The restoration of working time to pre-austerity levels will apply to all civil and public servants in the grades affected, including those who joined the public service after additional working hours were introduced in 2013.

The additional working time was introduced for thousands of civil and public servants, as an alternative to a third pay cut, under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement (HRA). Last month, the independent body charged with resolving the longstanding issue recommended that it should be restored to pre-austerity levels from 1^st July 2022.

This week, Fórsa published a guide to the recommendation, with the facility for union members to submit their questions. 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said last week’s recommendation would remove a longstanding and debilitating drain on public service morale.

Following a meeting yesterday of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF), Kevin confirmed that Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath has received a copy of the full report. The minister has said he will give it due consideration. At yesterday's meeting Kevin pressed the need for an early confirmation that the Government will implement it in full.

Last month, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the unpaid hours were unfair and “never intended to be permanent.”

Fórsa’s ‘frequently-asked questions’ document says that the union expects all parties to the Building Momentum public service agreement to accept the independent body’s recommendation, as the Haddington Road hours process is a fundamental pillar of the deal.

The additional working hours were imposed from 1^st July 2013, when the standard working time of civil and public servants increased to 39 hours for those who previously worked between 35 and 37 hours, and to 37 hours for those who previously worked 35 hours or less. The hours of those working 39 hours or more per week were unchanged.

The independent body’s recommendation would see a return to the pre-July 2013 hours albeit with a minimum working week of 35 hours.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the union had worked tirelessly to resolve the issue.

“This recommendation allows the Government to remove a deep grievance among many, mostly lower-paid, workers. Fórsa devised the strategy for addressing the issue and, working with other unions, insisted that it was included on the agenda for the Building Momentum talks. Throughout 2021, the union held out to ensure a concrete outcome from the HRA hours process set up under the agreement,” he said.

Callinan said he was confident that the return to pre-austerity arrangements could be achieved without excessive cost or damage to public service quality or output.

The independent body said it had taken account of the nine-year period in which the additional hours have been worked, the strain on the staff working the hours, and the “truly committed efforts of staff during the last two years in meeting patient, healthcare, population vaccine, security needs and the requirements of delivery for existing and new social welfare and pandemic payment measures.”

Read Fórsa’s guide to the recommendation HERE. 

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