The union headbangers are going ahead just to justify their existence and prove a point and, as a further threat, have stated that they will be meeting to discuss further strike action which shows that they have no regard for anyone or anything but their own deluded self-importance. The workers will be the losers. The headbangers will collect their nice big salaries as usual while the poor workers will suffer the ignominy of losing some of theirs. If the staff had any gumption or self-respect they would stop this strike threat now but we know they haven't got the liathróidi and would rather be led like sheep by their lords and masters.
You know what I partially agree, there has been numerous cuts implemented and the bottom line are always effected - Where as, both CEO's (Mueller and Cussen) will see pay rises and ''performance'' bonuses? For what????
Regards SIPTU, there is a massive double standard going on - with there own staff facing cuts and there pension fund up in the air also. But put it this way, we've been in talks since 2006 nearly every consecutive year about this and its gotten us no where, in fact the pension deficit continues to grow despite us the bottom line, being given cuts to ensure its viability - In layman's terms, we were screwed and what we wanted protected was being taken further and further away from us.
The main issue at the moment is those with +30 years of service are being told you're getting the same pension as person with negative 30, the contracts were totally different, example A got a lot more, example B got a lot less and those of us in C got f*ck all for starters. At this exact moment, there are 5,000 workers within the IASS who are no longer employed and have not gotten there pension as defined in there contract. Something has to be done, an IR dispute seems the only way for the top brass to actually figure this out - in the right way. For starters, they could forgo there bonuses for x years and there's a lot more. Nobody wants to affect the travelling public, but is that the burden us in the sector are expected to bare? Oh you're having you're wages cut, you're pension will probably be revoked, you'll work more and you know what - You dispute it you get no where, you bring a union rep in you get taken off the payroll, you and you're colleagues go on strike and you're the evil in the room.
But who am I kidding, we'll talk in a few weeks, where there'll be another cut of sorts and there will be broad acception, you know why? The unions give less of a sh*t these days then management.