PUBLIC SECTOR pay cuts will be “part of the agenda” in preparations for talks with the unions and employers, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe confirmed yesterday.
No formal set-piece meetings of the social partners have been arranged for this week so far. “There is ongoing informal contact, and that will continue over the next few days,” a senior political source said.
Mr O’Keeffe pointed out that the Government was seeking further savings of €2 billion a year.
“We are meeting on Wednesday and Thursday to look at all of the areas whereby we can find these savings. Obviously, we’ll be looking at all aspects of pay and conditions,” he said on RTÉ.
“We’ll be looking at other avenues whereby this money can be found. But obviously, at the end of the day, this Government has to govern; this Government has to take the decisions.
“Obviously pay cuts would be a part of the general consideration. No final decisions have been taken by Government. That’s why we’re meeting over those two days to look at all of the options – all of the avenues that we can pursue.”
The Minister added: “Of course pay cuts would be part of the agenda as well as all other aspects.”
He stressed that “social solidarity is very important to us, and we would like to reach accommodation with the social partners on what is being offered. We will have to estimate if that will give us the €2 billion savings required.”
Separately, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has written to Minister for Health Mary Harney and the chief executive of the Health Service Executive, Prof Brendan Drumm, stating that it has received legal advice confirming the Government cannot reduce the pay of individual nurses and midwives.
The INO also said it would be seeking clarification that reductions in pay would not be on the agenda for meetings between the Government and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said the organisation would take whatever action was necessary to protect members’ interests on pay.
“We have received comprehensive legal advice, and we are happy that any attempt by Government to reduce the pay of nurses and midwives can be successfully resisted.”
However, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Isme) called on the Government to introduce emergency legislation to allow for the implementation of pay cuts in the public sector.
Isme said it was imperative that the Government was allowed to make such cuts without being challenged in the courts. Chief executive Mark Fielding said: “Long drawn-out legal battles need to be avoided at all costs.”
The threat of legal action, strikes and civil disruption by unions “must not be allowed when the economy is facing a national crisis and private sector jobs are being shed at record levels”.