No to cuts in services and jobs: Give Cowen the SNIP

The Government wants to cut €5 billion in public services. The new report to be published this week is designed to terrify people into accepting major cuts in our public services.

FF and the Greens want to cut €1.5bn in Social Welfare payments. Mary Hanafin, minister for Social Welfare said Child Benefit would be targeted, she confirmed that it would either be taxed or means-tested. Rent allowance will also be cut again.

Once again it is the most vulnerable who are facing attacks.

FF and the Greens also want to cut 20,000 jobs in the public sector. The bulk of these cuts won’t be fat cat managers and bureaucrats but nurses and teachers in already failing public services.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Ireland already has a disproportionately small and underfunded public sector, after these cuts our public services could collapse.

They want to force workers to maintain the same level of service with fewer hands. These cuts are on top of the wage cuts and levies announced earlier this year that included cutting the xmas welfare bonus payment.

The Government also wants to re-introduce third level fees. Where children of the rich can pay in advance and get a reduction, workers will be forced to take out loans of over €20,000.

All the fake disagreements during the election between FF and FG have disappeared now that they are all attacking workers and our public services.

Proposals you won’t see from the Government:

• Nationalise our natural resources. €350 Billion in resources were handed over for nothing by FF to local tycoons like Tony O’Reilly and the global oil companies. We say TAKE THEM BACK!

• Tax the rich. Far from Ireland’s bosses feeling the squeeze they are cash rich. According to boss-friendly organisation ICC Information, Irish companies have more than €37.5 Billion cash assets on their balance sheets.

• Scrap the two-tier health system. We could have a more efficient and higher quality health service if we abolished private medicine. Stop subsidising private health insurance and big pharmacutical companies.

• Invest in clean energy – Ireland has the best wind and wave resources in Europe. We could save €6 Billion every year by converting the ESB from buying oil to using renewables.

The bosses solution is to turn Ireland back into a low wage economy. Only people power will make this government stop. The ICTU and the union leaders need to follow the example of the electricians strike. We need an Autumn of protest to kick Cowen and his government out.