TRADE UNION UNITE has accused the government of interfering in the democratic process of votes on the extension proposals for the Croke Park agreement.

Today, Jimmy Kelly, Regional Secretary of the union, said ministers and departments have been “paying lip service to the right of union members to vote, before then trampling on the process with misleading statements on pay and reductions required”.

Politicians failed to make a case for cuts in discussions but still persuaded some there was no alternative.  They should now be quiet and stay the hell away from subverting the democratic process under way within all trade unions.

Kelly said the government has also failed to produce an analysis of how many jobs will be lost in the private sector as a result of “mugging” public servants for €1 billion in pay cuts.

“It may be that politicians believe what they have been told by leaders in their parties but regular workers know that they cannot take any more cuts, and people working in shops and restaurants and other jobs know that €1 billion less being spent in their place of work will mean a one way ticket to the dole queue or the airport for a life of emigration,” he added.

UNITE has recommended that its 6,500 members vote to reject the ‘Croke Park 2′ pay deal. In a coup for the government last week, the country’s largest union SIPTU encouraged its members on Thursday to accept the terms of the agreement.

Read: Croke Park II will cut nurses wages by 11.1pc, not 1.7pc – INMO>
Read: SIPTU encourages members to accept Croke Park agreement>