Union's Brace For Budget

Union leaders are to meet today to ready themselves for the upcoming Budget in the shadow of the collapsed pay talks last Friday.

Jack O'Connor, President of pivotal public sector union Siptu, warned today of a campaign of resistance that would follow the budget if it "attacked workers and the most vulnerable people".

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Connor said: "All the indications from the comments emanating from Government sources are to the effect that they will impose another pay cut on top of the pay cut that was imposed on the public service last March."

"It will be a matter for the trade union movement and workers generally to respond to that."

On Friday, negotiations between public service unions and government employers broke down, reaching no outcome.

Meanwhile, the Labour party has said that if leaks over the weekend about the government’s reported plans for the budget are accurate, then they believe it will be the most "penal and socially divisive budget in the history of the state".

The party's spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, Roisin Shortall, said: "Having blown the prospects of major reform in the public service and killed off social partnership, Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan now appear to be about to deliver a budget of unprecedented viciousness and devoid of any principle of fairness.

"All of the leaks have focussed on measures that will impact on those on low and moderate incomes, those on social welfare and low paid public servants.

Notably absent from the speculation was any reference to additional measures to ensure that those best in a position to pay make a greater contribution."

(DW/BMcc)