When I rose last evening to support the motion I indicated many areas where there should be genuine concern, unease and unrest among the workers. I had pinpointed one particular aspect affecting workers, the new housing guidelines issued by the Department of the Environment in directives to local authorities. I had given a specific example of a case in my local authority area where according to the directive a man in receipt of a gross income of £75 and a take home income of £54 was deemed to be in a position to provide his own housing. I had criticised and ridiculed this peculiar attitude to what was a basic principle of successive Governments, the principle of housing the needy and those who cannot afford to provide their own housing. This test case and the discussion at county council level influenced a local paper and I was in the process of indicating their feelings on this new thinking in their editorial. The paper asked who in this age with a wife and family to support on a weekly income of £54, with mortgage rates soaring and building costs booming, could possibly afford to build a house? They said one could go further and ask if a civil servant on twice the income who enforced this ridiculous regulation could do it? If he could, they said it would be something of an achievement but for the man on £54 a week it was an impossibility.
I am concentrating on this aspect because if there is unrest among the workers this revolutionary retrograde anti-social step taken by the Department of the Environment will contribute in a big way to that unrest. The workers are now being told that for the sake of their pride and dignity they should be encouraged to provide their own homes. Where is the encouragement in rising mortgage rates and small income limits for a county council loan? These new strictures on local authority housing requirements will condemn everyone in this man's circumstances to the same situation. Because of financial considerations local authorities will be unable to provide housing for them. The Government have a grave responsibility for the creation of this social injustice. Everyone has a basic right to be properly housed. It is a hallmark of the society we created. How can this Pontius Pilate act on local authority housing be described as social progress, as stated in the amendment moved by the Minister for Labour? I regret that I can only compare this anti-social thinking on housing of the present Government to the evictions of our ancestors in the last century under another Government. That is a harsh statement but it must be said.
I will reflect again on the past year and on the public sector and its labour relations record. Listening to the Minister for Labour last night it was apparent that he had been missing from the House for some time. During the past year the public sector record was abysmal. The last 18 months has been the worst on record in 20 years. The year 1978 will be remembered for the stand taken by two groups of public sector employees, the Garda and the nurses. They are normally a loyal, dedicated and concerned body of men and women and they have always stood by the State, their executive and the people. I can well appreciate their action. They had reached the stage where their patience was exhausted with the negotiations conducted through antiquated negotiations systems and to which they saw no end result. Because of these interminable negotiations, the Garda and the nurses were regrettably forced to take stern action. Both of those sectors are vital to the health and security of the country and they were forced into a situation where against their will they had to threaten the withdrawal of their services. That was a rare occurrence in the history of the State.
As I said last night, the pot of gold was somewhere over the rainbow but there was no sign of it. The public unrest there cannot be denied. Two weeks ago we witnessed the anger and frustration of approximately 4,500 nurses storming up Kildare Street to the gates of Leinster House demanding a new deal in keeping with their admirable commitment to our society. Only then did the Government relent, and a commission was promised. In similar fashion the Garda threatened the withdrawal of their services due to frustration at the long talks with no results and a certain amount of bluffing. They were driven right out on the edge. I do not blame them and many people agree with me. By a show of force and by determination the Garda fOrced the Government to sit down and negotiate and again to set up a commission.
The third portion of the public sector where there is unrest is the post office, the dispute in which has been going on for so long now that people have forgotten about it. The matter is still not resolved and this again is a sector vital to the community and to industry. There is again an impasse here. I refer to these three sections of the public sector when I say that surely something is wrong somewhere. There must be some early warning system to prevent such serious escalations in such important sectors of the security forces and essential services of the country. Continuous bluffing creates hardened attitudes which result in long-term disputes. If someone had become involved at the outset the situation would have been resolved earlier and we would not have three areas of the public service in a state of chaos.
I should like to refer to those who pay tax under PAYE. At present they are unsure of the future. It is estimated that they will contribute £500 million to the Exchequer this year, which is a quarter of the cost of running the country. As one Minister is pleading for wage restraint for the betterment of the nation another Minister is threatening further taxation. Those who pay tax under PAYE are wondering how much more they will have to pay next year. They cannot continue being the backbone of the economy. The man who pays his tax weekly and who is trying to support his family to the best of his ability finds it hard to stomach the urging of wage restraint. There is no way out for these people. They are in the net and the net seems to be getting bigger. As we hear of wage restraints and the possibility of further taxation, we also hear that food subsidies will be abolished. Families have been buttressed by food subsidies this year to the extent of £60 million. If we are anxious for harmonious relations between worker and employer, I cannot understand why we are prepared to create an increase in the cost of living for the sake of saving £60 million out of a total budget of £2,500 million. It has been said that there is no shortage of money but there must be a hole in the bucket if £60 million has to be saved in this fashion.
The Labour Party abhor industrial unrest. We favour a just system of industrial relations which would ensure a growing share of national prosperity for workers and their families. By the abolition of wealth tax and the easing of the capital gains tax, Fianna Fáil have clearly indicated their alignment with wealth and privilege. They did not stand idly by on that issue. They have created widespread dissatisfaction and must accept responsibility for it. I support the motion.