Siptu urges members to accept revised Croke Park deal

The Republic's largest union, Siptu, has urged its members in the public service to accept the revised proposals on reducing the public service pay bill, known officially as the Haddington Road agreement.

In a statement, its national executive council said the measures set out in the document optimised “the potential for generating savings through progressive measures such as the replacement of agency staff with directly employed workers”.

Key concerns
It said the proposals also addressed key concerns in relation to premium pay and overtime rates as well as the organisation of working time for members on less than €65,000 per annum, to the greatest possible degree.

“Simultaneously they provide for the payment of increments and clarity as to when temporarily reduced pay rates will be reinstated for those who are paid between €65,000 and €105,000 per annum.”

The Siptu national executive said acceptance of the proposed new terms would preserve the provisions of the original Croke Park agreement, “affording protection against compulsory redundancy, redeployment in excess of 45km and the potential for outsourcing . . . They would also maintain the entitlement of public service workers to a say in the reform process. Meanwhile, they would guarantee security of income throughout a continuing period of economic uncertainty.”

The union said that if the Government moved to implement cuts through legislation if the proposals were rejected by members it would immediately put in place a ballot for industrial action and for strike action.

Siptu said the new proposals would be the subject of extensive consultation throughout the membership, to be followed by a secret ballot over the next four weeks.

Impact
Separately, the largest public service trade union, Impact, said it had achieved significant improvements for its members in the revised proposals. Speaking at the union's local government division conference in Wexford, Impact general secretary Shay Cody said the revised deal contained improved proposals, including ring-fenced flexitime and work-sharing arrangements.