THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST trade union has called on the government to suspend the household charge, calling it “unfair and regressive”.

The National Executive Council of SIPTU this morning passed a motion asking the government to stop the rollout of the household charge until it is replaced by a “fair and progressive property tax”.

The NEC said that the €100 charge is a flat tax which subsidises wealthy people at the expense of middle and low income families.

It said that the charge is “playing into the hands” of vsted interests who have successfully resisted the introduction of a fair property tax in the past.

“The way the tax is currently being implemented is playing into the hands of those wealthy and vested interests who oppose the very principle of a fair and progressive property tax system,” the NEC said in a statement.

The Council called on the government to instead bring in a property tax which recognises that wealthy households can afford to pay  more and making people on lower incomes exempt from payment.

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