18/01/2012

Hamilton Queries ICTU Job Loss Claims

Strangford DUP MLA and Assembly Private Secretary in the Department of Finance Simon Hamilton has questioned the ICTU’s claim that Northern Ireland is set to lose over 25,000 public sector jobs.

Mr Hamilton said such claims were cobbled together and totally irresponsible.

Mr Hamilton said: "ICTU's scaremongering on public sector jobs is deeply disappointing.

"Their view that Northern Ireland is set to lose 25,000 public sector jobs seems to be based on a crude, self serving methodology which fails to take into account mitigating measures taken by the Executive locally.

"Across the water, local authorities have been sacking thousands upon thousands of public servants. In Northern Ireland, through natural wastage and initiatives like recruitment freezes, we are avoiding the wholesale rounds of redundancies we see on the mainland. In fact, in recent days the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Finance Minister and Education Minister worked together to find additional funding for schools that will actually save jobs.

"There seems to be a complete misunderstanding within ICTU with regard to the budget received by the Executive from the Treasury. It is entirely a matter for the Government in London as to the size of our budget. The Executive receives an allocation from Treasury based on the Barnett Formula. We would like the allocation to be larger and to that end the Executive met with the Government and argued that case. Regardless of our actions in Northern Ireland, the size of budget is entirely a matter for the Coalition government."

The Executive has been successful in other negotiations with the Government such as the special arrangement on Air Passenger Duty for Northern Ireland.

(CD/GK)

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