Pay talks for public servants start with 15-minute session

The first session of talks between the Government and trade unions on pay restoration for about 300,000 public service staff ended after 15 minutes.

Government officials set out the basis of the process and signalled it wanted to achieve a collective agreement. It is understood the Government has a deadline of the end of June for the current process.

Unions also indicated a preference for a single pay restoration deal applying across the public service. It is understood the unions are broadly in favour of a flat rate increase.

The process will resume on Thursday with a fiscal briefing set out by officials of the Department of Public Expenditure. The Labour Relations Commission is expected to become involved in the process from next week when substantive negotiations get under way.

Speaking as he arrived at the talks, the chairman of the public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Shay Cody, said hopefully a good result could be achieved for staff.

He said there would not be any changes to peoples’ terms and conditions as a result of the new talks process. “Productivity is something public servants deliver, day in, day out,” he said.

Gene Mealy of Siptu said his union was looking for pay restoration and alleviation of the pension levy.

Siptu, he said, wanted a strengthening of commitments in the Haddington Road agreement to provide greater protection against privatisation and outsourcing.

Eoin Ronayne of the Civil Public and Services Union said there was a small pot of money available and in the first instance it had to go to lower-paid workers.

He said a small percentage increase was not going to be a runner. He said he would be seeking a flat rate increase.

Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said the Government owed the people he represented a great deal of money "which they had borrowed over recent years - and this process is the first step in restoring that".

“We are all going to be reasonable and sensible, but public servants have given a lot. The Government now owes them and we will see how much they are prepared to pay back.”