Madam, - It seems to me that the public pay awards are now restricting prosperity. People who could work and provide for a better service are prevented by cutbacks in budgets and infrastructure that could be built and make employment is being scaled back.
Anyone can see what's happening. When unions take all the money for agreements above the inflation rate, over private sector rates which are flat and get world class pay for an average service, then it's no wonder that there are cutbacks.
While benchmarking receives a lot of criticism, for all its faults this deal will pay relatively fair wages across the public sector. I am surprised that no one has thought about suspending the new Sustaining Progress pay agreement and keep benchmarking instead. If the same rules were applied as the private sector, payment of the new deal would be suspended due to the employers inability to pay. This would mean that teachers, paramedics and nurses would keep their hard-won gains under benchmarking. - Yours, etc.,
DONNACHA GALLAGHER, Skerries, Co Dublin.