Seven unions refuse to reveal top salaries

A NUMBER of trade unions again refused to disclose the pay levels of their general secretaries when contacted yesterday in relation to a survey by The Irish Times.

Seven of the 16 trade unions approached as part of the survey did not disclose the salary levels of their general secretaries.

These were: the Communications Workers’ Union (Steve Fitzpatrick); Mandate (John Douglas); the Irish Bank Officials’ Association (Larry Broderick); the TEEU (Owen Wills); the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (Liam Doran); the Public Service Executive Union (Tom Geraghty); and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (Dave Thomas).

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants yesterday said they had no comment to make on the pay packages received by their respective general secretaries Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Thomas. A spokesman for the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants said Mr Thomas’ pay was “a matter between David and his members”.

General secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation Liam Doran said he had no comment to make when contacted last night.

Attempts to contact Mandate, the TEEU and the Public Service Executive Union yesterday were unsuccessful.

The Irish Bank Officials’ Association (IBOA) refused to disclose the salary of its general secretary Larry Broderick when contacted by The Irish Times earlier this week. However, the website of the Certification Officer in the UK shows that the salary of Mr Broderick was €133,518 last year.

The annual return for the union available on the website says he also benefited from pension contributions of €46,731, and car, bonus and VHI benefits that totalled a further €19,957. His total package was €200,206, according to the document. The IBOA has a membership of 21,776.

The survey found the leader of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, John Carr, and the leader of public sector union Impact, Peter McLoone, have the highest salaries. Mr Carr is on a salary of €172,000. Mr McLoone has a salary of €171,313.

The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, has a salary of €137,400. General secretary of the Civil and Public Services Union Blair Horan said he had a salary of “about €120,000”, and Siptu general president Jack O’Connor earned €124,895 last year.

The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, John White, has a salary of €144,000, while the general secretary of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, Peter MacMenamin, has a salary between €131,748 and €150,712.