Union threat to scupper talks

THE country’s largest public service union IMPACT has threatened to scupper any national recovery plan which does not contain protections on public service pay, employment levels and pension levels.

Speaking at the Public Service Executive Union’s (PSEU) annual conference in Killarney yesterday, IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone said that was a “bottom line” for his union. However, Mr McLoone also warned public servants they should prepare themselves for having to work harder and more efficiently.

The IMPACT general secretary used the PSEU speech to warn the social partners his union was willing to engage in industrial action over public service cutbacks even as it participated in partnership talks on the new national recovery plan. He was referring to recently-issued Government circulars which, he said, seek to axe thousands of temporary public service jobs and impose an almost total embargo on appointments, promotions and new acting-up payments.