SIPTU backs national pay deal
SIPTU, which has 200,000 members, voted in favour of the deal by 73% to 27% in what represents a major boost for the agreement ahead of a crucial meting of union leaders today.
Union and government sources are now confident the Sustaining Progress deal, which offers a 7% pay rise over 18 months, will be accepted at the special conference of the umbrella union group ICTU despite opposition from a number of large unions.
A spokesperson for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday said: “The signs are looking positive - but we’ll have a clear idea after the meeting of ICTU today.”
The two teachers’ unions have also voted to back the deal, with the Teachers’ Union of Ireland accepting the deal by a “significant margin”, according to its general secretary Jim Dorney. The INTO has also voted to back the deal, while the ASTI is outside the partnership process.
However, there has been widespread opposition from a number of unions including the 20,000-strong Communication Workers’ Union, which rejected the agreement yesterday by a margin of four to one.
The union’s general secretary said members were in favour of partnership in principle, but said the 7% pay increase would not match inflation.
The community and voluntary pillar, made up of eight organisations, has also been split by the agreement with many saying it doesn’t go far enough to combat social exclusion.
One of those groups, the Community Platform, which represents 26 community and voluntary groups, rejected the deal which they said ignored those living in poverty.
The group’s spokesperson Francis Byrne said: “ We will continue to engage with the Government and other social partners, whatever decisions about the lives of the people we represent will be made.”
However other groups, such as the Conference of Religious of Ireland, the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and St Vincent de Paul, have voted in favour of the deal with reservations.
CORI believes that the while more could be done to tackle social exclusion, it believes those living at the margins are better off with the agreement in place.
The Government says it wants the final positions of all groups by Friday.
