HIGHER CIVIL servants have begun balloting on industrial action in protest at cuts in pay and threats to pensions.
The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) – which represents principal officers and assistant principal officers – is the latest public service union to vote for industrial action, although it is not seeking a mandate for work stoppages.
AHCPS chairman Peadar Carpenter said last night that as a result of the recent pay cut, the introduction of the pension levy, and increases in income and health levies and PRSI, members had seen their take-home pay fall by between 16 and 22 per cent.
He said AHCPS members did not receive overtime, allowances or bonuses.
Mr Carpenter also said that about 10 per cent of posts represented by the AHCPS had been lost as a result of the implementation of the Government’s moratorium on recruitment.
“Members are being asked to cover for these vacancies by working longer hours, carrying ever-increasing work loads and enduring higher stress levels.
“At the same time, members are being denied promotions while suffering unparalleled cuts in pay,” he said.
Mr Carpenter said ACHPS members were very reluctant to take industrial action. It was not in their nature, but the decision of the union’s executive committee to ballot members, following widespread consultation, represented a sign of the anger and frustration felt by members.
The AHCPS took part in the one-day public service strike last November, but members voted against participation in a previous action planned a year ago.
Mr Carpenter said he was confident that the ballot would be carried on this occasion. If it is, AHCPS members will refuse to carry out work associated with vacant posts, excluding short-term absences such as annual leave, sick leave, flexi-time etc.
They will also refuse to co-operate with the Government’s reform or change agenda.
Members would also refuse to work any new cross-stream reporting arrangements under which civil servants would report to technical or professional grades. Members in a branch would also be allowed to take strike action to support any colleague in the union who was suspended for taking part in the industrial action.
In a memo sent to members this week, the AHCPS said the objective of the proposed industrial action was:
to engage with the Government on pay policy, including a guarantee of no further pay cuts and to seek over time a reversal of the ones already imposed;
the protection of pensions;
the filling or review of vacant posts.
The memo says the union’s executive committee acknowledges “that there are different views among the membership as to what the association’s response should be”.
“While the proposed industrial action might not find favour with everyone, the executive committee considers it important that the association take a stand on this matter and join with our colleague public service unions in taking action.”
The memo states that while the executive committee is conscious that new talks have just begun with the Government on pay and modernisation “it still considers it important to have a mandate for action in the event of this process not succeeding”.
The memo also expressed concern at what it describes as proposals by Government to devalue pensions for existing public servants and at statements by Ministers suggesting that further pay cuts could be on the cards in the budgets of 2011 and 2012.
“Analysis over the last 10 years suggests the introduction of the CPI for calculating post-retirement pension increases would have resulted in pension increases of less than half of that which the current pension arrangement has attracted,” it states.
Meanwhile, talks between Government officials and public sector unions will continue today with a meeting of representatives of staff in local authorities.