Hey everyone,
Much has been written and talked about this very question - what are your views?
Regards
Justin

Hi Justin

In answer to your question..ABSOLUTELY NOT. I certainly don't recall voting for ICTU or IBEC to run the country. We don't need partnership or consensus, we need LEADERSHIP which is a very different beast, and to date has been conspicuous by its absence.

What happened to our esteemed partnership when times got bad? It fell at the very first hurdle when the unions walked out.

Everyone agrees things are bad. Everyone agrees something needs to be done. But nobody wants to be the one to take the medicine. Everyone argues that they're a special case and should be exempt.

We don't have the time for another marathon round of social partnership talks (look what the last deal yielded, a 6% pay increase just as the economy was starting to implode!!!) with no guarantee of reaching the right result.

Better stop...guy beside me is wondering why steam is coming out of my ears!

Barry

It's too late. There isn't going to be an economic recovery in Ireland. We are going to end up ranked alongside failing Balkan/Eastern states and 'emerging' economies. Make no mistake - that is where we are headed. This time next year you will see I'm right. Possibly sooner.
Joseph

Only if the idiots in government and the unions can agree on the 20% cut in public service pay, reduced headcount and pension contributions the same as every other 'worker' who has to pay for their own pension and for the public service pensions too.

Kevin

No - but the process certainly contributed to the severity of the current crisis. Why? Because on one side there were trade unions and vested interests getting greedy and increasingly removed from reality. And on the other there was a lazy Government that preferred throwing money at problems in the hope they'd go away rather than making any difficult decisions to address the root problems and most importantly REFORMS.

Alan.

yes is the unions and the gov realise the reality facing them and work to to reform the sectors they represent they wil help the recovery process. Pay rises just for the sake of pay rises over the last few years have lead us to this mess, people should only get pay rise if they do sth to deserve it. Gov costs still need to be slashed, they still need to stop the expenses, stop the defined benefit pensions, get rid of most of the clerical staff in HSE and other gov departments
David

Of course it has, but "partnership" is the operative word. A partnership where one of the partners becomes an incompetent negotiator or even a dictator is not a partnership. Without partnership nothing will be achieved that needs to be achieved. The Irish government continue to delude themselves that "their" targets will be achieved by year end. Who advises them? It is clear to any donkey in a field that the level of faith and hope rather than action to redress the real issues is where partnership is required

As an outsider from the UK this is an interesting question.

Both sides need to look at what is of benefit for the country as a whole and look at the big picture, not just their own agenda.

As was mentioned below, it seems they have made the situation worse as we have priced ourselves out of the market.

We all need to pull together.....alas, we all have own agenda and I fear for the future.

Hey Michael,

Good to have you on board and some nice points you make!!

I agree they have taken their eye off the bigger picture and therefore we have a very hard road ahead.

Regards

Justin

YES but the unions, the Government and the employers must make sure that all decisions take account of the Plain People of Ireland, who have no voice.

Gerry!