The possibility of public sector unions balloting for industrial action remained on the table as pay talks with the Government continued on Monday night
Representatives from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (Ictu) public services committee began a fresh round of meetings with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform officials at the Workplace Relations Commission on Monday as they seek to thrash out a deal on pay increases to help workers amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Sources on both sides kept their cards close to their chests, with the talks said to be at a sensitive stage.
The Irish Times revealed on Monday that an improved pay offer to public servants is likely to be made by the Government in a bid to avoid a series of threatened strikes over the rising cost of living. Sources briefed on the issue said that the new offer would be no more than an additional 1 per cent on top of the existing 5 per cent offer between now and the end of next year which is already on the table since early summer.
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Previous talks in June stalled when the original 5 per cent offer was rejected by unions as “not credible”.
Union officials declined to comment on the extra 1 per cent expected to be in a revised Government offer as they arrived at the WRC just before lunchtime while hinted it may not be enough.
Kevin Callinan, the general secretary of Fórsa, said: “We’re not going to comment on or speculate on media reports but what is clear since we were here 10½ weeks ago is that inflation, the cost of living has increased by a further additional 1.5 per cent. We’re here to do business just as we were on the 17th of June but the Government side is going to have to move in a credible way to close out a deal.”
Asked by reporters if 1 per cent would be credible, Mr Callinan said: “I don’t think the total on offer was going to do the deal in June. We’re here to negotiate. We’re not going to speculate on particular figures.”
Mr Callinan said: “Nobody wants industrial action” but added of plans for ballots: “In circumstances where there was an absolute hiatus on the part of the Government we had no choice but to mobilise our members. Those arrangements are in hand. Ballots will proceed later this week if we can’t reach an agreement here.”
He also said: “As things stand, ballots are going ahead.”
Ahead of the talks unions have said they are prepared to be flexible.
Mr Cullinan said the unions had a negotiating position in June and “we’re prepared to negotiate from that but what we need to achieve here is something that recognises just how much workers are suffering as a result of the cost of living...Employers including the Government – who can afford to do so – are going to have to help in that regard and that’s what this is about.”
Some public sector units have plans to begin balloting for industrial action as early as this week. Siptu was due to begin balloting it’s public sector members on Monday. However, after the WRC invitations were issued last week Siptu said that ballots on possible industrial action and strike action would instead begin in early September in the absence of a successful outcome of the resumed talks.
Antoinette Cunningham, the general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), predicted it would be a “long and challenging day” as she arrived at the talks.
Members of An Garda Síochána are banned from going on strike. Asked what her members would do if there is no pay deal Ms Cunningham said: “We have a conference in Athlone in three weeks’ time and if there is a failure to achieve a deal here today we’ll be discussing with our membership what the next steps for sergeants and inspectors will be.”
She said: “We’re here to negotiate and we’re here to try and achieve a deal, and we’ll stay here as long as that takes.”
