Promoting Saturdays Protest

Event at AIB EGM/AGM

We swung by AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge this morning where they were holding an EGM and their AGM this afternoon. We met one stranger, a gentleman who said he had been ejected from the meeting for throwing a rotten egg at Dermot Gleeson. Apparently he could contain his anger no longer when Gleeson barked at a heckler to sit down while he was speaking.

Pictured, our costumed volunteers hold a cheque from PAYE workers to the banks – the wolf represents greed and deceit while the rabbit represents the meagre and mild mannered response of the government to such greed and deceit.

In his speech at the beginning of the EGM, Gleeson said “With hindsight I regret some of the lending decisions that were made, particularly in relation to property development here in Ireland.”

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National Recovery Talks – Dead in the Water?

Recent media coverage would indicate that both Unions and the Government are all but publicly admitting talks on a national economic recovery plan are coming to an end with no agreement being reached.

David Begg, General Secretary of the ICTU, speaking to RTÉ, said that there was nothing more the unions could say to the Government about its proposals for economic recovery through a social solidarity pact and it had been clear from the talks that the Department of Finance was in the dominant role in Government affairs. Larry Broderick of the Irish Bank Officials Association said it was unacceptable that the Government had not come up with a strategy to tackle the unemployment crisis while Betty Tyrell Collard of the Civil and Public Service Union described the talks as a ploy, a sentiment echoed by IMPACT General Secretary Peter McLoone. Speaking on radio last week, General President of SIPTU Jack O’Connor said he does not believe there will be a partnership deal while yesterday Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin has said that a deal will not be reached with the social partners at any cost.

Read more on RTÉ.ie:

Hanafin – Govt has partnership deal limits
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0503/partnership.html

Begg pessmistic on chances of recovery plan
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0505/economy.html

‘Old-style’ partnership deal unlikely
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0501/economy.html

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Irish Times Article – Wed, Apr 29, 2009

Excerpts from a recent article by Vincent Browne in the Irish Times, following a briefing on the spring 2009 economic commentary of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The Government deficit will be worse than the Government says it will be for this year. It will have to take another €4 billion in spending cuts and increased taxes next year.

There was a consensus among those present that, whatever happens,…. it was certain the banks would cost us a lot.

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