October pay boost as unions back new pay deal
by Niall Shanahan
 
Last week Fórsa announced that members had backed the review of Building Momentum, with just over 91% of members voting in favour.
Last week Fórsa announced that members had backed the review of Building Momentum, with just over 91% of members voting in favour.

Public service pay scales are currently being amended to reflect an increase of 1% of gross pay, or €500 a year, whichever is the greater, effective from 1st October.

 

The pay adjustment was due under the existing terms of the Building Momentum agreement, negotiated by Fórsa and other unions last year and overwhelmingly accepted in a ballot of Fórsa members in early 2021.

 

Last week Fórsa announced that members had backed the review of Building Momentum, with just over 91% of members voting in favour.

 

Their overwhelming endorsement meant that Fórsa supported ratification of the revised public service pay measures by the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC), which represents all affiliated unions with members in the civil and public service. The deal was unanimously supported by the PSC unions.

 

The pay deal will see pay increases of 3% backdated to 2nd February 2022. It’s expected that the pay adjustment will take effect over the November/December period.

 

A further 2% will fall due from 1st March 2023, and 1.5% or €750 (whichever is the greater) from 1st October 2023.

 

The minimum payment of €750 a year from next October means the package would be worth 8% to a worker earning €25,000 a year and 7% to a person on €37,500 a year.

 

PSC chair and ICTU president Kevin Callinan said the strong showing in favour of the pay deal reflects a recognition by workers that the pay measures will be a helpful support to people at a critical time.

 

The revised measures emerged from a review process necessitated by the surge in inflation, and the ongoing cost of living crisis, and followed negotiations between public service unions and the Government at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

 

Kevin added: “Unions do expect to be back in negotiations next year to secure pay terms beyond the lifetime of the current agreement, which will expire at the end of 2023, and unions will of course continue to closely monitor living costs and income pressures.”

 

Public service pay scales published on the Fórsa website will be updated in the coming weeks.

 

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