The new national agreement will unravel if some public sector workers are treated "more fairly than others", the president of the State's largest public service union has warned.
Opening the IMPACT conference in Tralee last night, union president Mr Billy Gallagher did not specifically mention the teachers and their pending 30 per cent pay claim, but he did question the validity of "headline deals" made with nurses and gardai while "the vast majority of public servants have played by the rules".
Mr Gallagher said: "Let's be absolutely crystal clear about one thing: all bets are off if the Government again chooses to treat some workers more fairly than others under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Under these circumstances it would be neither credible nor possible for us to tell our members that the rules apply to them, but not to others."
Mr Gallagher also referred to inflation, which is the first item down for debate this morning. He said IMPACT had backed the PPF on the basis that inflation would run between 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent over the lifetime of the agreement. Current inflation rates of almost 5 per cent were unacceptable.
"We don't intend to get drawn into the mug's game of chasing inflation each time a new set of monthly figures is published. But we demand to see inflation tackled. And we want to see some urgency from the Government, which should remember that social partnership depends on real increases in living standards.
"Failure to control inflation will be seen by our members as reneging on the PPF. And, with profits and growth continuing to soar, it will be impossible to contain members' expectations if the Government fails to act and act fast."
IMPACT general secretary Mr Peter McLoone said on Tuesday that the Government had until its next meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in early June to produce evidence of measures to tackle inflation, such as reductions in duty on fuel oil and VAT.
However, the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, told the Dail on the same day that the pay terms of the PPF must be strictly adhered to, although he forecast that inflation for this year would run at 4 per cent. He also seemed to rule out any changes in VAT rates.
Although some IMPACT members had lost out when compared with the nurses and gardai, groups such as paramedics and social workers were also "late settlers" and secured increases significantly higher than most workers.
At least 60 per cent of IMPACT members have also secured the 3 per cent increase to be paid to "early settlers", including teachers. This will bring their total pay increase next October to 8.5 per cent, well ahead of the worst projections on inflation.
Today's debate should give an indication of how far IMPACT members are prepared to go in applying pressure on the Government for a review of the pay terms of the PPF.