THE Government has been warned by a Civil Service trade union leader that his members "will be back at the negotiating table" if other public service workers continue winning increases well ahead of agreed national pay agreement levels.
The general secretary of the Association of Higher Civil Servants, Mr Sean O'Riordain, said "restructuring" had failed and the sooner there was a return to traditional pay arbitration in the public service the better. It was clear from his remarks to the association's annual conference in Dublin on Saturday that the size of the increases being won by health sector workers is causing a rethink on pay strategy among Civil Service unions.
Details of his own union's restructuring package were disclosed at the conference. While nurses won pay increases of over 14 per cent at the top of the scale, AHCS members increases ranged from 0.6 per cent to 6.4 per cent.
However, as the union represents principal officer grades in the Civil Service, its members won bigger pay rises in cash terms than the nurses in many instances. For example, a higher principal officer with 11 years service will earn almost £3,000 a year more from June 1st, bringing the total salary to £48,439.
A principal officer with similar service can expect an increase of around £2,700 from June 1st, bringing the salary to between £43,000 and £45,000. An assistant principal officer can expect an increase of around £2,200, bringing total salary levels to between £33,000 and £36,000. In contrast, staff nurses with 13 years service will be on £21,000.
The concern voiced at the conference showed the ripple effect of the nurses dispute. Mr O'Riordain, while saying the AHCS increase was acceptable, added a caveat. "If there are any other more favourable terms or reopening of restructuring agreements for equivalent groups, then we will be back at the negotiating table."
Restructuring had proven "a bit of a nightmare. The Government pursued it in preference to arbitration, with the purpose of breaking pay links. We see where this has landed them. A return to fair and independent arbitration is the only sane way to deal with public service pay in the long term".
. The Association of Higher Civil Servants is to change its name to the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants to take account of the increase in members in bodies such as An Post, Telecom Eireann, Coillte, FAS and the Irish Aviation Authority.