THE State's largest Civil Service union is seeking a meeting with the Department of Finance about an agreement with SIPTU to give permanent public service jobs to the Dail secretaries of defeated TDs.
The Civil and Public Service Union, which represents clerical grade civil servants, says its members are "furious" about the arrangement. A spokesman said yesterday there was "absolutely no consultation whatsoever with our union. It was a `done deal' between SIPTU and the Department before we ever heard about it".
Most of the Dail secretaries involved are understood to have been working for the Labour Party. It is unclear how many will apply for redeployment into the Civil Service.
There was "a genuine sense of anger among our people", the CPSU spokesman said. "There is a feeling that politicians are looking after their own. These people do not have to go through the normal competition as even temporary staff are obliged to, but they are earning up to £3,000 or £5,000 more than established civil servants."
SIPTU branch secretary, Ms Patricia King, expressed surprise at the CPSU criticism. She said there was no question of dozens of Dail secretaries being redeployed into the Civil Service. She estimated that 10 at most would avail of the option. SIPTU was safeguarding their interests and the CPSU would surely agree it was better to keep people in jobs than be unemployed, she said.
The majority of secretaries are paid at the clerical officer grade level. She thought it unlikely any of the handful of higher paid secretaries would seek redeployment.
One of the conditions for accepting redeployment is that the secretaries would have to leave SIPTU and join the CPSU. Secretaries who opt for voluntary severance instead of redeployment will receive up to four weeks pay for each year of service.
Those who accept redeployment will become "unestablished civil servants", which means they will remain in a separate pension scheme and will not be eligible for promotion. They may apply for Civil Service posts later but would have to do so through open competition.