Benchmarking is not an option to end dispute

IS the Government sending a signal to the nurses’ union that if they take their claim through benchmarking, a nod-and-wink way will be found to grant it?

This should not be allowed to happen. Benchmarking has already proved to be a very expensive exercise, with large salary increases paid out for little, if any, reform of the public services or added value delivered to the public.

It is now widely accepted that the public service generally is overpaid relative to those in broadly equivalent private sector jobs.

Existing public service salary and pension commitments will be a severe burden on the State whenever the economy suffers a downturn.

A few years ago Mary Harney suggested Ireland should adopt the Boston rather than the Berlin economic model. Instead, on her watch, we seem to have ended up with the worst elements of the Paris model. There the ‘fonctionnaires’ — the public sector employees — really do rule the roost. Their large numbers, high salaries, short working week, long holidays, early retirement options and generous pensions are bankrupting France. It also needs a benchmarking process, but one that will mean painful cutbacks in the public sector.

Benchmarking cannot go on serving as a gravy-train used by the Government to buy industrial peace by throwing money at public service unions. Doubtless there are deserving groups within the nursing profession who merit increases above the norm, but there should be no blanket settlement simply to buy industrial peace or allay the fears of nervous Government TDs in the run-up to the election.

Peter Molloy

9 Haddington Park

Glenageary

Co Dublin