Government Policies

That this Conference regrets that the policies being pursued by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition Government so far are broadly similar to those of the previous Government, particularly with regard to economic matters. This Conference therefore calls on the Executive Council to campaign to get the Government to reverse its current policies in relation to the following: A new investment strategy to promote job creation, economic growth and fiscal stabilisation. We need to substantially increase economic investment in our creaky infrastructure, indigenous enterprises, new green technologies and construction start-ups and public and private enterprises. This is the key to generating jobs, increasing growth and repairing our public finances. Finance should serve the people - not itself. The past and the present Government are pursuing the wrong policies in relation to the banks. The socialisation of the debt has been a disaster for the Irish economy and has destroyed social services, jobs and living standards. This policy must be repudiated by Government. If necessary by establishing public banks as new start-ups or nationalising current ones. This is to ensure that credit is put to economic and social use. Congress should support unions who resist attacks on wages and living standards by highlighting the fact that Irish labour costs are below the EU average. Therefore, these attacks have nothing to do with competitiveness and everything to do with increasing corporate profits and keeping taxes low on high income groups. We need strategies in the workplace and in the welfare state which promote higher living standards for low income groups. Fighting poverty and low pay is key to growth as it will raise domestic demand and consumer confidence. Public services are a key to prosperity. They are a necessary foundation in building a prosperous society. Investing in peoples' health, education, skills and transport has the potential to create jobs, raise productivity and increase economic growth. An essential element of this is to make public sector workers partners in creating efficiencies rather than the current top-down policies being pursued, which will be self- defeating for the Government. New economic choices require new political choices. The stranglehold of right wing parties over Irish politics must be challenged by the trade union movement. It is time that Congress explored the possibility of creating a progressive alliance to challenge the existing policies of the Government and to try to build cooperation between trade unionists, community activists and progressive political parties of the left. Conference calls on the Executive Council to examine ways and means of making such an intervention in the long term interest of working people and their families.