In this issue
Equality in the Workplace: A Reality?
Unions back new public service pay deal
Labour Court recommends increase for Aer Lingus staff
Congress calls for major initiative on housing crisis
Game of Thrones star to attend IMPACT young members' event
Unions back new public service pay deal
Combined union vote approves PSSA by more than 80%
by Niall Shanahan
 
All public servants would receive positive pay and pension levy adjustments, with 73% seeing gains of 7% or more over the lifetime of the agreement.
All public servants would receive positive pay and pension levy adjustments, with 73% seeing gains of 7% or more over the lifetime of the agreement.
The Public Services Committee (PSC) of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has voted to approve the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA). The deal was approved by an aggregate ballot of the PSC at a meeting yesterday (Monday 18th September).

Individual unions balloted their members on the terms of the agreement, which was endorsed by members of Siptu, the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (INMO), TEEU, IMPACT and civil service unions the PSEU and CPSU.  The agreement was supported by a margin of over 80% when union votes are aggregated (see table here).

The agreement will mean that, by 2020, more than 90% of public servants will be out of ‘FEMPI’ pay provisions, and almost a quarter will have exited FEMPI pension levy payments.

All public servants would receive positive pay and pension levy adjustments, with 73% seeing gains of 7% or more over the lifetime of the agreement.

This is in line with the better union-negotiated pay rounds currently being agreed in the private sector. The agreement also preserves the value of public service pensions.

Speaking on behalf of the PSC, IMPACT communications officer Niall Shanahan said the preservation of protections against outsourcing, which unions had successfully invoked to prevent privatisation of local authority services in the past, was also a highly valuable feature of the proposed agreement.

“The agreement also provides an avenue to address outstanding issues like pay for new entrants employed since 2010. We will immediately seek to have discussions with the Government to activate these provisions,” he said.

Main provisions of the Public Sector Stability Agreement (PSSA): 
  • 1st January 2018: 1% pay adjustment
  • 1st October 2018: 1% pay adjustment
  • 1st January 2019: Pension levy threshold up from €28,750 to €32,000 (worth €325pa)
  • 1st January 2019: 1% pay adjustment for those earning less than €30,000
  • 1st September 2019: 1.75% pay adjustment
  • 1st January 2020: Pension levy threshold increased to €34,500 (worth €250pa)
  • 1st January 2020: 0.5% pay increase for those earning less than €32,000
  • 1st October 2020: 2% pay adjustment
The proposed agreement includes a range of non-pay measures including: 
  • The retention of outsourcing protections
  • A facility to revert to pre-Haddington Road working hours (with a commensurate pay adjustment)
  • An end to pension levy payments on non-pensionable earnings, including overtime
  • A process to address longer pay scales for new (post 2010) entrants
  • A process to assess recruitment and retention problems in certain grades and professions
  • Commitments on work-life balance arrangements, and
  • A commitment not to increase CORU, or other professional registration fees, during the lifetime of the agreement.
 PSSA: Frequently asked questions
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