LRC VERDICT:THE DEAL agreed by Government and public service union negotiators yesterday morning, was described as "revolutionary", by the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey.
Mr Mulvey said a “root and branch review” of public services would take place as a result of the talks and that the new agreement acknowledged the difficult budgetary situation facing the State.
“The basis of this deal is a significant, almost revolutionary transformation of all Irish public services right across the spectrum,” he told RTÉ.
“We are now in a position to begin to restructure, re-manage, refocus, re-energise our public services on the concept of very clear delivery of services.”
“. . . There’s not going to be any further pay cuts, there’s going to be no compulsory redundancies and everybody is clear the only way pay increases can be generated out of this is out of the savings that can be achieved,” he said.
“That’s a clear recognition of the budgetary situation we’re in now and are likely to be in for another few years.”
Mr Mulvey said that if the vision and commitment shown during the hours of negotiations could be replicated elsewhere it would show that “we will re-energise, refocus and rebuild this country into another modern economy”.
Mr Mulvey also said he had asked the union negotiators to request that their members cease ongoing work-to-rule action.
The Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (Ibec) said the agreement presented “an opportunity for real reform of public services”.
Ibec director general Danny McCoy said: “Given the very serious challenges the country continues to face, an agreed approach is the best way forward.
“Reform must deliver specific, measurable savings and have a firm implementation timetable,” he added.