Government Cannot take 'Comfort or Credit' from Jobless Figures
4 Nov 2009
The Government cannot take "comfort or credit" from new figures that show a fall in the Live Register numbers, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said today (November 4).
According to Sally Anne Kinahan, Congress Assistant General Secretary, Government threats to take a further €4 billion out of the economy will guarantee further job losses, particularly in the post-Christmas period.
"Government itself has conceded that its proposals - if followed - will result in further deflation and thereby guarantee further job losses. Taking money out of the economy dampens demand and this will impact directly on jobs in the retail, wholesale and services sectors in 2010.
"They can take no false comfort from, or no credit for these figures. The Government's failure to act decisively in defence of jobs - in Waterford and SR Technics, for example - and its failure to protect vulnerable job, as our EU counterparts have done, means that we have experienced one of the most dramatic increases in unemployment in the EU15," Ms Kinahan said.
"The numbers on the live register has increased by over 160,000 in a 12 month period. In comparison, Germany lost a similar number of jobs but from a labour market 20 times the size of ours.
"And the difference? The German Government put in place a 'worksharing' scheme that saved 1.5 million jobs.
"In the coming weeks, we will also see a further 80,000 people becoming long-term unemployed, bringing that total to 150,000. These will face huge challenges re-entering the workforce."
Ms Kinahan said there was a fear that numbers are falling because people had exceeded the qualifying period for Jobseeker Benefit and are no longer recognised as unemployed. An individual does not qualify for the Benefit if their spouse or partner earns €30,000 or more per annum.
Ms Kinahan said it was long past time for Government to act on the jobs crisis and it should immediately set up a €1 billion fund to save jobs based on the model operating in Germany and many other EU countries.
"To date, the scorecard reads Banks: €54 billion; Jobs: €0."
Ms Kinahan said Congress was urging the unemployed to attend the national protest rallies set for Friday November 6.
Irish Congress of Trade Unions,
32 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.
Tel: (01) 889 7799; m 087 9174171