New proposals for teachers and nurses as marathon pay talks continue

Teachers who lose supervision and substitution payments as part of a revised Croke Park II agreement would receive the money back as part of their core pay within five years, under the terms of new proposals drawn up overnight.

Highly- placed sources said that €1,300 out of the €1,700 currently paid for supervision and substitution would be repaid in two tranches in 2017 and 2018.

Sources also said that in a proposal aimed at dealing with casualisation in the education sector, teachers would also be entitled to a contract of indefinite duration in schools after three years.

In the health sector, where talks are currently still underway after 24 hours, nurses would have to work a longer week of 39 hours (up from 37.5) but would retain their existing double time premium payment on a Sunday under draft proposals drawn up after marathon talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

Separately, twilight shift allowance of time and one sixth currently paid to nurses for working in the evening would be suspended from July 1st pending a review of achievable savings by the transfer of duties from non-consultant doctors.

Under the proposals, any savings accrued by the transfer of work - such as the taking of blood -would be applied to the terms and conditions of members of the relevant unions. Sources said the restoration of the twilight allowance would be seen as a priority under such a development.

Highly placed sources also maintained that under the proposals there would be no interference with family-friendly/woman- friendly working arrangements in the health service.

Sources said that a concession on the restoration of the senior staff nurse grade could also result in opportunities for promotions for several hundred nurses.

The proposals would also provide for the regularisation of staff who have been acting up in more senior positions for some time.

Earlier Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said this morning said a new set of proposals on a revised Croke Park II agreement was being distributed to all unions.

Mr Howlin described last night’s marathon talks between public service management and trade unions as “constructive”.

Mr Howlin will brief Cabinet colleagues on developments later this morning.

Union sources said last night that the legislation in relation to nurses would allow the Minister for Health in conjunction with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to make changes to the terms of employment of staff by statutory instrument.

Some union sources maintained this would remove the requirement for the Government to bring the measures before the Dáil for a vote.

Separately, members of two more teaching unions, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, have voted for industrial action, up to and including strikes, if the Government moves unilaterally to cut pay or worsen conditions.

Meanwhile Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Government had not changed its target of saving €300 million on the public service pay and pensions bill this year. On Sunday the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Brian Hayes, suggested the Government might not generate the €300 million it had said it was seeking. He indicated the Government would focus on securing €1 billion in savings overall by 2015.