Cowen in firing line as unions seek €1.6bn
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UNIONS last night demanded a €1.6bn rise for low-paid workers as Taoiseach Brian Cowen was accused of allowing the partnership talks to collapse.
Mr Cowen, who is currently on holidays at an unknown location, was heavily criticised for spreading "complete miscommunication" as an all-out pay war looms.
The Taoiseach had indicated a "review" of the pay talks, which collapsed last Saturday, would take place later this month. But union leaders said they "knew nothing" of a review.
SIPTU general president Jack O'Connor said he had "no intention of engaging in a phoney war" with the Government.
Tanaiste Mary Coughlan also came under attack on a day marked by further crippling job losses and dwindling confidence in the flagging economy.
SIPTU, meanwhile, served pay claims well above inflation on some of the biggest companies in the State.
The country's biggest union lodged the first tranche of claims on industry giants including CRH, Cemex, Britvic Ireland, Tesco and Glanbia.
More are expected soon, as the Irish Bank Officials Association announced it is lodging a 10pc claim with the four main banking groups -- AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and Danske Bank Group. The Irish Congress of Trade Union's private sector has issued guidelines to private-sector unions to pursue claims for flat rate -- or lump sum -- increases for workers earning less than the average industrial wage.
Chairman of the committee Jerry Shanahan said it had agreed to seek around €30 a week, which amounts to up to a total of €1.6bn a year, for the 1.4 million workers who are living on less than €38,000 a year.
Mr Shanahan said he was "very disappointed" at the Government's failure to accept union demands for anti-inflation measures.
He said he had never heard Mr Cowen make any mention of a review of the pay talks in August when he called the parties together after they collapsed.
Union sources said there had been "complete miscommunication" and that "talks were over" as far as they were concerned.
"I never heard Brian Cowen mention a review at talks, but accepted there was not the basis of an agreement," Mr Shanahan said.
"The most disappointing thing of all was that there was no real attempt by the Government to try and deal with the union agenda," he added.
He said it was "not a negative thing" for Ms Coughlan to talk about "trying to restore matters", but insisted there was no point "going back to where we finished".
Burden
Mr O'Connor warned that the 21-year history of social partnership could now be over and indicated that he does not take the prospect of an autumnal meeting too seriously.
"It is very much in the hands of employers. It will not wash that people on lower pay should carry the burden. We will not engage in a phoney war to bring about some result in September."
The Taoiseach and Ms Coughlan's handling of the pay talks also came under fire from opposition TDs last night.
Fine Gael's Olivia Mitchell said extensive face-to-face meetings should have been held between the Taoiseach, workers' unions and business leaders before he went on holidays.
"He could have set down a marker, set out his personal commitments to the process, rather than letting officials and Mary Coughlan, who has no track record in this area and no credibility, to take the pitch."
Labour's Willie Penrose also criticised Mr Cowen's "facile" call on unions and businesses to reflect on the pay talks before he left the country.
Government sources last night insisted Mr Cowen was in daily contact with his advisers.
- Anne-Marie Walsh and Aine Kerr
