EMPLOYMENT:KILDARE DELEGATE Adrian Kane warned that nobody could predict how bad the recession might be during the debate on enterprise, trade and employment. "If you look at the economic forecasts of the ESRI, the Department of Finance and the Bank of Ireland, they predict an unemployment rate of between 7.3 per cent and 8 per cent for 2009.
“The live register figures stood at 252,000 at the end of October, an increase of 16,000 over September. If that is to be replicated over the next 12 months, we will have an unemployment rate, by the end of October next year, of 11.8 per cent.”
They did know, Mr Kane added, that if they had a Government which did nothing but fixate on the accounting exercise of balancing books to the exclusion of all measures, it would take a long time to come out of the recession.
Gerry Shanahan, of the trade union UNITE, said that there was neo-liberal ideology dismantling workers’ rights across Europe.
“One of the first things the Labour Party has to do is sit down and agree with the trade unions an alternative platform on employment rights,” he added.
Michael Keegan (Dublin) said that the downturn in manufacturing began eight to 10 years ago.
He said that in his work, steel fabrication, up to 20 people had once been employed by the company. “Now, with the downturn, we have four, and we are on a three-day week.”
Party spokeswoman on social and family affairs Roisín Shortall suggested that incentives be provided for employers to offer career breaks to employees.
“Promoting and delivering on such a scheme would make more room in the workforce...”
