Unite urges public workers to reject deal

Trade union Unite today urged public workers to reject the proposed pay and reform deal.

The union will advise 6,000 members working in health, education, local authorities, state bodies and the civil service to throw out the agreement in a ballot.

Jimmy Kelly, Unite’s regional secretary, said the proposed deal amounted to “pie in the sky promises” that would do nothing for frontline workers.

“The agreement seeks to copper fasten this government’s misguided policy of taking money out of the real economy to prop up the very institutions that caused our economic meltdown in the first place,” he said.

Mr Kelly said the Government wanted to wipe one billion euro off public sector pay while the eight billion euro being pumped into Anglo Irish Bank would benefit only overseas bondholders.

The union’s public sector representatives overwhelmingly voted to reject the public reform proposals.

Unite’s national executive is expected to confirm the recommendation on Monday, ahead of a full ballot.

“Our unequivocal recommendation to members will be to reject this proposed agreement,” said Mr Kelly.

“We will ballot our members over the next two weeks and will continue our campaign of public sector action to force government to adopt a more progressive approach to the problems we face.”

Meanwhile the executive committee of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) is recommending its members accept the deal.

The association represents more than 3,000 senior civil servants and managers in the non-commercial State sector, earning between €68,000 and €105,000 a year.

Dave Thomas, AHCPS general secretary, said the executive committee believed the proposed pay and reform deal was the best that could be achieved in the current circumstances.

“The association believes that the alternative is either prolonged industrial action which in the present economic circumstances will not produce a better outcome and/or further pay cuts,” he said.

The result of their ballot is expected to be announced on May 7.

Last night, the country’s largest public service union Impact said it would urge its 55,000 members to reject the deal.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (Asti) and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) leaders have already come out against the proposals, while the Irish National Teachers Organisation (Into) will recommend adopting it after a close vote at its annual conference earlier this week.