Public Sector pay talks began this week. After initial engagement at the WRC on Monday 27th November the parties adjourned. Talks are now due to reconvene this morning, Friday 1st December at 10am. 

Writing to members ahead of the start of the talks Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan outlined the approach the Public Services Committee of ICTU agreed. 

Kevin said: "We have a short window to negotiate a new deal for the 385,000 public sector workers in Ireland. Pay increases over the last three years have not made up the gap between wages and the cost of living. That gap is felt most acutely by the lowest paid workers, so we want to make sure that any agreement looks after those public sector workers who earn the least."

On Friday 17th of November, the public services unions affiliated to ICTU agreed that a multi-year agreement would only be possible if the Government made a commitment to repealing the remaining elements of FEMPI. 

This emergency legislation, brought in during the crisis, centralises control in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to an excessive extent, which is stopping ordinary industrial relations progressing even when there’s agreement between employers and unions. 

Explaining the impact this has Kevin said: “When this level of central control is being exerted by one Department the statutory system of industrial relations, including the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court, and even in some instances, conciliation and arbitration schemes, can’t work as they are meant to.”

However, disappointingly, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe responded that he "was not aware of any practical impact that the Financial Emergency measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act, 2009 has on the conduct of normal industrial relations in the public service.” 

As such, in accordance with the decision of all 19 ICTU PSC affiliates on 17th November, the union negotiators are now concentrating on trying to reach agreement on short-term pay measures to address cost-of-living and labour market pressures. 

Explaining why unions are taking this approach Kevin said: “We don’t want our members to miss out on a possible pay deal. But we cannot commit to an agreement that reduces our capacity to represent members over a prolonged period, that’s why we will focus on a shorter-term agreement.” 

Kevin concluded: "We want a fair, affordable, and sustainable pay deal for the public sector workers of Ireland who contribute so much to our country every day". As talks progress we will continue to update members.