Public sector pay talks set to start on Monday

Talks on a new public sector pay agreement are set to begin at the start of next week after the Workplace Relations Commission issued an invitation to both sides to attend for discussion.

Government officials and public sector union representatives will be attempting to negotiate a successor deal to Building Momentum, which was initially intended to cover 2021 and 2022 before being extended to also cover this year.

In total, it provided for pay increases of 9.5 per cent to the bulk of the State’s 385,000 public and civil servants, although lower-paid workers received up to 12.5 per cent more over the course of the agreement which expires on December 31st.

Inflation during the three years to come total around twice that 9.5 per cent figure, but there were other measures in the deal that benefited the workers involved. The Government also points to the range of cost-of-living supports provided to all households in recent budgets.

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Both sides have said they want a new deal, with Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe suggesting his preference is for one that would extend over two or more years.

The public sector unions have said the prospect of such a multi-year deal has been made more remote by the Minister’s unwillingness to address their desire to see the repeal of remaining crisis-era financial legislation, which they feel gives the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform a veto on deals negotiated to address issues outside of the scope of the national agreements.

Mr Donohoe has said he is happy to see the issue discussed as part of the wider talks process.

Senior officials from the department will represent the Government in the initial phases of the negotiations, with prominent political figures only likely to become involved as a deal comes into view.

Kevin Callinan of Fórsa, Siptu’s John King, Phil Ní Sheaghdha of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and John Boyle of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation will represent the unions at the talks, which will begin at 2pm on Monday.

The two sides have suggested they hope an agreement can be reached within a matter of weeks, ideally before Christmas, after which balloting by the 19 unions with affected members would likely stretch into the new year.