Ictu, which represents more than 90% public servants, agrees to coordinated union campaign on pay
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ICTU Public Services Committee chairman Kevin Callinan said after Wednesday’s meeting that unions were united in their resolution to achieve a credible public service pay offer for 2021 and 2022. Photograph: Eric Luke
Unions are ramping up pressure on the Government over public sector pay as they prepare for industrial action ballots that could take place next month.
The Irish Congress of Trade Union’s (Ictu) Public Services Committee (PSC), which represents more than 90 per cent of the State’s public servants, has agreed at a meeting on Wednesday to mount a coordinated union campaign on public service pay.
A Government pay offer of a combined 5 per cent over two years on top of the 2 per cent in the existing deal was rejected by unions in June as “not credible” and negotiations have stalled since.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said on Tuesday the Government was willing to return to talks with public service unions but there was “a need for flexibility on both sides”.
He told RTÉ Radio: “We will be as flexible as we possibly can and there is a willingness on the part of Government to improve the offer that is there” but flexibility was required from the union side as well.
Public Services Committee chairman Kevin Callinan said after Wednesday’s meeting that unions were united in their resolution to achieve a credible public service pay offer for 2021 and 2022.
He said: “Inflation has risen from 5.6 per cent to over 9 per cent in the four months since we triggered the review clause of the current public service pay deal, Building Momentum.
“Workers across the economy, are bearing the full brunt of large and sustained increases in the cost of home heating, fuel, food, housing, childcare, and many other essentials.”
Mr Callinan added: “Minister McGrath’s indication that the Government is prepared to improve the inadequate offer that led to the mid-June conclusion of talks without agreement is welcome.
“But it is not the position that has been relayed to us by the WRC [Workplace Relations Commission], who have repeatedly told us that the Government side is continuing to ‘reflect’ on its position, and that no change is expected until well into August if at all.”
He said that is why Public Services Committee officers - who represent the union side in talks - recommended a coordinated union campaign backed up by industrial action ballots.
Mr Callinan said: “That position was strongly endorsed by public service unions today. A substantial number of unions have already begun preparations for ballots, and I expect them to begin rolling out next month.”
He also said: “While we fully understand that negotiations require flexibility on all sides, we have no indication that the Government side is ready to make a realistic offer.
“There’s little point in re-engaging unless the WRC indicated that the Government side has something new to say.
“We are ready to re-engage once the WRC is able to indicate that there are significant new proposals to discuss.”
Unions have called the Governments offer of an additional increase of 2.5 per cent for the 2021-2022 period “clearly inadequate when inflation now seems likely to be over 10 percent in that period.”
The PSC has claimed the Government is breaching the Building Momentum agreement by failing to conclude a review of its pay terms.
Earlier this month the union side said it was no longer prepared to discuss an extension of the Building Momentum agreement, to cover pay in 2023, until improved terms for 2021-2022 are agreed.