Working days lost to industrial disputes still exceptionally high

The number of days lost due to industrial disputes in the first three months of the year were higher than for the whole of 2010, 2011 and 2012 combined, according to new figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Disputes in the education sector accounted for 98 per cent of all days days lost during the first quarter as industial action undertaken by unions late last year continued.

The latest figures show some 24,056 days were lost on account of four disputes involving 27,588 workers .

This marks a slight decline on the 24,777 days lost during the final three months of 2014, when three disputes involving 27,092 employees were reported. However, it is still markedly higher than any other quarter recorded over the last five years.

The number of days lost due to disputes trebled in 2014 with 44,015 days lost to industrial action on account of 11 disputes involving 31,665 workers, most of which took place in the second half of the year.

In the first quarter of 2014 there were just two disputes involving 178 workers and resulting in 310 days lost.

In 2010 just 6,602 days were lost due to 14 disputes involving 511. This figure fell to 3,695 days lost the following year before increasing to 8,486 in 2012. In 2013, the number of days lost rose to 14,965 due to 12 disputes involving 11,924 people took place.

Separate figures published on Tuesday by CSO show average weekly earnings rose by 5 per cent in the first quarter to €693.03 from €692.43 a year earlier.

Average hourly earnings were €22.23 compared with €22.14 for the same period in 2014, representing an increase of 0.4 per cent over the year.

The largest percentage increase was in the ICT sector where earnings rose by 5.8 per cent over the year from €1,037.21 to €1,097.48. The largest decrease in wages was in the financial, insurance and real estate sector which saw weekly earnings fall from €1,111.19 to €1,059.44, a decline of 4.7 per cent.

Weekly average earnings in the private sector showed rose by 0.6 per cent of €4.02 from €630.53 to € 634.55 on an annual basis compared with an increase of 0.1 per cent or €1.21 in the public sector from €902.98 to €904.19.

Commenting on the figures, Isme chief executive Mark Fielding criticised the Government for entering into new pay negotiations with public sector unions.

“Today’s CSO figures on earnings and labour costs confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that public sector pay remains totally out of line with the private unsheltered sector, with a difference of 42.5 per cent. When compared to SME average wages the differential rises to a prodigious 66 per cemt. Previous European and OECD data shows Irish public sector average pay still higher than most other countries,” he said.

Mr Fielding called on the Government to postpone pay talks until after a general election as a new administration would be in a stronger position to negotiate with unions.