Government must engage on public sector pay before Budget – Bacik
Government must engage on public sector pay before Budget – Bacik - The Labour Party
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has called on Government to begin meaningful talks on public sector pay and use the Budget to bring down household costs. Challenging Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers at Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today, two weeks before Budget day, Deputy Bacik said last year’s failure to address the pressures facing PAYE workers had left unions voting for industrial action. She urged the Minister to set out what steps the Government is taking to secure a pay agreement.
Deputy Bacik said:
“PAYE workers are paying rising bills while they wait for this Government to engage seriously on their pay. They keep our schools, hospitals and essential services running. They deserve an answer before Budget day, not another suggestion that the next move is up to their unions.
“The Minister’s response in the Dáil missed the point. He put the onus back on unions without explaining what this Government is actually doing to avoid public sector strikes. Last year’s Budget overlooked PAYE workers. With union after union now voting for action, the Government cannot afford to repeat that mistake.
“The Minister also pointed to housing supply. That offers little reassurance to a worker spending a growing share of their wages on rent, or to a young person who cannot see a way to buy a home. Homes are still taking too long to deliver. Government should have used the Land Development Agency to drive public housing delivery at a far greater scale by now.
“These are choices Government can make. It can properly fund education after last year’s €600 million shortfall. It can target help at households struggling with energy bills through the Fuel Allowance and targeted energy credits, while investing in street-by-street retrofitting, solar power and affordable public transport. Those measures would lower bills over time instead of leaving families exposed to the next rise in oil prices.
“Labour is calling for immediate, meaningful engagement on public sector pay and a Budget that puts lasting reductions in household costs ahead of untargeted giveaways. Workers and families deserve a Government that takes the pressure on their finances seriously.”