Madam, - I am concerned at alarmist media reports that the 17 per cent pay increase awarded by the Labour Court to craft workers in local authorities and health services is some sort of "super-benchmarking" exercise that could start a "leapfrog pay epidemic", to quote just two of the more exaggerated descriptions used.
The fact is that the analogue framework for negotiating increases for craft workers in the public service long predates benchmarking. I hope it will continue for many years to come because it is a simple, sensible and time-tested way of setting these rates.
It is also extremely transparent. Basically what happens is that an "analogue" is created based on pay and conditions in 19 private-sector and semi-state companies. This is applied to the public service craft grades. Rates and changes in working conditions and productivity are then negotiated to reflect this.
The current process took over two years to negotiate and will be implemented over another 20 months. This means the process, from start to finish, will have taken over four years.
While the new rates highlighted in the media reports represent a substantial, and deserved, increase for our members they by no means exceed the highest rates being paid in the private sector. The majority of craft unions are recommending them for acceptance to our members as the best terms we believe are available at the present time.
Portraying these increases as some sort of easy giveaway of taxpayers' money is not only untrue but could help to start the very pay-claim epidemic that some media commentators claim they are so concerned to avoid. Responsible reporting and analysis of the agreement would be more helpful.
The system is open for inspection by anyone who is interested. - Yours, etc.,
PADDY COUGHLAN, Chair, ICTU Group, SIPTU Irish National Painters and Decorators Division, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.