If social partnership talks fail, industrial action may follow, writes MARTIN WALL.
IF THE talks between the Government and the social partners on a national economic recovery programme collapse, attention will turn to see how the trade union movement will respond and whether the country will face a wave of industrial action.
The executive council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions will meet on Tuesday morning to consider its position on the talks.
However, Jack O’Connor, head of the country’s largest union, Siptu, has already warned publicly that without a major change of heart on the part of the Government there would be no new agreement.
Senior Government sources indicated last night that it was “highly unlikely” that there would be a traditional-style social partnership deal which would set out commitments and timeframes.
The Government is prepared, it would appear, to consider some new job protection measures including possibly using money which would otherwise be used on social welfare payments to support troubled companies.
Whether this would be sufficient for the unions remains to be seen. However, on its own and in the absence of any new initiative to support workers in defined benefit pension schemes which are facing difficulties, this move would seem unlikely to be enough to seal a deal.
In addition public sector unions have laid down their own markers for guarantees for job numbers, pay levels and the current tax-free status of pension lump sums as part of any overall reform agreement.
But if there is to be no agreement, what will happen next?
It would appear that Ictu has three options; it could do nothing, which seems unlikely; it could allow individual unions to go their own way and respond as they see fit; or it could seek to reactivate a joint approach similar to the ill-fated day of strikes planned for the end of March.
Already a number of unions such as the CPSU, which represents lower-paid civil servants, have passed motions calling for industrial action in the event of talks on a social solidarity deal on national recovery collapsing.
Teaching unions have also backed campaigns of industrial action over education cuts and the pension levy.
Mr O’Connor warned several weeks ago of a prolonged campaign of action if the current talks failed. Angry voices are also likely to emerge at the Irish Nurses Organisation’s annual conference next week and at the conference of Impact’s health and local authority staff.
The talks deadline of this weekend had been set publicly by Siptu, and accepted privately by many others, for an indication from the Government on whether a deal was possible on key issues such as pensions and employment protection measures.
The Government indicated last night that it would set out its position to the social partners next week after the Cabinet reviewed progress. However, informed sources said last night that the Ictu would not want to be drawn into an indefinite ongoing “process”.
In the event of it deciding that there is no prospect of a deal, Ictu will next week have to decide whether to go down the road of industrial action, as sought by many members at individual trade union conferences – largely in the public sector – in recent weeks.
The question of whether private sector workers would back any industrial action remains to be seen.
It will also have to consider an offer by employers’ group Ibec for a possible bilateral agreement covering the private sector if there is to be no overall deal involving the Government.