FAI staff threaten strikeover 10% pay cut plans
FAI bosses recently informed employees they are seeking to introduce a 10% pay cut from Sep 1. They also want to freeze pension contributions and seek seven compulsory redundancies as the sports body faces an uncertain financial future.
Members of Siptu have sought talks at the Labour Relations Commission next week in a bid to head off an escalation of the dispute into industrial action.
FAI chief executive John Delaney recently told the organisation’s AGM inLetterkenny, Co Donegal, he was taking a 10% cut “to show leadership” which will see his annual salary fall to €360,000.
He also warned the association may need to seek further staffing cuts.
Siptu organiser Denis Hynes said union members at the FAI had firmly rejected the latest proposals for further pay cuts as they had already suffered two reductions in their salaries over the past 18 months.
“We have told management they cannot be expected to take any more.”
He admitted the salary of the FAI’s chief executive — which is almost twice that of Taoiseach Enda Kenny — was a factor in the opposition of staff to accepting further pay cuts.
“There’s a big difference between someone on €400,000 and someone on €40,000 taking a 10% pay cut,” said Mr Hynes.
He claimed many employees saw their salaries fall by over 30% as a result of two rounds of pay cuts over the past 18 months and couldn’t afford any further reductions to their pay.
According to the latest annual report, the FAI had 173 employees at the end of 2011, including 17 senior managers.
