Social Justice Ireland strongly endorses the call by Ireland’s largest trade union to “battle” for low-paid vulnerable workers by seeking acceptance by employers of a living wage of €11.45 an hour.
The troika made a major mistake in deciding the terms of Ireland’s bailout programme when they failed to factor in its social impact according to Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.
Speaking at the IMF conference in Dublin Castle last Monday, he said the same mistake had also been made in other countries when they failed to consider the effects that austerity policies would have on people.
Ireland is facing major choices, They are the same choices that faced the country in the early 2000s. They weren't addressed directly then and there is little evidence that they are being addressed directly now. The chapters in Planning and Delivering a Fairer Future - Values, Democracy and Service Provision seek to address these choices. They set out the challenges facing us and identify options, frameworks and pathways towards a future that would be just, sustainable and desirable.
Any proposal for social dialogue involving trade unions and employers only, and excluding large parts of society should be rejected.
Such a process would result in the available resources being divided between business and someemployees with all others depending on the crumbs that are left over.