Additional working time introduced in the public service in 2013 will no longer be worked with effect from next Friday (1st July), when thousands of civil and public servants will see their working time restored to pre-austerity levels.

Additional ‘Haddington Road’ hours were introduced in 2013, but most people who saw their working time increased will now return to pre-2013 levels, albeit with a floor of 35 hours a week.

The reduction in working time also benefits thousands of people who joined the civil and public service after 2013.

The breakthrough was achieved following the formation of Fórsa, which brought 80,000 public servants – including thousands of activists and workplace reps – into one strong and united trade union.

The union made the restoration of the hours a top priority in the negotiations that led to the current public service agreement, and insisted there’d be no deal unless the issue was addressed.

Fórsa’s strategy won support from other unions, and Building Momentum established an independent body to resolve the issue. Its January 2022 report recommended a return to 2012 working time, with a minimum working week of 35 hours.

The union’s general secretary Kevin Callinan said the achievement was won because Fórsa had the determination, capacity, belief and collective strength to make it happen, despite dogged management resistance.

“Now we need to build our collective strength to tackle the big challenges facing working people and their families today – issues like pay and the cost-of-living crisis, remote and blended working, childcare, and flexible work arrangements,” he said.

Civil service circular 14/2022 which was published at the end of last month, confirms the details of the union-negotiated restoration of pre-Haddington Road working hours, albeit with a floor of 35 hours a week.

The circular, which is now set to be rolled out across the public service, implements an independent body’s recommendation that public service employees’ working time should be restored.

Read the FAQs HERE. 

Read the Local Authorities circular here.