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believe they calculated that the public sector would not get the support of other workers in the economy. Anybody who was on the picket line yesterday or around our towns and villages will know that was not the case, such was the level of support from workers … Ireland that is so rich but where so many people feel so poor, workers yesterday were able to go to the picket line and express that in their own names and in the names of their fellow workers. That was the solidarity I saw yesterday and that

Minister is pretty famous at the moment - "infamous" might be a better word. Standing at a picket line yesterday with people from across Tipperary, I was very taken with a young woman, a single mother with two kids, who was on the picket line beside me. She told … since then and I want the Minister to think about her. She was one of 300,000 people out on the picket line with all of us yesterday. Labour Party representatives spent our whole day on the picket line with our colleagues in the trade union movement because

workers and their union representatives. Indeed, I and my Labour Party colleagues spent much of yesterday literally standing with public sector workers on picket lines around the country. In my own constituency of Dublin Bay South I stood with picketers outside schools, hospitals, colleges, cultural institutions, Government Departments … those who were out on what were extremely disciplined, professional and democratically organised pickets. The 300,000 workers who took to the picket lines yesterday have the respect of the public. Unfortunately, they do not have the respect of the Government because the Government’s approach to trade

yesterday was how this Government's achievement was a loss of credibility in having workers' backs. The people I spoke to on the picket lines in Athy, Newbridge and Naas did not want to be there. The question they asked me time and time again was whether they … assisting their communities, doing what they do best. In many cases, nurses and care assistants who stood side by side on the picket lines at St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy and at Naas General Hospital were telling me that after their long hours on the picket line

numbers again. I will get to the reality here. As we speak, nurses are leaving wards and going on strike on the picket line. That is happening under the Government's watch. Nurses do not want to leave wards. They want to care for their patients. Right across … nurse, teacher, special needs assistant, SNA, or any other public sector worker, that they will once again have to take to the picket line and demand that the Government takes action. It is not lost on them that the people at the very top are never seen

fight. Nurses do not consider lightly leaving the ward. Neither do teachers consider lightly leaving the classroom to go onto the picket line. The Minister, Deputy Burke, has form. At his election launch, we saw a disgraceful attack on teachers. To rapturous applause and jeering from the assembled … outset. How dare he lecture workers about entering talks while refusing to confront the hardship that is driving them towards the picket lines? What the Government announced in the budget this week was an insult to workers. It locked in industrial action by leaving workers facing falling incomes

keep them clean. There were no schools and colleges, and massively reduced operations in hospitals. Everywhere I went, there was a public sector picket line. What is often invisible work became very visible. These are the people who make our society work and they are so undervalued. Government … rule tactic. They have had to recognise that simply is not working because the other thing that was so striking at every picket line I passed was the beeps of drivers going past. Public support was overwhelming because people get it that public sector workers, just like private

yards up the road there were almost 1,000 workers outside Cork University Hospital. The one message that came from every picket line I was on is that they will not back down. The Minister will not beat the workers of Ireland because the workers have had enough … Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. They have said it loud and clear. They did not want to be on a picket line. The Minister drove them to the picket lines. Does he know what they said to me? They said they will drive the Government to an agreement

about restoring certainty and restoring trust and fairness. Public sector workers deserve better and this House must demand better. Many of the picket lines I visited yesterday to express my support and solidarity to the striking workers were manned by teachers outside their schools and one thing … abundantly clear - teachers do not want to be on picket lines. They do not want to be marching outside their school gates. Teachers want to be in classrooms teaching children, doing the work they love and the work on which our society depends. The fact that we have

What makes the world go round? Workers do. We saw that on display yesterday. I went to about 15 picket lines - people from the national museum, the Irish lights, the councils, teachers, SNAs, people in further education, health workers of all the different grades, and the list just … example to go and get the same. That is what we need. We need the determination and bravery we saw on the picket lines from workers the length and breadth of the country to demand decent pay increases from a Government that only represents the profiteers and super

Fine Gael were in the last Government. The Debenhams workers stood up for their rights for 406 days. Government TDs stood in the picket lines with them. I was there and those TDs spoke about what they were going to do. That went on for 406 days. Then … there and wanted to stand with the workers. That was the craziness of the situation; the gardaí wanted to be on the picket line with the workers because they know these people. They come from the same communities. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael allowed that to happen

people for following them. The responsibility for allowing this pay agreement to collapse lies with the Government. I was out yesterday supporting the picket lines in Dublin Fingal West. People were furious. They feel disrespected. They are not demanding luxuries. They are asking for a fair pay agreement … month. Fair pay is not a privilege. It is a matter of respect and dignity to every single worker on the picket line yesterday. Their fight is our fight and we will not let this Government divide them. Up the worker

Teachers, SNAs and other staff members, particularly of special schools, would not have taken the decision lightly. One man on the picket line yesterday told me that the cost of his home heating oil has doubled. He has only been able to half fill the tank … into talks with the unions. We can all talk about it here, on the radio and on TV and stand on picket lines but what needs to happen is Government and the unions in rooms for full conversations to make sure we can sort this out. I would

Yesterday, I stood with public sector workers on picket lines across Waterford city and county. I met council workers, many of them members of my own union, UNITE, as well as librarians, community workers, hospital staff, nurses, doctors, paramedics, care workers, teachers, SNAs, school secretaries and caretakers … children they serve and they want to be in those classrooms. They want to be supporting those children, not standing on a picket line. I am proud to be a trade unionist and have been a union member since I was a teenager. I know the importance

welcome the workers here tonight. It is not easy to come here after being on a picket line for two days in the cold. BIMM is exploiting the talent and creativity of these musicians and lecturers. The BIMM website boasts about unrivalled industry connections, experienced tutors … There is also a need for solidarity from other workers. For example, the workers told me yesterday that while they were on the picket line the classes were being provided online by people who have chosen to scab on them. That is a lesson for teachers and others

note the constructive suggestions and remarks made by colleagues in the Labour Party, who spoke to the concerns of people who were on picket lines yesterday regarding the cost of living and the pressures they are under. I also acknowledge the representatives from public sector unions … parties wish to bring forward. I have confirmed Government's willingness to prioritise pay in talks. Nobody wants to see workers on picket lines, least of all the workers themselves, as was mentioned earlier. I know that the nurses, teachers and public servants more widely who are taking

tuillte go maith ag na hoibrithe seo, a chur i gcrích. The Government's lack of respect forced public sector workers onto the picket line three weeks ago. That same lack informs the Government's refusal to deliver a fair pay deal. I will cite a figure … bills, or of the teacher who goes above and beyond but stresses out on how he builds a future. I visited the picket line three weeks ago. The workers told me very clearly that they do not want to be on strike, yet we face another strike because

these tragedies are our front-line paramedics and ambulance drivers. They are the same people I was proud to stand with on the picket lines yesterday. They are not being valued by this Government. They are going to the scenes of these accidents and seeing the darkest days

strike. Paramedics, advanced paramedics, specialist paramedics, emergency medical technicians, EMTs, and supervisors are all on strike. People who save lives are on the picket line. They stand there as a result of the Government's refusal to resolve long-standing issues relating to pay and conditions and staffing

Today workers in the ambulance service are on strike. This is a last resort which has been taken by front-line workers who have been left with no other option. We all know how hard paramedics and emergency medical technicians work and we all know … immense responsibility that comes with that role. I spoke to paramedics today who came off a 12-hour shift and are now on picket lines ready to work another shift in a few hours. These are workers who go above and beyond, who do the most important work

hear the lecture from Deputy Lahart on how great things were for workers right now. I do not think he ever visited the picket line for Debenhams workers at Tallaght the year it was on. This is the fifth anniversary of the commencement of the Debenhams strike … mainly women workers for their agreed redundancy payments. They fought for more than a year. They put up a huge battle. There were pickets to stop stock, which could have paid for their redundancy, being taken out of the shop. There were marches and occupations of shops

affected workers and communities, who know what their needs are, to begin to plan democratically for future disaster prevention and response. A bottom-line point is that the State has a responsibility to provide reliable electricity for people. When that supply is not reliable, every household must … secure renewable power source whenever the grid fails. We also need to act to build the capacity of ESB Networks. I stood on picket lines four years ago with workers who warned me about the outsourcing that was going on and the loss of capacity. We must build

cost-of-living and housing crises facing this country. When the Government refuses to listen to workers, they need to take to the picket lines to force it to listen. That is really all that is left to do after this budget. The Government's tax changes … years and the projected rates of inflation and cost of living over the coming period. So get out your placards and get your pickets organised, because the Government is not listening and has not allocated enough to actually address the cost-of-living crisis for workers. This lesson

literally to the eleventh hour. It dithered, delayed and played a game of chicken with public sector workers and drove them onto the picket line. Now, after ten days of talks, it has failed to bring forward a credible offer in respect of pay. That is the Taoiseach

refused to countenance talks in which the issue of pay was front and centre. It took more than 300,000 workers joining picket lines before you climbed down. Now, just a few weeks later, there will be another day of strike action because your Government has failed