11 November 1999 Edition
Workers want a decent society - Inez McCormack
``Workers want a real pay increase, but they also want decisions which will deliver a decent society.'' This was the view of Irish Congress of Trade Union President Inez McCormack after last week's special conference to decide whether to enter talks on a new partnership agreement with the Dublin government. ``There is now a historic opportunity to match economic prosperity with democratic prosperity. We will settle for no less,'' she said.
McCormack said there would have to be a hard commitment to ``tackle low pay and atypical work. It means major resources for quality childcare. It means the removal of means test allowance for all carers, who are the hidden exploited workers''.
McCormack also called for ``commitments to reduce and abolish child poverty'' and ``reduce illiteracy''.
``We want hard commitments to invest real resources in the areas of disadvantage and we want to ensure that local communities are given the trust and respect to manage those resources.
``We will be asking government to produce benchmarks, targets and timetables on these issues and on affordable housing, health and community care and education. Congress will be asking government to amend the constitution to enshrine economic and social rights in order to ensure that if those who need change do not get it, then they have rights under law to challenge their exclusion.''
McCormack said there would have to be a hard commitment to ``tackle low pay and atypical work. It means major resources for quality childcare. It means the removal of means test allowance for all carers, who are the hidden exploited workers''.
McCormack also called for ``commitments to reduce and abolish child poverty'' and ``reduce illiteracy''.
``We want hard commitments to invest real resources in the areas of disadvantage and we want to ensure that local communities are given the trust and respect to manage those resources.
``We will be asking government to produce benchmarks, targets and timetables on these issues and on affordable housing, health and community care and education. Congress will be asking government to amend the constitution to enshrine economic and social rights in order to ensure that if those who need change do not get it, then they have rights under law to challenge their exclusion.''