Medical laboratory scientists back pay deal

Medical laboratory scientists have become the latest group to accept the proposed new Haddington Road agreement on public service pay.

Members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA) voted in favour of the Haddington Road proposals by 62 per cent to 38 per cent.

The union had rejected the earlier Croke Park II proposals a few weeks ago.

Over recent days, a number of public service groups including doctors and lower-paid civil servants who had opposed the Croke Park II deal voted to accept the Haddington Road proposals.

Overall, the vast majority of public service personnel have now voted to back the proposed new agreement.

About 6,000 public service staff who are members of the Unite trade union are so far the only group to formally reject the Haddington Road proposals in a ballot.

The Government has insisted that it will impose cuts under financial emergency legislation it introduced several weeks ago on any public service group that did not sign up to the Haddington Road agreement.

Unite’s public service representatives will meet tomorrow to consider their position in the light of the result of the ballots of other union. The union will also discuss legal advice it has received in relation to the Government’s financial emergency legislation.

The union representing higher civil and public servants is also scheduled to annouce the result of its ballot on Haddington Road tomorrow.

The Government is seeking to generate savings of €300 million on its pay and pensions bill this year under the Haddington Road agreement and up to €1 billion by 2015.