Workers Solidarity Movement

The Programme for National Recovery, launched in October 1987, was the culmination of almost a year of talks between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the then Fianna Fail government led by Charlie Haughey.What is the

Programme for National Recovery?

The Programme for National Recovery, launched in October 1987, was

the culmination of almost a year of talks between the Irish Congress

of Trade Unions and the then Fianna Fail government led by Charlie

Haughey. It was a three-year deal which committed the trade union

movement to industrial peace in return for 'moderate' pay increases

(i.e less than inflation), tax reform, and government action on

unemployment. Pointing to the situation in Britain where Thatcher had

decimated trade union organisation, ICTU leaders claimed that the

deal would protect the movement here from similar attacks from the

right.

It was sold to workers on the basis that by accepting pay

increases which were lower than inflation, this would help the

government to get the public finances under control and that as a

result of this jobs would be created. Despite the fact that within

days of the Programme's launch (at a Press reception attended by the

entire Fianna Fail cabinet and the leadership of ICTU) the government

announced a massive round of public service cuts, and despite the

fact that the Programme itself specifically endorsed job losses in

the public sector, ICTU leaders heralded the PNR as a victory for the

trade union movement.

What ICTU failed to point out was that the only side which had

given specific commitments in the deal was the trade unions. While

pay increases were specifically pegged at rates which were well below

expected inflation - with no review for at least two years -

commitments by government and employers were couched in vague and

generalised terms. Indeed, it would be more correct to describe them

as aspirations rather than commitments. The deal was opposed by some

on the grounds that it was a poor deal, that more could have been

achieved with stronger negotiators. Others - including the WSM -

opposed the very notion of the trade union leadership doing

centralised deals with government and employers over the heads of the

members.

So began what was to become known as "social partnership", leading

to The Programme for Economic and Social Progress (1991 - 1993) and

the current deal the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (due to

run until the end of 1996). Each succesive deal has brought ICTU

closer and closer to the government - to the extent that it is no

exaggeration to describe them as being the third arm of the current

Fianna Fail/Labour coalition government. All of the consequences

pointed out by the deals' opponents back in 1987 have come to

fruition.

This article first appeared in Red & Black Revolution No 1. 1994