Clerical officers in the Civil Service have voted to accept a controversial new performance management system.
The decision by members of the Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) paves the way for them to receive a 2.5 per cent pay increase due since June 1st.
The pay rise had been withheld by the Department of Finance because of a threat by the union's members not to co-operate with the new system.
Civil Service unions had previously agreed to implement the performance management and development system (PMDS) under national partnership agreements. An extension of the scheme, linking it to the payment of increments and to promotions, was agreed under the most-recent programme, Sustaining Progress.
Talks on its detailed implementation last year resulted in a system under which a civil servant's performance could be given a rating of between "one" and "five" by management.
A minimum score of "two" is necessary to qualify for increments, and "three" to be eligible for promotion.
At the CPSU's annual conference in April, delegates voted overwhelmingly to condemn the union's executive for agreeing to the new system. They passed a motion calling for a ballot on the scheme within two months.
The Department of Finance responded by withholding the pay increase due to the staff concerned on June 1st. More than 10,000 clerical officers were affected.
However, members of the union have now balloted by a majority of almost two-to-one to accept the new performance management system.
CPSU deputy general secretary-designate Eoin Ronayne said the union would now press for the immediate payment of the pay increase.