Public servants set to lodge pay claim next year

The country’s largest public service trade union has indicated that State employees will seek pay increases next year if the economy continues to improve.

Addressing its delegate conference in Killarney, the general secretary of the Impact trade union, Shay Cody, suggested that if the Government achieved its target of a deficit of less than 3 per cent next year, public service unions would lodge a pay claim, well before the scheduled expiry date ofthe current Haddington Road agreement in July 2016.

He said Haddington Road and its predecessor, the Croke Park agreement had maintained that low -paid workers earning under €35,000 would receive priority in any pay restoration.

He said this commitment needed to be honoured but warned that “it would be difficult to secure a critical mass of public servants to support a claim that applied only to those who earn less than €35,000”.

Mr Cody suggested that public service unions could consider seeking a flat rate increase “as a way to deliver onthe promise while comencing income recovery for all”.

“We should remember that €2 is 2 per cent of€100 but it is 1 per cent of €200.”

He also maintained that another option to be considered was seeking to secure income recovery by reducing the publicservice pension levy.

“A third question is whether we should seek the optionof allowing members to prioritise time andother conditions over income recovery as different members at different stages of the life cycle may have different priorities.”

Gerry King of the union's central executive warned delgates that if public service unions did lodge pay claim the increases sought may not just be handed to workers and that they may need to take action to support their demands.

He suggested that any industrial action in pursuit of the pay claim may have to extend beyond not answering telephones.

Impact represents around 60,000 staff across the public service ranging from some ofthe lowest to some of the highest paid personnel.

There were mixed views among delegates about how any future pay claim should be structured and whether priority should go to the lower paid or those at higher levels who experienced a third pay cut underthe Haddington Road deal last year.

Peter Ryan of the FGE branch ofthe union representing service officers in Government departments said under the various agreements pay increases had tobe focusesed inthe first instances onthe low paid.

He said the union represented cleaners receving €20,000 - €25,000 per year.

Mr Ryansuggested that the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore should dress as Santa Claus and bring a bag of presents when he adresses the conference tomorrow.

“Enough is enough. Our members have delivered. Now it is up to the Government to deliver. “

Michael Baker ofthe primary inspectors branch said his members were amongthe one in eight of those represented by Impact who had experienced a further pay cut underthe Haddington Road deal.

He said his members agreed with everything said about the low paid but that his those in his branch had endured very severe pay cuts and felt that Impact had effectively told them it did not represent “people like us”.

Mr Baker said members felt tht the Haddington Road agreement had become “a noose around their necks”.

“New work practices are constantly being introduced and we are being told that they have to be implemented because they are under HaddingtonRoad. I am sure you can allappreciate the pain and annoyance of having to do these new work practices while also havingto endure a pay cut.”