Job Measures are Promising First Step, but Levy is Wrong
10 May 2011
Congress has welcomed the measures announced in today's Jobs Initiative as a "promising first step" and said it must be seen as the beginning of a concerted campaign to create good jobs and restore economic well-being.
"There are some promising measures outlined in these proposals," said Congress Assistant General Secretary Sally Anne Kinahan.
"But this has to be seen as a beginning - the opening shot in a coherent, concerted drive to create jobs and get people back to work. Government must adopt a fairer approach to recovery and become more ambitious for Ireland and more ambitious for people if we are to create a genuine recovery," she said.
However, Ms Kinahan said Congress was "concerned about the impact of the imposition of a levy on pension funds as many funds are already in considerable difficulty. We believe a small levy on top earners would have been a better prescription."
She said it was important the reversal of the cut in the Minimum Wage was confirmed as it sent a clear message that recovery cannot be bought at the expense of the lower paid.
"We would hope that the labour intensive projects outlined by Government (schools and secondary roads) should became operational as soon as possible to deliver immediate gains for families and the economy."
Ms Kinahan also said that Government must utilise the skills and expertise of large semi-states to deliver bigger infrastructure projects, such as the national retrofitting programme.
She pointed out that there needed to be greater emphasis on skills training and education to target the long-term unemployed.
"Experience shows that the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is to get back working. We need to tailor a skills programme specifically for people in this situation and give them some hope of a return to the workplace.
"Congress has already proposed the establishment of a new training agency that would identify future skills deficits and train people accordingly. This could be one way to target long-term unemployed," Ms Kinahan said.
"Much has been made of the creation of the new internship and workplace training initiatives. Let me be clear: Congress supports workplace training where there is a genuine benefit for the trainee, where real work experience is gained.
"But the key to a successful scheme lies in voluntary participation, in good monitoring and clear oversight. It must ensure that existing jobs are not undermined, key services diminished or young workers treated as a source of cheap labour. Interns and trainees have rights and we must ensure they are upheld, when the full details of these schemes are finally agreed," Ms Kinahan concluded.