Public Servants Vote?

Idbatterim

could I ask, generally which party do the PS vote for? Would it make sense for workers to unite and all vote FG? They will run the place far more soundly than the currently alternatives. Fg are far from perfect, Id say best of a bad lot.

We are all being shafted now at the behest of the anti IW brigade, the government should never back down on this, any more climbing down, it will be beyond an embarrassment. We have elected them to GOVERN!

They will cut income taxes, thus a pay rise for all.

Labour are done. FF will throw money at everyone regardless of merit. As for SF, who knows, but cant see them doing much good for the economy and could send us back through another several years of mess...

Skrynesaver

Like most people public servants vote (or should vote) in the country's and their own interest as they see them. As FG have an aversion to the public sector and attempt to privatise things on an ideological rather than rational basis, public servants who believe that they do their job should not give FG a preference.

Riskymove

Idbatterim wrote: »

could I ask, generally which party do the PS vote for? ...

they vote just like other people

Manach

Like all groups when take as a whole, will vote for the group which promises and delivers the largest slice of the government spending and is perceived to be sympathetic to their needs.

Tails142

Manach wrote: »

Like all groups when take as a whole, will vote for the group which promises and delivers the largest slice of the government spending and is perceived to be sympathetic to their needs.

Labour traditionally had the PS vote, after Haddington Road they have lost a lot of support but you would still see press releases from DPER trying to champion how Brendan Howlin is working for PS staff like the latest move to undo bits of emergency legislation and undo pay cuts. Doubt it will be enough to save them.

Idbatterim

ok I get the point that they dont all vote for one party. I cant see them previously voting FG or SF, maybe some who voted FF in the past but not in the 2010 election will do so again. Some may vote Labour.

So they vote for Labour for example, this is the funny thing I always thoughts, a vote for them is a vote against the economy, also Labour on the one hand want to avoid welfare cuts or reforms at all costs, yet on the other hand, want to protect the PS... They are on both sides of the fence.

At least with FG IF they had power, billions more wouldnt be siphoned off on welfare for example, trying to buy votes, regardless or merit or justice. Surely that is also in the PS favour?

Godge

Like the rest of the country, public servants vote for every party and independent but with some differences.

Traditionally FF and Labour would have got higher percentage votes from public servants than from the electorate in general. At the last election, FF lost a large part of this vote and it went heavily to Labour, largely because of the two pay cuts. Since then the FG/Labour government has cut annual leave and sick leave, increased working hours and also cut pay for the third time. The votes Labour gained at the last election will have moved away.

Separately to this, the public service union establishment has seen an influx of SF, AAA, SP and other radical left-wing activists. This has increased the influence of those parties within the union establishment. Whether this translates into votes at the next election will be one of the interesting aspects of that election.

Idbatterim

Since then the FG/Labour government has cut annual leave and sick leave, increased working hours and also cut pay for the third time. The votes Labour gained at the last election will have moved away.

That is all true, but this then depends on how you interpret it. Firstly they had to find billions, the Ps getting away scott free was never going to happen. I would say Labour did a bloody good job for them...

Godge

Idbatterim wrote: »

That is all true, but this then depends on how you interpret it. Firstly they had to find billions, the Ps getting away scott free was never going to happen. I would say Labour did a bloody good job for them...

Yes, but social welfare got away scot free under Labour, the cut in the Christmas bonus happened under FF. The only real cuts in social welfare under Labour were for new claimants under 25 which were hardly traditional Labour voters.

A misjudgment by Labour as many of those social welfare recipients had not voted Labour before nor had any intention of voting for them again.

On the election, if will be interesting to see whether Labour manage to start reversing the public sector pay cuts in advance of the election in an attempt to win back the voters. If they don't and only promise to reverse them in 2017 or 2018, expect the likes of FF and SF to promise to reverse the cuts quicker.

Idbatterim

Yes, but social welfare got away scot free under Labour, the cut in the Christmas bonus happened under FF. The only real cuts in social welfare under Labour were for new claimants under 25 which were hardly traditional Labour voters.

I again agree, just didn't mention welfare as we were discussing PS. It shows just how fickle people are, if during the biggest crisis this country will likely face in any of our lifetimes, the cuts to welfare in particular were merely dabbling in cuts.

Labour literally cant win. They got in and put the brakes on FG with regards to welfare and PS, to what extent we will never know. Labour do their utmost to fight for the Ps and welfare (do a bloody good job of it in my opinion) and that is the thanks they get, nearly wiped out?

If cant wait for the next shower to come in and start living in some utopia, why havent we voted them in, all along? :rolleyes:

On the election, if will be interesting to see whether Labour manage to start reversing the public sector pay cuts in advance of the election in an attempt to win back the voters. If they don't and only promise to reverse them in 2017 or 2018, expect the likes of FF and SF to promise to reverse the cuts quicker.

possibly with the timescale you have given, but would FG have any of it pre election while they are still in coalition? I doubt it...

Riskymove

Tails142 wrote: »

Labour traditionally had the PS vote, .

this simply isn't true

if it was they would have done far better over the years in terms of vote share etc.

they may well have gotten a lot of votes from PS in 2011 as many feared FG were going to target them

The PS is not some homogenous organization all thinking alike, they range from low paid, working class through middle class up to high paid senior managers and consultants etc

They live all around the country and have different interests and priorities

creedp

Riskymove wrote: »

this simply isn't true

if it was they would have done far better over the years in terms of vote share etc.

they may well have gotten a lot of votes from PS in 2011 as many feared FG were going to target them

The PS is not some homogenous organization all thinking alike, they range from low paid, working class through middle class up to high paid senior managers and consultants etc

They live all around the country and have different interests and priorities

Waste of time .. a lot of people, sometimes it seems like the majority of people, see the PS as a homogenous group of self serving lazy and good for nothing wealth destroyers who drag the wealth creators down.

ardmacha

creedp wrote: »

Waste of time .. a lot of people, sometimes it seems like the majority of people, see the PS as a homogenous group of self serving lazy and good for nothing wealth destroyers who drag the wealth creators down.

The same people will be first to complain if their kids do not the points to get into TCD and won't regard Griffith College as suitable.

Riskymove

Godge wrote: »

A misjudgment by Labour as many of those social welfare recipients had not voted Labour before nor had any intention of voting for them again.

I agree

I often think that Labour simply don't understand who votes for them and it is why they lost all their gains in "the Spring tide" and why it looks like happening again.

Idbatterim

I constantly hear FG are for "the rich" is this simply a total smoke screen though, from left wing voters? deeming da rich as people on very modest incomes of say 35-40k plus?

Godge

Riskymove wrote: »

I agree

I often think that Labour simply don't understand who votes for them and it is why they lost all their gains in "the Spring tide" and why it looks like happening again.

Yes, they actually get a lot of middle class votes, teachers, gardai as well but don't look after them when in government.

Howlin, in particular, has done huge damage to that section of their vote.

The social welfare class either don't vote or vote for the extremes and were never going to thank Labour no matter what they did for them.

Riskymove

Idbatterim wrote: »

I constantly hear FG are for "the rich" is this simply a total smoke screen though, from left wing voters? deeming da rich as people on very modest incomes of say 35-40k plus?

I think they are certainly viewed as being pro-business and pro-large farmers

but above all, conservative, which is why a lot of middles class votes go elsewhere

Idbatterim

The social welfare class either don't vote or vote for the extremes and were never going to thank Labour no matter what they did for them.

exactly, that was the point I was making earlier, its lose / lose for them!

Yes, they actually get a lot of middle class votes, teachers, gardai as well but don't look after them when in government.

my mother voted for them, because "she likes Rabitte etc" she is self employed!!! I get how pre election they came across as caring etc and how people would have voted for them. But I wouldn't selfishly vote for FG if I thought a few few extra euro in my pocket, was genuinely the difference between someone going hungry or cold. But I dont believe that here in general with the welfare levels we have. I find them immoral and that they actually create a lot of problems...

Black Swan

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