Impact chief says pay talks 'achievable'

The general secretary of the country’s largest public service union has said a national pay deal is achievable but it must be weighed in favour of low-paid workers.

Speaking at Impact’s biennial delegate conference in Kilkenny Peter McLoone said he was “under no illusion about the enormous challenges we face in the current negotiations”.

“But it is a robust process with a proven track record of resolving seemingly intractable problems. I remain convinced that if all sides have the ambition for an agreement, and remain resolute and determined to deal honestly and fairly with the issues, then a deal can be done,” he told delegates.

“Our experience of national partnership agreements has been one of success, not failure.” He said any pay deal would have to protect living standards and be weighted in favour of the low paid.

“Without a social dividend, social partnership would exist solely as an instrument to create and sustain wealth, but could never contribute to a fairer distribution of our prosperity or build the kind of society that guarantees fair and equal access

for all citizens to basic education, health, housing and other essential social services,” he added.

He reiterated trade union demands that any deal would have to “dramatically improve the regulation of employment agencies and agency workers”

More than 600 delegates are attending Impact’s conference this week. The union represents over 58,000 members in health, local government, the civil service, education, community sector organisations, aviation, telecoms and the semi-state sector.

Other issues up for debate at the three-day conference, which opened last night, include decentralisation and health. Taoiseach Brian Cowen will address delegates tomorrow.