Unions for 70,000 workers quit talks

Talks on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement continued into the early hours, despite unions representing almost 70,000 public servants walking out over the Government’s demands.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU), the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), and Unite trade union all said the cuts being sought by the Government to achieve €1bn in savings were just too much.

However, at the time of going to press, unions for most public servants were still immersed in the talks. Between the teaching unions, Impact, and Siptu there remained representation for almost 220,000 public service workers.

Bernard Harbor of Impact said the majority of the public services committee of Ictu believed it was better to remain in talks, as they could influence the outcome. He pointed out that both ministers and management have made it clear that without an agreed deal, management will impose pay cuts and change working conditions unilaterally to achieve the €1bn in savings.

However, earlier in the day, the leader of Siptu warned that if talks on Croke Park II broke down, unions would “go to war” with the Government through “protracted strikes and all that goes with them”. While Jack O’Connor described the government negotiators as hawks, he acknowledged the Government was confronted with the country’s most serious economic crisis. Therefore, he said it was best to remain in talks to try to achieve a negotiated deal.

“However, failing a reasonable outcome we will actually go to war. While we may not win, the Government will not win either.”

If a deal does emerge it will be voted on by the members of Ictu’s public services committee. Normally, if there have been no walkouts during the negotiations, those who remained would be bound by the outcome of the vote. The walkouts create a different and unknown scenario that will likely lead to significant industrial action.

The talks had been divided into a series of cross-sectoral strands by the Labour Relations Commission. The main headings were:

* Premium payments — The Government wants to reduce Sunday premium earnings from double time to time-and-a-half and to abolish the payments for Saturdays and twilight shifts. That played a major role in the withdrawal of INMO and IMO;

* Increments — The Government wants a total freeze on all increments for all public servants and a “step back” for every public servant on the maximum of their scale. The Civil Public and Services Union said their members would suffer most from that;

* Working hours — The Labour Relations Commission negotiators have proposed that all staff working fewer than 37 hours per week would move to 37 hours. Staff who work more than 37 hours, but fewer than 39, would move to 39 hours. Staff working 39 hours would remain on that level, but the first hour of any overtime would be free;

* Higher pay — Talks must establish at what level cuts will start, likely to be €65,000. Percentages have not emerged as yet, but double-digit cuts are likely for those earning more than €100,000. The IMO said this was just one of the cuts its members faced;

* Overtime — Government want a flat rate for overtime. Unions are not prepared to concede on that. Any deal is likely to see a reduced rate for overtime.