DUBLIN: New pay agreement for 2% pay raise for government employees, including nurses in Ireland. The government is considering a two-year contract recommendation in this regard. The new recommendations will benefit about 3,50,000 government employees.
Features of the new pay deal recommendations include an independent commission to reinstate the cuts made in the 2013 Haddington Road Agreement, and Sectoral Bargaining Fund to ensure industrial peace.
Employees will receive a 1% increase through the Sectoral Bargaining Fund. Negotiations are also underway for a new agreement between the gardaí and Defence Forces, along with the Psychiatric Nurses Association, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Dentists Association. It is generally estimated that low-income earners will receive higher pay than higher-paying staff.
The two-year agreement is titled “Building Momentum – A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022.” Accordingly, government employees can return overtime and premium payment rates. Additionally, under the Haddington Road Agreement, additional unpaid hours will be available for final refund. The new agreement also includes measures to address the existing pay inequality in teaching recruitment after 2011. Unions must agree to this provision, which is included in the current Public Service Stability Agreement, which expires on December 31. The agreement stipulates that workers will receive a general increase from October 1, 2021, as a percentage of gross pay or €500 per year, (whichever is greater). The second similar increase will take place one year later, on October 1, 2022.
On February 1, 2022, the Sectoral Bargaining Fund will provide a 1% increase in annual salary. At the time of the new contract, this fund will be worth 1% of the basic pensionable salary.
Sectoral Bargaining Fund to ensure industrial peace
Groups have the option to use the available allocation as sectoral salaries. It is intended to handle the best judgments, recommendations, awards and claims. In order to receive the Sectoral Bargaining Fund, the unions must maintain industrial peace and work in line with the new dispute resolution process.
The new agreement also includes proposals for reform through changes in technology and work practice. There will be temporary redeployment where necessary and an increase in the number of public service staff across the country. The sectoral action plans also provides for provision for the implementation plan and a reporting plan to confirm the implementation of the agreed reforms.
The agreement with the workers’ unions emphasizes that it is committed to meeting the immediate challenges of the next two years. The impact of COVID-19, a return to normal delivery of health services, ensuring the reopening of schools, addressing challenges that arose for children during the crisis, dealing with Brexit and addressing digitisation are all part of the reform.
Independent Commission to Restore Cuts
The Haddington Road Agreement of 2013 will address some of the issues, including unpaid extra hours left over from cuts in the austerity period. An independent body will be established by the end of March 2021 to submit recommendations for a return to Haddington Road period, with €150m available to commence implementation of the outcome during 2022.
To address the pay inequality of teachers recruited from January 2011, points on their pay scale will be increased from 11 to 13. Or moving to an extra point will also be considered. Overtime and premium payments will be restored to pre-2013 levels.
The Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has welcomed a new short-term package. Proposals will be scrutinized in detail by each public service union affiliated with the ICTU, which represents 90% of the public sector, before submitting to their members.