The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) claimed today that the introduction of the new pensions levy would see teachers paying up to 27 per cent of their salary in pension contributions.
The union is basing its calculations on the findings of the Public Services Benchmarking Body (PSBB) in 2007.
At the time, the body said a discount of 12 per cent in salary should apply when comparing public sector pay with that in the private sector, due to the pensions provisions for civil servants.
The union said the PSBB's decision meant workers paid a "substantial hidden pension levy".
With a 6.5 per cent pension contribution already in place for teachers, the Government's new pensions levy - which ranges from 3 per cent to 9.6 per cent depending on income - would bring the final figure to between 22 and 27 per cent of the income of public service workers.
"This staggering figure contrasts with public perception fuelled by certain politicians, employers' groups and elements within the media that the public service worker contributes nothing to their pensions," said TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin.
Meanwhile, the National Executive of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has called on its members to take part in Ictu's planned mass protest in Dublin this weekend.
"Our executive views the march as an opportunity for AGSI to demonstrate not only our anger at the effects on our own situation in the public service, but to express our abhorrence of what has gone on in the financial sector," said general secretary Joe Dirwan.
“We have no problem paying our fair share, but we feel that the upper echelons of our public, private and political sectors are getting off far too lightly.”
Thousand of civil servants and supporters are expected to take to the streets of Dublin on Saturday to protest about the pension levy to be imposed on public servants.
Ictu claims the Government reneged on the framework agreement agreed with the social partners in January to find a way forward on implementing €2 billion worth of public spending cuts.
Ictu today published a 32-page digest entitled The Union Postwhich focuses on the economic downturn, mass job cuts, collapse of the pay talks — and its plan for recovery. A Congress spokesman said when it becomes a monthly on-line publication it will have a target audience of up to 850,000 people across the island of Ireland.
Earlier today the Irish Bank Officials Association urged workers in the financial services sector to support the demonstration.
General secretary Larry Broderick said the pensions levy was the "final trigger" for the protest, but said it had been preceded by "a litany of setbacks for workers in the private sector", including pay cuts, redundancies and changes to terms and conditions of employment.
The president of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said the demonstration provided an opportunity for people to demand a fairer way of tackling the country's economic difficulties and voice their opinion on the recent revelations in the banking industry.
"Every citizen who wants to see a fair resolution to the country's economic problems should put shoe leather on the streets of the capital," said Declan Kelleher. "Those who have brought the country into disrepute cannot be allowed to escape while others pay for their recklessness and worse."
The National Union of Journalists is also supporting the Ictu demonstration.