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Statements by Our Candidates in the 2005 Elections

Liam Friel, SEA candidate for Cityside

City Council pays poverty wages

Thursday, April 28th 2005

SEA candidate in Cityside Liam Friel has said the biggest problem facing people from Creggan to the Fountain is poverty. "It's not just people living on benefits who are struggling", he says. "The Council should be giving a lead on ensuring that having a job would get people out of poverty.  All the parties talk about poverty. But when it comes to Council workers, they are happy to see the bulk of the workforce on poverty pay.

"As a low paid civil servant myself, who only last year was on strike for better pay, I have been horrified by the wages Council workers tell me they are paid. At the top end, Council Officers are well-paid for not doing a whole lot for the city.

But, says Mr. Friel, "most Council manual workers average around £10,000 a year gross for their basic. While binmen get a 33 percent bonus on top, their wages are still way below poverty levels for anyone with a family. Street cleaners get only a 12.5 percent bonus, bringing their weekly net wage to just over £200 a week.

"Not content with such low wages, the Council recently took on 20 recycling workers on a scheme called KickStart. They are employed for 51 weeks only ­ because after 52 weeks, they would start to have some rights. They work the same hours as regular Council employees. But they are paid minimum wage and no bonus. They take home about £165 for a hard week's labour.

"Council workers say there isn't a cigarette paper between any of the parties when it comes to Council workers ­ and not just on wage", claims the SEA candidate. All parties unite to portray workers off sick as "malingerers," and all backed a decision to impose swinging pay cuts on leisure centre workers.

Liam Friel claims that "The current council advertises the Derry area as a place where workers come cheap. They boast that wages are lower than in Britain and the rest of Europe. They have given an uncritical welcome to anti-union companies like Seagate and Marks and Spencer. We want to make Derry a union town again, where workers are respected and paid well and have secure jobs.

"SEA councillors will propose an immediate rise in the minimum wage of council workers to the European decency threshold. We will oppose any cuts in pay for council workers ­ except for those earning more than £40,000 a year!"





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