Resignation of Peter McLoone

Petition for the Resignation of Peter McLoone

We, the undersigned, deplore the statement by Peter McLoone to the media, in the immediate aftermath of the oneday strike on November 24,that public service pay cuts are necessary and his prior statement at the 2009 Magill Summer School to the effect that there is ample room for major economies in the public sector, despite the OECD conclusion that Ireland has a lean public sector. We regard his views as entirely inconsistent with his role in ongoing negotiations with Government on behalf of public sector trade union members.
We also deplore the failure of Mr McLoone and his fellow ICTU negotiators to demand the use of the Pensions Reserve Fund to temporarily fill the gap in the public sector finances until a European style taxation system can be introduced to adequately support public services in Ireland. This is particularly egregious given the acquiescence of ICTU in its use to prop up the banks.
It is clear to us that Mr McLoone and his team are intent on capitulating to Government demands for cuts in public sector pay in the same manner that they failed to oppose the imposition of the pension levy. This is a stance that is totally unacceptable to the vast majority of public service trade union members. We believe that Peter McLoone no longer enjoys the confidence of the membership of public sector unions and we call for his immediate resignation as a member of the ICTU negotiation team with Government and as Chairman of the Public Services Committee of ICTU.