UNIONS EXPECT that the Government will provide more details next week on its plans for a reconfiguration of public services over the coming years – a key element in any alternative to public sector pay cuts.
Talks between the Government and trade unions over plans to reduce the public sector pay bill by €1.3 billion adjourned yesterday and are to continue after the day of action today organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions over the Government’s economic strategy.
Department of Finance officials signalled earlier this week that it was willing to explore a three to five-year restructuring of the public service, involving reducing numbers and introducing new productivity measures and reforms as an alternative to pay cuts.
However, they also warned that unspecified “bridging measures” would have to be put in place next year to cover the gap before restructuring savings took effect.
Government officials also indicated during talks this week that public service numbers could be reduced by 12,000 – 25,000 in the period up to the end of 2013.
Union sources said last night that no further details of the Government’s proposals for restructuring emerged at the talks yesterday, but that it was anticipated that the pace could increase next week.
Union sources said that no details were provided either on the nature of the “bridging mechanisms” that might be necessary next year.
However, there is an increasing expectation that these could involve cuts in non-core or variable pay such as overtime, premium rates or allowances.
Increments paid to public sector staff could also be targeted.
However, the new 24/7 alliance, representing nurses, gardaí and other groups who receive proportionately more of their earnings through such variable pay, have promised to oppose any such cuts.
Speaking at Government Buildings yesterday, the general secretary of Impact and the chairman of the Ictu public services committee, Peter McLoone, said the composition of such “bridging mechanisms” had not been formulated.
“There has been a lot of speculation about what will emerge. We are still at a stage where we are trying to explore the alternatives and an important part of that will be to know the Government’s intention in as precise terms as we can get in terms of this transformation programme that the Taoiseach has been speaking about.
“We expect that in the course of the next number of days that we will get greater clarity on that than we have had at the moment,” he said.