Teacher brands Budget as 'tragic opportunity missed'
Teachers have warned that further industrial action is on the cards, similar to the day of protest held last month.
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A LOCAL secondary school teacher has described the Budget as a 'tragic opportunity missed' and accused the Government of bullying public sector workers. Former ASTI president and central executive committee member, Susie Hall, warned of the knock-on effects on the private sector, as people were left with less disposable income to spend as a result of the cutbacks in pay. 'The Government had the chance to get people back to work by building new schools and hospitals and the chance to get employers to take people off the Live Register,' Ms Hall told the Fingal Independent.
'I'm assured by the people who were doing the negotiations that they would have saved more money through those reforms than by the pay cuts.
'Private sector workers now have less money to spend in gyms, hairdressers, restaurants and shops. This will now affect the fortunes of small businesses in the future.'
Ms Hall criticised the Government for not providing an employment stimulus package, saying they had approached the Budget with a 'very blunt instrument'.
'There are thousands of bricklayers, electricians, plasterers and plumbers queuing up on the dole up and down the country, at a great cost,' she continued.
'In the meantime, the education service is absolutely crying out for new school buildings. It would cost us a little bit, but if we took these people off the dole and back to work, at least they would be paying income tax, which we desperately need, and new schools would be built.' Ms Hall warned teachers would end up emigrating to Britain, or joining the dole, where many could be 'better off', and said further protests were on the cards.
'This is bullying on a massive scale, saying 'if you do anything, we'll hit you again'. At no point was there any perception of fairness.
'I definitely think there will be more industrial action. Teachers are at the point now where they feel they have nothing to lose.
'The minister is saying if they do anything, he'll cut salaries. But there's nothing to say he won't do that anyway.
'It's farcical to think the people who ran this country onto the rocks are the same people to get us out of it.'
- Robin KIELY
