The public sector doesn't even support protests!

TheInquisitor

Hundreds of thousands in the public sector service yet only between 30 and 70 k turned out for the demonstrations. Truely abismal turnout!

Im hoping for a 20% cut in their pay in the budget. Come on lenihan you can do it!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1106/partnership.html

Thousands of workers around the country have taken to the streets in a series of marches to protest against proposed Government cuts in pay and services.

Rallies were held in Dublin, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Tullamore and Waterford.

The main march in Dublin left Parnell Square and proceeded down O'Connell Street, around College Green and on to Merrion Square for a large rally.

AdvertisementGardaí say at least 30,000 people marched through the capital. However, speakers at the rally said that 70,000 people took part in the protest.


Garda estimates put the crowd in Cork city between 12,000 and 15,000.

Organisers of the march say public sector workers were joined on the march by many employees from the private sector in a show of solidarity. The organisers said 20,000 people attended the demonstration.

In Waterford, local trade union branches were joined by delegations from Kilkenny, south Tipperary and Wexford.

Gardaí estimate that around 7,000 or 8,000 people took part in the march in the city. Organisers put the crowd at over 10,000.

A spokesperson for the Galway Council of Trade Unions addressed a 5-000 strong crowd and said they fully supported ICTU's ten-point plan to protect jobs and incomes.

An estimated 5,000 people joined the march in the centre of Limerick city. The protest was led by the Limerick Council of Trades Unions.

A similar number of people attended a rally in Sligo. Those on the march had travelled from Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan, Roscommon and Mayo.

Over 4,000 took part in a protest in the Taoiseach's constituency town of Tullamore in Co Offaly.

The protest in Dundalk rose to over 1,500 participants, as the crowds gathered for speeches in the town centre.

ICTU warns against Govt plan


The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, which organised the day of action, is opposed to the Government's economic strategy, which it says will inflict unfair hardship on working people and the vulnerable in society.

'We hope that the Government realises that there is a strong opinion against the Budget proposals,' said ICTU General Secretary David Begg.

'We hope that they will look at our plan, which is for a more gentle transition in the period of adjustment.

'By deflating the economy so quickly and strongly they will push it towards a prolonged slump. They (the Government) don't realise that.'

SIPTU President Jack O'Connor told the crowd that the 5% of population who own 40% of the country's wealth would have to be forced to pay their share towards correcting the country's finances.

Employers' groups have criticised the protests. IBEC said the protest would send out the wrong signal to potential investors abroad, and would be damaging to jobs.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has insisted the Government must find savings worth roughly €4bn in the Budget on 9 December.

Rented Mule

They should have all taken the day off so we could bitch about that too !!

dixiefly

I am trying to figure out if this is a wind up. Would the OP be back on complaining if many more were on protest saying that they had brought the country to it's knees.

Then again, I just noticed it is After Hours the venue for stupid nonsensical threads.

Turner

If all of them did show up i wonder what would have happened around the country??

How many people would have died\been burned\been robbed\escaped from prison???

TheZohanS

If any poster calls anyone a "bastard" in this thread they're getting a ban.

AnonoBoy

Yeah, yeah protest all you want and that but could you do it a bit quieter?

Some of us private sector folk are trying to work here. :mad:

wudangclan

TheZohan wrote: »

If any poster calls anyone a "bastard" in this thread they're getting a ban.

Is wanker ok?

Cuddlesworth

What about the fat bloke from Austin Powers?

Turner

wudangclan wrote: »

Is wanker ok?

How about illegitimate child

Ahsurelookit

Yeah I should have actually taken the day off to go protesting, Im sure the high dependancy people I look after would have been fine left alone without food, medication and basic general care.

wudangclan

Chief--- wrote: »

How about illegitimate child

you're a mod.
you're supposed to know better.

John Mason

TheInquisitor wrote: »

Hundreds of thousands in the public sector service yet only between 30 and 70 k turned out for the demonstrations. Truely abismal turnout!

this is because of two reasons

they were either too busy to leave work or

they accept and agree there has to be pay cuts

stop listen to the unions, they are giving everyone a bad name

TheZohanS

wudangclan wrote: »

Is wanker ok?

Better avoid that one too.

Chief--- wrote: »

How about illegitimate child

"You greedy illegitimate children".....yup we can do that.

Cuddlesworth

TheZohan wrote: »

"You greedy illegitimate children".....yup we can do that.

How are your greedy illegitimate children doing?

spylon

Just looking at these idiots on TV now. One quite sensible-sounding man said cuts are ok, but need to be regulated, but then the next interviewee screamed some nonsense about "no more cuts" followed by a frightening, moronic war-cry of "WAAAGHHHHHHH!!" They're not even singing off the same hymn-sheet ffs, and while some of the protesters have reasonable arguments, I fear the majority might fall into the latter category of "I like me easy-earned monies, now feck off!!"

God, I hate the masses. They need to be taken down. Now.

TheZohanS

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

How are your greedy illegitimate children doing?

Don't talk to me about those b******s!

Turner

TheZohan wrote: »

Don't talk to me about those b******s!

in before the siteban!!!

omahaid

Twas a bit wet, can't claim allowances for getting wet , and the two weeks training for strikes isn't until May. Add that to the fact they couldn't get a pay rise for striking and the whole lot is a recipe for disaster.

mikom

TheInquisitor wrote: »

Truely abismal turnout!

Best leave the teachers pay alone I reckon.

Kernel

spylon wrote: »

Just looking at these idiots on TV now. One quite sensible-sounding man said cuts are ok, but need to be regulated, but then the next interviewee screamed some nonsense about "no more cuts" followed by a frightening, moronic war-cry of "WAAAGHHHHHHH!!" They're not even singing off the same hymn-sheet ffs, and while some of the protesters have reasonable arguments,

Assumption #1: All public sector workers have the same pay, conditions and circumstances. Hence singing off the same hymn sheet. The man on 200k a year may be open to cuts, but the man on 30k a year with children to support may have a different outlook.

spylon wrote: »

I fear the majority might fall into the latter category of "I like me easy-earned monies, now feck off!!"

Assumption #2: All public sector workers are earning easy money. Would you tell that to the family of the 2 firemen who ended up dead in Bray? How about Gardaí killed or injured on duty? Soldiers? Prison officers?

spylon wrote: »

God, I hate the masses. They need to be taken down. Now.

But you are one of the masses. The masses who have fallen for Brian Cowen's bull**** anti-public sector propaganda when the real reason we're ****ed is because the Government decided to cream it in for years through property developers, selling overpriced houses and apartments in an unsustainable way, resulting in a collapse in banks who had practiced irresponsible lending practices and speculation of pension funds in a greedy grab for cash. The government decided that the taxpayers should foot the bill for this, and leave the heads of the banks in business. What an idiotic policy to allow no bank to fall. I wish I had known that, I would have started up a bank years ago.

You're actively spouting the government propaganda, calling for cuts in public sector and a poorer service for you and all your family down the line. Clever move from the government, dumb move for the people.

Overheal

TheInquisitor wrote: »

Hundreds of thousands in the public sector service yet only between 30 and 70 k turned out for the demonstrations. Truely abismal turnout!

Im hoping for a 20% cut in their pay in the budget. Come on lenihan you can do it!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1106/partnership.html

Only 70,000. Out of 6m pop. You poor things. Its not as though any of those positions cant be abandoned, or that all of them otherwise have all the time in the world to head out to these protests.

Compared to say, 300m,

On September 12, 2009, Tea Party protests were held in various cities around the nation. In Washington, D.C., Tea Party protests gathered to march from Freedom Plaza to the United States Capitol. Estimates of the number of attendees varied, from "tens of thousands"[63] to "in excess of 75,000".[64][65] A rally organizer asserted that one local ABC News station had reported attendance of over one million, but he retracted the statement after ABC News denied making any such report.[66]
The march was reported as the largest conservative protest ever held in Washington, D.C., as well as the largest demonstration against President Obama's administration to date.[5][67]

Picky much?

I for one am feckin delighted somebody is doing something in your Country at this point, not just complaining from a barstool.

spylon

Kernel wrote: »

Assumption #1: All public sector workers have the same pay, conditions and circumstances. Hence singing off the same hymn sheet. The man on 200k a year may be open to cuts, but the man on 30k a year with children to support may have a different outlook.



Assumption #2: All public sector workers are earning easy money. Would you tell that to the family of the 2 firemen who ended up dead in Bray? How about Gardaí killed or injured on duty? Soldiers? Prison officers?



But you are one of the masses. The masses who have fallen for Brian Cowen's bull**** anti-public sector propaganda when the real reason we're ****ed is because the Government decided to cream it in for years through property developers, selling overpriced houses and apartments in an unsustainable way, resulting in a collapse in banks who had practiced irresponsible lending practices and speculation of pension funds in a greedy grab for cash. The government decided that the taxpayers should foot the bill for this, and leave the heads of the banks in business. What an idiotic policy to allow no bank to fall. I wish I had known that, I would have started up a bank years ago.

You're actively spouting the government propaganda, calling for cuts in public sector and a poorer service for you and all your family down the line. Clever move from the government, dumb move for the people.

I agree with most of what you're saying; I was just spouting a bit of knee-jerk, to be honest. I was reared on a paltry, hard-earned civil-servant wage and have always worked in the public sector myself. I just find the underlying motives of what I feel are a majority of participants of these protests to be a little questionable; it irks me that people will screech about the banks only when their own immediate situation is under attack.

anniehoo

TheInquisitor wrote: »

Im hoping for a 20% cut in their pay in the budget.

Are you for real? Are you seriously wishing people on 30k or so to lose 6k of it overnight???:eek: Not all unions were involved in todays strike. My union is only balloting now for the one on the 24th. I am sick to the back teeth of the public sector bashing so i am.

The next budget will impact REAL people with REAL lives with REAL bills and mortgages to pay. I wouldnt wish these kind of reductions on anyone regardless of what "sector" they work in. Most of us agree with some form of a paycut but this hounding and media villifying of a huge group of people that provide crucial services for YOUR country dont deserve this.:mad:

Lia_lia

Stupid protest. The city buses in Cork were cancelled so I had to pay €18 for a bloody taxi to the train station. Eejits.

bertiesrasher

I'm bloody sick of listening to the public sector trade unions like impact and the ICTU go on about pay cuts. Get a fvcking grip will you! There are a considerable number of people in the public sector who are overpaid for the work that they do. You dont deserve your salary! Quit your poxy moaning!

Dord

If I see them on the street near my work protesting then I'll tell them to get back to work. Tough luck! Gotta take the highs with the lows.

aDeener

hairy japanese bastards

stepbar

People can't be trusted to act rationally or in the interest of the common good........

stepbar

Lia_lia wrote: »

Stupid protest. The city buses in Cork were cancelled so I had to pay €18 for a bloody taxi to the train station. Eejits.

Could have been worse, you're lucky the Taxi men didn't join them as well!

hawker

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Yeah, yeah protest all you want and that but could you do it a bit quieter?

Some of us private sector folk are trying to work here. :mad:

And so there you are wasting your work time on boards.ie. It's people like you who have the country the way it is.

irish_bob

Kernel wrote: »

Assumption #1: All public sector workers have the same pay, conditions and circumstances. Hence singing off the same hymn sheet. The man on 200k a year may be open to cuts, but the man on 30k a year with children to support may have a different outlook.



Assumption #2: All public sector workers are earning easy money. Would you tell that to the family of the 2 firemen who ended up dead in Bray? How about Gardaí killed or injured on duty? Soldiers? Prison officers?



But you are one of the masses. The masses who have fallen for Brian Cowen's bull**** anti-public sector propaganda when the real reason we're ****ed is because the Government decided to cream it in for years through property developers, selling overpriced houses and apartments in an unsustainable way, resulting in a collapse in banks who had practiced irresponsible lending practices and speculation of pension funds in a greedy grab for cash. The government decided that the taxpayers should foot the bill for this, and leave the heads of the banks in business. What an idiotic policy to allow no bank to fall. I wish I had known that, I would have started up a bank years ago.

You're actively spouting the government propaganda, calling for cuts in public sector and a poorer service for you and all your family down the line. Clever move from the government, dumb move for the people.

we would have had to deal with an over inflated public sector wage bill even the banking collapse never happened , the bank collapse has only compouned the problem , our enormous public sector pay bill was financed on the back of the property boom and no property boom continues indefinatley , our economy was a one trick pony where 25% of the workforce were working in construction in one shape or form , the construction bubble has burst and everything we see now can be traced back to this , its all very simple really , the ps wage bill was not financed from conventional income tax receipts and it cannot be financed from that now so it has to be cut

994

irish_bob wrote: »

we would have had to deal with an over inflated public sector wage bill even the banking collapse never happened , the bank collapse has only compouned the problem , our enormous public sector pay bill was financed on the back of the property boom and no property boom continues indefinatley , our economy was a one trick pony where 25% of the workforce were working in construction in one shape or form , the construction bubble has burst and everything we see now can be traced back to this , its all very simple really , the ps wage bill was not financed from conventional income tax receipts and it cannot be financed from that now so it has to be cut

Well, perhaps had some people in construction realised that no-one was going to buy houses forever, they could have got out of the industry before it imploded, or stayed in school and got a proper job.

bertiesrasher wrote: »

I'm bloody sick of listening to the public sector trade unions like impact and the ICTU go on about pay cuts. Get a fvcking grip will you! There are a considerable number of people in the public sector who are overpaid for the work that they do. You dont deserve your salary! Quit your poxy moaning!

It really is scary how quickly government agitprop becomes the opinion of the man in the street. And it's dispiriting how the Irish will refer to any protest, opposition or dissent as "whinging", "whining" and "moaning". Probably ultimately a by-product of never having a functioning parliament.

stackerman

994 wrote: »

or stayed in school and got a proper job.

Oh dear, another insight into the Public sector mind
You would think you would have learned something from watching J'OC, if you dont have something intelligent to say or know what your talking about . . .
Best say nothing

stackerman

irish_bob wrote: »

its all very simple really , the ps wage bill was not financed from conventional income tax receipts and it cannot be financed from that now so it has to be cut

Ya see . . . Sense