unions do?
Any Union members would have done their picket roster and then they were free agents for the day.If they want to spend half a wet day sitting in a traffic jam ....let them at it.
By the way the I in ICTU stands for Irish .... as in Ireland the Country in which Newry is situated. 
Obviously the non emergency staff in the  hospice referred to were taking part in the strike  and picketed their place of work.

[Gnevin]

Theyre going have to grow a set then. I aint paying a penny more in taxes. Fact. Cant and wont. If they dont deal with this problem swiftly and efficiently i will use every means at my disposal to be not part of funding it.

I for one would have no problem paying more taxes if I though it would help but the most economist have said increasing taxes will futher damage the economy and most liike would not increase the tax take. They levy certainly didn't increase the tax take.

[Declan]

most economist have said increasing taxes will futher damage the economy

Most economists also said the celtic tiger would last and we'd have a soft landing

[Gnevin]

What control has ICTU over what individuals who may or may not be members of one of their Unions do?
Any Union members would have done their picket roster and then they were free agents for the day.If they want to spend half a wet day sitting in a traffic jam ....let them at it.
By the way the I in ICTU stands for Irish .... as in Ireland the Country in which Newry is situated. 
Obviously the non emergency staff in the  hospice referred to were taking part in the strike  and picketed their place of work.

And the U stands for the United Kingdom the country the VAT will go to ?

[Zapatista]

Why is it brilliant?

I just heard on the news there now how the Council workers in Athlone refused a plea ignore the strike to help locals facing severe flooding.

I'm a keen observer.

I don't  know about Athlone in particular but I know that all the the Strikers ignored pleas not to strike.

How could you ever look your neighbour in the eye after doing that?

Need more details.