Unions strike deal on 10.25% public sector pay increase
TRADE unions will ballot their members on the proposed public-sector pay rise of 10.25% over two-and-a-half years.
The balloting will run until March 25, to allow for all unions to consider the new agreement’s terms.
The Government is finalising proposals that will see €3.6billion paid to 385,000 public servants over four budgets.
Negotiations on the deal ran to the early hours of yesterday morning at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) headquarters in Dublin.
In a meeting yesterday afternoon, the Public Services Committee (PSC) officers of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) briefed the 19 affiliate unions on the terms of the new pay agreement.
The agreement was reached shortly before 9am, after almost 22 hours of continued talks at the WRC.
The unions were told the pay terms represented the ‘absolute maximum achievable’ after months of negotiations.
Unions were also told that the agreement provided for the implementation of a number of outstanding Labour Court recommendations, as well as provisions for local bargaining.
Kevin Callinan, general secretary of the Fórsa trade union, said: ‘‘Like all of these things, we would have liked it to have been more but we have succeeded in improving the last Government offer [that had been made] on January 11.
‘We will be taking that detail back to all our affiliates in a meeting and we will release more details after that.
‘We want to bring the news directly to them first.’
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe welcomed the proposed public pay agreement.
He said: ‘Collective agreements have an important place in public service industrial relations... I recognise that the commitment, flexibility and agility of our highly skilled public servants is fundamental to the delivery of quality public services.
‘I believe that this agreeincomes. ment will provide certainty and stability for public servants as well as the Government and public service users over the coming years.’
Mr Donohoe continued: ‘The agreement provides for increases of 10.25% over a twoand-a-half-year period.
‘This is made up of pay increases totalling 9.25%, as well as a provision for a local bargaining mechanism equivalent to 1% of pay.
‘The pay measures in the agreement are weighted towards those on lower Those on lowest incomes will receive up to 17.3% over the lifetime of this agreement inclusive of the local bargaining provision.’
The Taoiseach said Mr Donohoe will bring a memo to Cabinet next week.
Leo Varadkar said: ‘If the unions decide to ballot their members on the proposed deal, Government will honour it. It roughly works out as 4% this year, and 4% next year for public servants.
‘I think it’s appropriate. The cost of living has gone up by quite a lot and we want our nurses, our teachers, our doctors, our gardaí, our Defence Forces personnel, our local authority workers to be paid better.
‘In return, there are agreements around performance and deficiencies, which I think are very important.’
He added: ‘What I think is good about the deal is there are particular measures for low-paid workers in the public service – pay increases around 16% or 17% over two-and-a half years and that’s important too, because these are hard-working people who are being hit hardest by inflation and this... will help them.’
‘Will provide stability’