Ireland Vs Greece

Greeks protest austerity package - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Yesterday I was once again by the BBC World Service to comment on why people are reacting no negatively to the EU-IMF bailout deal. I was paired with the head of one of Ireland's teaching unions (whose name I forget) to show perhaps how different the two country's reaction has been to similar measures.

Whilst Ireland underwent a painful readjustment in incomes and public services there was none of the violence recently witnessed in Athens an many other Greek cities. The impression I got was that Dublin managed to negotiate the changes through dialogue with the major trade unions and built up a consensus, that the cuts in wages and services was vital for the country's future.

No such dialogue exists here in Greece and the massive reductions in public spending combined with tax hikes has been imposed as a fait d'accomplice by the ruling PASOK party.