Pay rises on the cards for public-sector workers
Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin revealed the timeline to the Dáil yesterday, admitting “seven years of no pay increases” and “two or three” rounds of wage cuts during the recession have been “unprecedented”.
Responding to questions from Fianna Fáil counterpart Sean Fleming and Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald after Siptu suggested a fortnight ago that a 5% increase is needed, the Labour TD confirmed discussions are imminent.
Mr Howlin said he hopes to meet union leaders from April or May after financial figures for the first three months of this year have been made available.
Insisting the “hard won” Government-stated recovery “must not be jeopardised“, Mr Howlin said he wants details to be agreed before the October budget estimates as he is “acutely conscious” it is now time to pay people back for their sacrifices.
While acknowledging the discussions will be of benefit to workers, Ms McDonald said they were “not the ones” who caused the crash, and hit out at Mr Howlin’s view that Government policy has created the pay rises chance.
She said the fact children are living in poverty, lone parents are “struggling to eke out an existence” and vulnerable people are still being blocked from accessing medical card help means it is “only fair” to acknowledge where cuts were made.
Siptu president Jack O’Connor, has said the union wants a 5% pay rise for public workers.
It is seen in some quarters as a bid by Mr Howlin to lessen calls from Gerry Adams for unions to switch support from Labour to Sinn Féin.
