Union leaders are to meet senior Ministers and employers next week to seek supports for workers hit by the recent spike in inflation that has resulted from the war in the Middle East.
Speaking at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation in Killarney on Monday, Irish Congress of Trade Unions president Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the organisation had sought a meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (Leef) – which includes Government and business representatives – to consider the impact of the increased price of fuel and food, as well as inflation generally.
It is expected to take place on Friday, April 17th.
She said public sector workers generally are on course to be hit by inflation that is now running well ahead of the 2 per cent in pay increases they are currently due to receive this year.
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“It’s about the general cost of living and what are they going to do for workers,” she said. “We sought the meeting and it has been indicated to us that the Taoiseach [Micheál Martin] will be available to attend.
“The cost of fuel is a particular issue. A lot of people are working to provide important services and have to go have to go to work. Teachers, nurses, midwives can’t work from home but our members, nurses who have to use their own cars, are saying there is a need for something specific to be done.
“We have already written to the HSE on this. The mileage doesn’t cover the cost of driving.
“And workers are asking why they are being taxed at the rate they are when they see the changes that can be made in other areas, like the VAT, value added tax on hospitality reducing to 9 per cent.
“So we believe there is some tweaking of the bands that can happen. And we feel the Leef should have a function, as it did during Covid, on coming up with agreed, innovative solutions to assist with these increasing costs on workers.”
Addressing the 900 teacher delegates at the conference, which got under way in Co Kerry on Monday afternoon, Ní Sheaghdha said the Government was continuing to drag its heels on aspects of the current public sector pay deal, specifically the local bargaining element, which provides for 1 per cent of pay during the period covered by this agreement and 2 per cent in the next, to address sector-specific issues.
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The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, of which Ní Sheaghdha is general secretary, had sought to use its allocation to address pay at entry and very senior levels, a move she says would help retention, and to support the reintroduction of some previously abolished allowances including those for working on islands or in Gaeltacht areas.
The money was supposed to be payable from last September but in common with those lodged by a number of other unions, the claim has not yet been processed.
