Public service workers warned not to be 'over-expectant' on payback

One of the country’s most senior public sector union leaders has warned public service workers not to get "over-expectant" about a restoration of pay and conditions mooted by the Government.

Tom Geraghty, general secretary of the Public Service Executive Union, said that restoring even €1,000 to each individual will cost the State €289m.

He also said “populist” calls for tax reductions could threaten the ability of the Government to prioritise pay restoration.

Last week, Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said talks would begin next year on reversing elements of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts, which included the pension levy in 2009 and cuts to pay rates in 2010 and pensions in 2011. It also underpinned temporary pay reductions under the Haddington Road agreement.

Mr Howlin warned that the cuts would not be restored all at once, but he wanted talks with unions on the “unravelling” of pay cuts introduced under emergency legislation.

Mr Geraghty said that it had been “illuminating and somewhat disturbing” to read comments from people regarding the possibility of discussions on pay restoration.

“The long campaign of vilification of public servants in our media has resulted in antipathy towards public servants that has no basis in rational fact and that overlooks the disproportionate share of the burden borne by public servants in recent years,” said Mr Geraghty, who is also secretary of the Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

He said there was undoubtedly a political element to the move as the Government “can scarcely be unmindful of the voting strength of 289,000 public servants in the next general election”, which is scheduled for 2016.

“There is nothing particularly remarkable about a Government seeking to undo serious harm inflicted on a sizeable group in advance of an election and, in this case, any concept of fairness would justify such actions,” he said.

Nonetheless, he warned public servants not to get “over expectant”.

“The maths are simple,” said Mr Geraghty. “With 289,000 public servants, every €1,000 restored will cost the exchequer €289m. Just how much restoration can be achieved is, therefore, still dependent on our economic performance and the consequent ability of the exchequer to deal with increased costs.

“In addition, we live in a country which seems to have an inordinate aversion to taxes — matched, somewhat paradoxically, with an insatiable demand for public services — and there are no votes to be had in telling the electorate the undeniable truth that we are a relatively low tax economy.

“So, while two cheers can be raised for the minister for the clarity of his position in relation to the suffering imposed on public servants, the jury is still out on the extent to which his Government is prepared to do the right thing. The year of 2015 looks like it will be interesting.”