More than 100,000 people march in national protest The national protest against the manner in which the financial crisis is being handled by the Government began fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled this afternoon to accommodate the sheer number of people gathering in Dublin's Parnell Square.
Preliminary estimates by Gardai put the numbers marching at more than 60,000. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), organisers of the march, say more than 120,000 people are in attendance. The first protesters had reached the Dáil as people waited to begin marching at Parnell Square.
Ictu general secretary David Begg told marchers the whole banking system needed to be nationalised. He appealed to the Government to talk to the union movement on its 10 point plan for economic recovery.
In a statement issued this morning, the Government said there was a considerable amount in Ictu's Plan for National Recovery that was "entirely consistent" with its own agenda.
"In particular, it reflects the Government's view that an integrated national response to the current crisis is not only desirable but essential if there is to be a sufficient impetus and coherence of approach to meet the scale of the challenge," the statement said.
"The Government recognise that the measures which it is taking are difficult and, in some cases, painful. The Government is also convinced, however, that they are both necessary and fair," it continued.
The statement described the pension levy as "reasonable" and said it reflected "the reality that we are not in a position to continue to meet the public service pay bill in the circumstances of declining revenue".
Impact General Secretary Peter McLoone said ordinary workers did not cause the economic collapse "but are being forced to pay for it."
"Today's demonstration is about all workers coming together to demand a more equitable solution to economic recovery. The attempt to pit workers against one another is a calculated and cynical distraction. Ordinary workers did not cause the economic collapse, but they are being forced to pay for it," he said.
"The 10 point plan proposed by Congress is designed to spread the burden of economic recovery fairly. Job creation needs to be at the heart of any recovery programme; action on the banks needs to be determined what is best in the public interest and how best to protect peoples' homes. Forcing working families to pay for the crisis will cost jobs." he said.
Mr McLoone said it was "impossible to reconcile the soft handling of the banks when thousands of workers in the private sector were losing their jobs while those who work to provide public services have had a poorly planned and unjust levy put on their income."
March organisers stress the protest will not just demonstrate opposition to the Government's pension levy for public sector staff, but is also a means for private sector workers to express concern about issues such as wage cuts and unemployment.
It is understood that trade union leaders are considering the possibility of balloting members in both the public and private sectors for industrial action. Such a move is likely to be on the table at a meeting of the national executive of Ictu next Tuesday, according to highly-placed sources. They said the move would be aimed at ending divisions between public and private sector workers.
About 13,000 lower-paid civil and public servants, who are members of the CPSU, are to stage a one-day strike next Thursday. Thousands of other workers in the education sector and in the Civil Service are balloting on industrial action.
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