Resist This Assault On the Poor and Low and Middle Income Earners
Budget will lengthen dole queues
Support Major Protest Against Budget on Saturday
In a statement today the People Before Profit Alliance said the budget must be resisted. It represents an unprecedented assault on the living standards of the poor and low and middle-income earners.
Councillor Richard Boyd Barrett said “ This heartless government have shown yet again that it’s determined to punish the poor and those on low and modest incomes for the failures of bankers, developers and the politicians. While major cuts are to imposed on social welfare recipients and low paid public sector workers the super rich have got off scott free. The reduction of child benefit will mean more hardship for hard-pressed families.
The government is taking €425 million off social welfare recipients but only €55m from those benefiting from a range of tax breaks with income over €125,000. Over 180,000 public servants earning less than the average industrial wage will lose 5% of their income.”
Councillor Joan Collins said “This budget gas lots of cuts for workers and the poor. What it does not contain is a wealth levy, the closing down of a tax breaks for the rich or a higher rate of tax for top earners. It also contains no jobs. The measures taken will seriously deflate the economy and lead to a lengthening of dole queues.
Its time to get rid of this government. We are calling for the widest mobilisation of workers, community activists and social welfare recipients to force this government from office. We are calling on our supporters to turn out in huge numbers on Saturday to march against the budget.”
