The government is reneging on many undertakings given to the trade union movement says leading Sligo trade unionist
Pat Fallon, President of the Sligo-Leitrim Council of Trade Unions made the remarks when he addressed those attending Sligo's annual May Day ceremony in New Street on Thursday evening May 1st.
'There has been a reversal on introducing the living wage, paid sick leave entitlements, increasing the minimum annual remuneration for employment permits and automatic enrolment for pensions.
'All of these measures which the government agreed to, have now been deferred.
'This is not acceptable to unions and workers. When will those initiatives be delivered on? The Government will say that global trading uncertainty means we must pause the measures.
'An ERSI report has shown that in 2023 nationally advertised online jobs at the minimum rate of pay accounted for 7% which rose to 15% in 2024, and in Sligo the figure was an average of 19% showing a worrying trend towards low paid jobs.
'Denying a worker an adequate living wage will hardly solve the global economic turmoil.
'Today, low-paid workers are faced with a cost-of-living crisis and falling living standards. Workers have never worked so hard and never struggled so much.
'The government's housing policies have resulted in ordinary workers and families being priced out of the market.
'The number of minimum wage jobs advertised last year was double what it was in 2023. What hope does a young couple working for minimum wage have of ever owning their own home.
'Organising more workers through trade unions is now very necessary if we are to change this trend and improve living standards for working people,' he said.
Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Declan Bree, who also spoke said: 'Access to secure, affordable housing is a deep and abiding concern of the trade union movement. It was the squalor of the slums in Dublin and other urban areas including Sligo, in the early years of the 20th century that provided much of the motivational force for the establishment of the modern trade union movement.
'For the trade union and labour movement, the need for decent housing remains wholly indivisible from the need for decent pay and decent work.
'When I was first elected to local government, Councils delivered almost 9,000 new homes – which was a third of all housing delivered in Ireland that year.
'However, over the years Government funding for the construction of council housing was reduced and the role of private developers expanded. The 2008 banking crash accelerated the shift to 'for profit' developers
'Due to the ongoing development of neo liberal policies and the view that the private sector, was much better at delivering all aspects of the economy, funding for public council housing was slashed.
'The 2009 Housing Act in essence stripped local authorities of much responsibility for the provision of public housing, instead limiting them to support for such housing.
'By 2015, the output of Council housing had fallen drastically with just 75 houses being built nationwide - and as the numbers collapsed, housing waiting lists surged and they have continued to rise year after year.
'The reason we have a housing crisis today is that successive Governments handed housing delivery over to the market - to private developers, speculators and to investor funds.
'It must also be pointed out that the abject failure of government to provide adequate housing and a proper health system has provided fertile grounds for far right elements to stoke racial hatred.
'Hate, lies and racism are not going to build us houses or provide better health services.
'The far-right are playing on people's fears to shift the blame for these longstanding issues onto migrants, and that is absolutely wrong.
'The trade union movement has achieved a lot for workers over the last 100 years but there is still much to do to achieve real economic and social equality in Ireland.
'We now need to see an all-Ireland programme to end homelessness and to build state-funded public housing in addition to the Right to Housing being enshrined in our Constitution.' he said.
Denise Curran of the Mandate Trade Union presided at the event and floral tributes were laid on behalf of the trade union movement by Mr Tony Conlon of the Forsa Trade Union and by Ms Brenda Barr on behalf of the Connolly Forum.
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