Kenny: No compulsory job cuts under Croke

Compulsory redundancies for public service workers were ruled out by Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday who said such measures were not part of the current Croke Park deal.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore went further when asked about the possibility of such a move in a second Croke Park deal with trade unions and said forced redundancies were not on the agenda.

The comments from the coalition leaders are at odds with Leo Varadkar, the transport minister, who has suggested that a further deal with workers after 2014 should include compulsory redundancies.

The Fine Gael minister’s call for a redundancy clause in any Croke Park II has infuriated trade unions.

“One thing I think we need to be able to dois [introduce] compulsory redundancies where you close down an agency, for example,” he had said.

The Taoiseach said the current deal — which protects public pay until 2014 in exchange for efficiencies and changes in work practice — was working. Any successor to the deal was not under discussion, he added.

When pushed about such a measure in any second deal, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said: “Compulsory redundancies are not on the agenda.”

The coalition leaders were speaking at the North-South ministerial council, which met in Farmleigh, Dublin. Leaders and ministers from both sides of the border discussed the ongoing financial crisis in Europe as well as possible measures to enhance economic growth.

Talks included any knock-on effects from the weekend elections in Greece, Spain’s debt, as well as Ireland’s presidency of the EU next year.

Discussions were also held on sharing funding for roads, such as the A5 motorway to Derry, health services, and third-level education.

Trinity ballot

Almost 400 staff at TCD will be balloted to withdraw extra work under the Croke Park deal if the college does not accept by June 28 a Labour Court ruling to reinstate three workers made compulsorily redundant.

TCD says it makes redundancies where funding from non-exchequer sources ceases, or where the associated work has been completed.

However, Irish Federation of University Teachers’ general secretary Mike Jennings said the court’s April recommendation rejected TCD’s arguments. The Department of Education told the Irish Examiner its position was that the court’s decision was binding on both parties. It has written to TCD.

Niall Murray