Pay rises should be frozen — Opposition

THE €1.2 billion of wage increases to public sector workers should be frozen until the taxpayer knows what is being provided in return, the Government was told last night.

Tánaiste Mary Harney defended the benchmarking process yesterday, which granted public sector workers an average pay rise of 9%, but she ruled out tax increases to finance the payments.

This month, public sector workers were paid the first 25% of the increase, backdated to last year, meaning that a substantial lump sum was included in pay packets.