CPSU executive set to reject pay deal

THE leader of the union representing lower-paid workers in the civil service has predicted his executive will this afternoon vote unanimously to recommend rejection of the new pay agreement to its 14,000 members.

Civil Public and Services Union general secretary Blair Horan said there were elements of the deal which he and his union had fought successfully to have installed by the Government in the final document which emerged from Croke Park two weeks ago.

However, he said feedback he had been given from his branch representatives was that members were deeply unhappy that there was no guarantee in the deal of a reversal of pay cuts for public service staff introduced in December’s budget.

After the CPSU executive last met on the issue at the start of this month, Mr Horan said the leadership would have rejected the proposed new deal if a vote had been taken on that day.

“My expectation is that there will be a unanimous decision to recommend rejection tomorrow,” he said last night.

If the vote goes as he predicts the CPSU executive will join those of IMPACT, TUI, ASTI and UNITE in refusing to endorse the agreement with the Government to its 14,000 members. Only the executives of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, Public Service Executive Union and Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants have backed it so far.

Tomorrow Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU executives meet to decide what they will recommend to members.