No rise after redundancy talks
To give workers three weeks redundancy pay for each year’s service, employers would have to pay €25m to €44.5m this year, and €47.5m to €85m would come from the Government’s Social Insurance Fund, it says.
At present, redundant workers are entitled to one week’s pay for each year of service and those aged under 41 get half a week’s pay per year.
But the Government and employers failed to agree to pay extra costs demanded by unions in negotiations at the Redundancy Review Group.
The group, which comprised unions, employers and Government representatives, did not agree on improvements in benefits paid to workers under the redundancy payments scheme.
The group’s report, published yesterday, shows that abolishing the gap between workers under and over 41 would cost the SIF up to €13m and employers up to €7m.
Agreement was reached on some policy and administrative changes for redundancies, relating to such factors as insurability, ceilings on wages, qualification periods, and fines and penalties.
Unions said their campaign for a rise in redundancy payments would continue.
The issue will now be raised at the post-Programme for Prosperity and Fairness negotiations.
