Public service unions are awaiting a Government decision on whether to open negotiations on accelerated pay restoration after the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC) met on 16th November and agreed to reconvene at an early date to consider developments. IMPACT general secretary Shay Cody and other PSC officers have maintained contact with senior officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform over the last two weeks, and it is believed that Minister Pascal Donohoe may make a statement on the matter in the next week or so.
Meanwhile, an opinion poll in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post revealed that a clear majority of the public supports an increase in public service pay, even if this reduces the scope for tax reductions.
At the ICTU PSC meeting earlier this month, all affiliates reaffirmed their intention to take a collective approach to public service pay and related issues. The committee, which is chaired by IMPACT leader Shay Cody, is made up of senior officials from unions that together represent the vast bulk of public servants.
IMPACT has called for early negotiations and clarity about the process and timetable for addressing the need for accelerated pay restoration. The union has told Minister Donohoe and his officials that the Lansdowne Road Agreement will be quickly undermined unless this happens.
The minister continues to express his support for a public-service wide agreement, and has acknowledged the need to address the wider public service implications of the Labour Court recommendations in the Garda dispute. But so far he has fallen short of conceding the early negotiation that unions have sought.
The Red C opinion poll, carried out last week and published by the Sunday Business Post yesterday (27th November), found that 62% of voters support full public sector pay restoration even if it means a lower cut to the universal social charge (USC). Another 48% said they were willing to fund public sector pay restoration even if it meant lower spending on infrastructure, while a similar percentage backed pay restoration if it meant a lower spend on public services.
In its coverage, the Sunday Business Post said this was a sign that support for public sector pay restoration “is much deeper than had been previously thought.” Surprisingly, support also cuts across all social classes.
The poll results come after weeks of public debate on pay restoration in the wake of the Labour Court recommendations in the Garda dispute. IMPACT has been making the case for early negotiations on a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, and on the need for accelerated pay restoration.
Although public support can switch quickly, and shouldn’t be taken for granted, the latest poll suggests that IMPACT and other unions are successfully making the case for accelerated pay restoration.
Read the ICTU Public Services Committee statement.
Watch IMPACT communications chief Bernard Harbor on the RTÉ 6.01 news.
