Congress is advocating for a Better, Fairer Way to confront the crisis we are facing: 1. Extend the Adjustment Period to 2017 The Government says we must cut public spending quickly and deeply to restore our national finances to good health by 2013. But they are guessing. There is no iron law that says one will follow from the other. But there is convincing evidence that cuts will turn a recession into a depression. More jobs will be lost,less tax for Government.What then,more cuts? The UK plans to extend its adjustment over eight years and other EU states are reconsidering their policies in light of changing circumstances. There is no reason why Ireland cannot do likewise. To date, Government policy has just made the economic situation worse. More of the same will not help. If we extend our adjustment period to 2017 we lessen the need for deep cuts and create time and space for economic recovery. We would have a higher debt burden, but would not be out of line with other EU states. This is a far better option than collapsing the entire economy. 2. Tackle the Jobs Crisis With almost 450,000 out of work, there is an urgent need to find ways to save and create jobs. Many EU countries already have such measures in place and we should learn from the best examples. We need a 1 billion fund to protect jobs based on a model that works well in Germany and elsewhere. Keeping people in work reduces pressure on social welfare and maintains tax revenue. A National Recovery Bond could be developed to fund socially useful infrastructure schools, clinics, public transport and create or save jobs for construction workers. The creation of a new model of apprenticeship could act as a bridge to employment. Tens of thousands of people would benefit from learning new skills and this would also ensure that Ireland is better prepared for the economic upturn. A Training Guarantee would help young people and others with low skills to retrain and get meaningful work experience opportunities. We must also move to exploit the many opportunities to create new jobs in green industries. 3. Protect Incomes At least two winners of the Nobel Prize for Economics Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman believe that cutting peoples incomes during a recession is madness. When incomes are cut peoples spending falls and demand collapses. More jobs are lost and a dangerous downward spiral continues. This accounts for much of the economic deterioration we have seen already this year: cut again in December and we compound the problem. The issue of wage moderation can be looked at, in the context of a clear plan to hold all other costs down. 4. Protect Vital Services Cutting services makes no sense and could fatally undermine vital sectors such as health and education. Our health service has never recovered from the corrosive effect of the cuts imposed in the 1980s, when hundreds of beds were taken out of the system. It makes no sense to cut when there is increased demand for those services and will impact severely on the most vulnerable in the community. 5. Protect Peoples Homes It is not good enough to save the banks and ignore families with homes threatened by repossession. People facing repayment difficulty should get a three year moratorium without penalties in which to address their financial problems. This can be done through the NAMA legislation. An Office of Indebtedness should be set up as a user-friendly alternative to the courts. This would have the power to vary the terms of the mortgage or put in place new payment arrangements based on what people can afford. It could also examine lending practices and where it can be shown that the lender was reckless, reduce the amount owed. People should not lose their homes. 6. Make the Wealthy Pay More It is unfair that someone on 200,000 pays tax at the same rate as someone who earns below the average industrial wage. This shows the clear need for a higher tax rate for those on higher incomes. Equally, it is estimated that up to 70 billion was made during the boom years all of that money has not evaporated and some could be recovered in tax. Ultimately, without a fair and sustainable tax system we will not emerge from this crisis, let alone build a better society for all. 7. Introduce a National Pension System The recession has wreaked havoc on pensions: many now face poverty in old age because their pension will not provide what they expected. Unlike most EU countries, Ireland has relied heavily on private pensions and these are now in crisis; a situation made worse by inadequate protection for workers whose employer packs up and leaves the country or where the scheme is in deficit and the employer insolvent. A new pension strategy has been promised but not yet delivered. The Government must act now and provide support to those whose pensions are at risk. An essential trade off for people enduring a painful economic adjustment would be a future social dividend whereby decent pensions for all are guaranteed. 8. Stop Social Welfare Cuts Congress believes that there must be a threshold of decency below which society should not go. Cutting social welfare rates falls into that category. Beyond the issue of social justice involved there is also the consideration that money spent on social welfare is all spent in the local economy. It therefore contributes directly to the maintenance of jobs. 9. Banks and Corporate Misdeeds Corporate misdeeds and reckless behaviour have left us with a debt burden of at least 54 billion. It is vital that bank and business structures are reformed in a way that prevents a repetition of this current crisis. But this must not be used as an excuse to scapegoat bank employees. 10.Workplace Rights The recession has exposed a pattern of exploitative behaviour by some employers which is a throwback to the beginning of the 20th century; conduct that is completely unacceptable. Government has committed itself to legislation over recent years which, if enacted, would go some way to restoring civilised behaviour in the workplace. There is substantial evidence which demonstrates that collective bargaining between employers and unions produces a fairer distribution of wages. The right to collective bargaining has now been provided for through the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This mean that the Government cannot credibly continue to deny its citizens a basic human right enjoyed by every other citizen of the EU. For a full version of the 10 Point Plan go to: www.getupstandup.ie index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html