Fórsa gives Government ‘hours not days’ to make public sector pay proposal

Fórsa chief Kevin Callinan welcomes a more conciliatory approach from Jack Chambers but warns the dispute could become long and difficult

Fórsa secretary general Kevin Callinan speaking to the media outside Leinster House. Picture: Barry Cronin

Unions will give the Government “hours not days” to develop a credible proposal to begin public sector pay talks, Fórsa secretary general Kevin Callinan has said.

Mr Callinan said he believed the “ball is in the Government’s court”, but welcomed a more conciliatory approach from public expenditure minister Jack Chambers.

“We’ll obviously await with interest to see whether or not there’s something credible developed,” Mr Callinan said, speaking to Newstalk.

On Wednesday night, Mr Chambers said there was a “pathway” forward amid positive soundings from trade union leaders during Wednesday's strike action.

Mr Chambers said he was hopeful a deal could be delivered in the “national interest”, while adding he was happy for pay to be dealt with first.

He confirmed intensive work was under way, while multiple Government sources described the situation as “sensitive”.

Mr Chambers indicated on RTÉ that the appointment of a mediator could be on the table, before saying details would be set out once an agreement had been reached.

Unions await Government proposal on public sector pay

Speaking on Thursday morning, Mr Callinan said Mr Chambers had recognised the cost-of-living pressures faced by public sector workers, while also pointing to “intensive” work ongoing in the background.

“I think it’s reasonable to allow a little bit of space, maybe this morning, maybe during the course of the day, to see whether or not that results in a shift in the Government position and some proposal as to how we might move forward,” Mr Callinan said.

Mr Callinan said the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) would meet on Thursday afternoon, with a review of Wednesday's strike and consideration of future action on the agenda.

“If we don’t get a breakthrough here, this is going to become a long and difficult dispute and I think it will be prosecuted in different ways than we’ve had to date,” Mr Callinan said.

Fórsa secretary general Kevin Callinan speaking to the media with striking public sector workers outside Leinster House. Picture: Barry Cronin

Asked about unions’ pay demands, Mr Callinan said the €1.2bn set out by the Government for a deal would “at best” provide for a 2.5% pay rise for public sector workers.

“We've identified a very significant gap over the previous five years of at least 5% between wages and prices in the public service,” Mr Callinan said.

He said everyone was struggling with the cost of living, but that it was “particularly severe” in the public service because of the focus on pay restoration following the FEMPI cuts in 2010.

Fórsa warns dispute could escalate

The Fórsa chief said he was waiting for a call from the Government, adding that the Taoiseach and other senior officials “know how to contact me”.

Asked about a possible joint protest with fuel protesters, Mr Callinan said this was not on the trade unions’ agenda.

However, he said that if strike action went ahead next Wednesday, there would be pickets at workplaces, but unions would ask workers to come to Dublin city centre for a “major rally”.

Mr Callinan pointed to the different type of action that took place on Wednesday, highlighting that many people on picket lines were younger workers who had joined a union in the past few months.

“People were talking about their problems to colleagues in a way that they probably hadn’t done before,” Mr Callinan said, adding that the day was “really important for democracy”.