At an anti austerity march held in Dublin yesterday President of the ICTU Eugene McGlone called for a national strike. Has this man lost the run of himself? Empty extreme left wing rhetoric will not put bread and butter on the table for working class families that he claims to represent. Indeed his suggestion is outrageous and an affront to the intelligence of the overwhelming majority of Irish people. At a time when many businesses are struggling a general strike would be the coup de grace and cost more jobs. Has Mr McGlone considered the impact of such a strike on businesses large and small? McGlone may be President of the ICTU. However he is sadly lacking in foresight. He certainly did not provide leadership. Who in his sane senses would want a general strike at this time in our economic history? Is this man not aware that the EU economy is struggling?
Ireland has been making steady progress as it seeks to rebuild from the ashes of the 2008 economic crash. Harsh budgets and swingeing cutbacks in public expenditure have been the order of the day. Unfortunately the national debt is c170 billion euro and the budget deficit is 15 billion euro. Another hairshirt budget is not alone due on December 5. It is a condition of IMF/EU funding. Undoubtedly many are suffering from the impact of expenditure cuts. Sadly because of the financial state of the country the government has Hobson's choice.
McGlone and Joe Higgins of the Socialist party played to the gallery. No attempt was made to explain the dire financial situation of the country to those present. Real leaders would explain economic realities. The approach advocated by Joe Higgins would turn Ireland into a new North Korea. It is time for Joe Higgins to jettison Trotskyite nonsense and face up to the hard economic facts re the national finances. The call for a general strike by Mr McGlone is nonsensical and unchristian. it would increase hardship. Perhaps Mr McGlone could explain where the government might find the extra funding to finance a reflation of the economy?
Ireland has got to rebalance its economy. Such a process is well underway. Now Eugene McGlone wants to undermine this with a national strike. How many jobs would a national strike create? Mr McGlone needs to grow up. The days of class warfare are over. This is the twenty first century. Nobody owes us a living. We have got to dig ourselves out of the economic morass. We are succeeding. Now Mr McGlone comes up with a hairbrained plan to damage the economy. The hard left needs to ponder the following: "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad."
2 comments:
The Union's have not called for a strike here. But we have bigger problems than something that would take us down the low road. But many are suffering and being laid off. When Obama Care kicks in it's going to destroy this country and there will be people working less hours and being laid off. 1/5th of our economy will be destroyed and then it will effect everyone.
I agree re Obama care. It is a similar situation in Ireland. Extreme left/left politicians are pretending that there is an easy way out of the economic morass. The reality is that there is none. The country has been overspending for years. It is time for budgetry sanity. The alternative does not bear thinking about. The entitlement culture is now embedded into American society in a manner similar to Europe. Ballooning deficits have to be tackled in Europe and the US.
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