Coalition to stand firm over cuts to premium pay for staff

The Government is holding firm in its plans to cut premium payments for frontline staff in the public service, despite a major protest last night involving thousands of nurses, gardaí, prison officers and fire and ambulance personnel.

Government sources said even after the proposed cuts, it would still be paying a significant premium payment to public service staff for working on a Sunday.

About 4,000 frontline staff took part in the rally against the Government’s proposals to reduce Sunday premium payments from double time to time and a half and to abolish special Saturday and “twilight” evening payments.

Union leaders at the rally urged frontline public service staff to lobby their TDs and senators and to warn them that it would never be forgotten if legislators supported such plans to cut the premium payments.

There was also strong criticism of union leaders involved in negotiating the proposed new extension to the Croke Park agreement, under which the Government is seeking to generate savings of €1 billion on its public service pay and pensions bill.

In a document released last night, management in the health service said that in the provision of services that operated round-the-clock every day of the year, the current costs for delivering of Sunday and public holiday services was “unsustainable”.

“Management do recognise that Sunday is an important day and are satisfied that the proposal to reduce the current rate from double time to time and a half is fair and reasonable in the current economic circumstances.”

Figures produced by health service management said at present it could “range from between €417 and €604 to pay a nurse for a 12-hour night shift on Sunday (depending on the point on the pay scale).

“In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €324 and €470. This still represents a significant premium payment.”

Management said the total costs of a 24-hour Sunday cover for a nurse could range from between €793 and €1,149 at the moment.

“In our proposals this would reduce to between €603 and €873. This still represents a significant premium payment.”

Management also argued that under its proposals doctors would still receive a significant premium payments for working on a Sunday.

“It can range from between €458 and €646 to pay a senior house officer for a 12- hour rostered Sunday (depending on the point on the pay scale). In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €344 and €484.

“It can range from between €712 and €897 to pay a specialist registrar for a 12-hour rostered Sunday(depending on the point on the pay scale). In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €534 and €673. This still represents a significant premium payment.”

At the rally last night, union leaders said the campaign against the premium pay cuts was only beginning.

Premium pay cuts

They argued that the premium pay cuts, which are aimed at generating savings of around €170 million, would disproportionately hit frontline staff who received a significant percentage of their overall earnings in the form of premium payments for working at night or weekends.

The general secretary of the Prison Officers Association John Clinton told the rally that public representatives must realise that “there will be trouble ahead if an equitable solution is not found”.