The endorsement of the new proposed public service pay agreement is anticipated by the union sector next week. This follows a positive vote from Siptu members. A majority of over 90 per cent of its members serving in public services supported the proposed agreement on Thursday.
Fórsa, the biggest public service union, had its members favouring the deal with a vote of 94 per cent to 6 per cent last week. Additionally, primary school teachers in the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) extended their support to the proposed agreement with an 82 per cent to 18 per cent vote. Earlier in the week, the plan received overwhelming support at 97 per cent from members of the Prison Officers’ Association.
Across the board, 19 unions with members in public services are conducting or have carried out voting on the terms of this proposed €3.6 billion pay deal.
The ultimate verdict on the deal’s acceptance will be reached by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (Ictu) public services committee. This will be based on the sum of the results of the votes held by each of the 19 unions. The committee is slated to meet on March 25th. However, the likely ratification of the proposed agreement seems assured in light of the votes from larger public service unions like Fórsa, Siptu, and INTO.
John King, the Siptu union’s deputy general secretary, expressed on Thursday at the Siptu count centre that the agreement represents considerable advancement in public service workers’ pay and introduces protections against outsourcing and privatisation of jobs, in addition to a system for settling local claims and issues.
He also added that it tackles existing cost-of-living and inflationary issues while improving the terms and conditions for Siptu’s public service members.
The Irish Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, characterised the deal concluded with public service trade unions as “progressive” and “fair” last month. He also predicted that the new salary agreement would entail an expenditure of €3.6 billion over a span of four budget years.
Therefore, the planned deal delivers the following:
Every public sector employee will see a universal increment in their annual base pay by either 2.25% or a sum of €1,125, whichever sum is more substantial, retrospectively effective from the 1st of January, 2024. Following this, there will be another universal increment of 1% to the annual base salary for each public sector employee on the 1st of June, 2024. The next increase, which will be the greater of 1% or €500, is scheduled for the 1st of October, 2024. On the 1st of March, 2025, the annual base salary will rise again by 2% or €1,000, whichever is greater. And finally, a general increase of 1% will apply to all public servants’ annual base salary on the 1st of August, 2025.