Policy document: Future benchmarking pay increases to civil and public servants must only be paid in return for "meaningful" reforms, Fine Gael and Labour have agreed.
In the first of a promised series of common policy positions, the two parties said State employees were not "genuinely" challenged to accept better ways of doing business in the Sustaining Progress benchmarking negotiations.
Though the principle of benchmarking is a valid one, the two parties said the Government had failed to "articulate a convincing set of requirements for change and reform" in return for better pay.
The parties' common position on benchmarking marks a significant move by both, since Fine Gael was in the past opposed to the concept.
Now, however, it has agreed that benchmarking can produce "a more rational system of pay determination" and stop the build-up of shortages of skilled workers, but only if "it is conducted in a transparent fashion, with the basis of awards being made public, and with awards being linked to a meaningful agenda of public service and reform".
The two parties, in a document entitled "A New Departure for Social Partnership", said "important failings" in the existing model must be tackled urgently. Social partnership must evolve and become more flexible if it is to contribute to the State's future economic growth, the parties agreed.
The Government, trade unions, lobby groups and others are represented in partnership talks, but consumers and the Oireachtas are ignored.
Despite high projected growth figures, the State's economy is "more fragile than it has been for many years. There has been a sharp fall-off in exports, industrial productivity is faltering, there has been a stream of job losses in traditional manufacturing and the economy relies heavily on the construction industry and consumerism in order to maintain growth."
Faced with a "constantly unfolding litany of waste after eight years of FF/PD Government", Fine Gael and Labour said that an "ambitious agenda for public service reform" must be carved out. "The social partners will play a huge role in its implementation. This process will affect the livelihoods and working conditions of the members of trades unions."
Public agencies must be given "meaningful targets" to meet, be made genuinely accountable and must give the public a greater say in the services they deliver.
Highly critical of the lack of influence of the Oireachtas over social partnership, Fine Gael and Labour said past national deals were "never put" to TDs and senators for their approval.
Future negotiations on national deals should be kick-started by an Oireachtas debate.
Fine Gael and Labour were highly critical of the lack of resources enjoyed by the Oireachtas, which, they said, had "hopelessly inadequate" structures to examine public expenditure.
"Its role in influencing the direction of policymaking is minimal," they said.