60,000 workers to get €3k pay boost
Public servants net raise after deal on salaries
TENS of thousands of public servants will receive a salary increase of around €3,300, it was revealed yesterday.
A total of 60,000 workers who were recruited since 2011 are in line for the raise.
After the crash the Government cut pay scales for all those entering the public service by 10%.
However, under a new deal that began yesterday 60,000 employees will receive a bump in pay, including more than 16,000 teachers.
Last September, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced the measures would be for unions that have followed their pay agreements.
Under the arrangement, entrants will benefit from skipping points 4 and 8 on their pay scale, allowing them to catch up with colleagues. The measures will cost the Exchequer €27million this year and a further €48million in 2020 when 78% of new entrants will get pay hikes. However, the deal has been met with opposition from unions who believe it does not go far enough.
When the measures were first announced, teacher unions the ASTI and the TUI warned the contract does not restore full wage equality – particularly on allowances. Yesterday, the INTO said it will push the Government for further wage rises to ensure pay restoration. General secretary Sheila Nunan told RTE: “We have campaigned every step of the way since 2011. “This particular measure which will put money into people’s pockets is something we’re not impeding at the moment because we are in discussions with Government to see if we can deliver the final bit. “We’re delighted we have made very significant progress, this is a reasonable amount of money. “But we will not give up on a cohort of teachers who feel there is still outstanding work to be done.”