Trade unions voice out against Government’s refusal to withdraw additional, unpaid, working hours
DUBLIN: Trade union leaders, including the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (INMO), have warned against the government’s unwillingness to withdraw the additional, unpaid, working hours introduced for public sector and government employees in 2013 in the wake of the recession. Dissatisfaction is growing in all sectors against the Government’s failure to keep its promise in the public wage agreement.
Since the beginning of July 2013, the working week for public sector employees has been increased to 37 hours per week, up from 35 hours or less per week. At the same time, people working more than 35 but less than 39 hours, including nurses, were required to work 39 hours. The Government had promised to withdraw this extra working hours but has not yet complied.
Unions, including the INMO, are calling for the reinstatement of lost benefits by hiring a sufficient number of workers. The Public Expenditure Department’s silence on the reduction of working hours has also enraged the unions.
Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said that it would cost around €621 million to fully replace the additional hours through recruitment. According to a 2017 study conducted by the Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service, it is estimated that around 11,652 full-time employees will be needed, the minister said. But none of these figures are accepted by the unions.
INMO will not be ready to sign the agreement in future – General Secretary
The INMO’s general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said nurses in Northern Ireland and the UK work 37.5-hour per week, compared to 39 hours in the Republic. She warned that if working hours remained longer than in neighbouring jurisdictions, recruiting would become more difficult.
Ms. Ni Sheaghdha stated that the Government’s commitment to address the issue of overtime was the primary reason her members chose to accept the current public service agreement.
The General Secretary also clarified that if this promise is not kept within the term of this agreement, “it will be very difficult to persuade nurses and midwives to enter into any form of successor public service agreement.”
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