SIPTU NEC recommends acceptance of proposals for a new Public Service Agreement
The National Executive Council (NEC) of SIPTU met today (Thursday, 17th December) to consider the proposals for an agreement on pay and related matters in the public service.
Having considered the details of the proposals it was decided to recommend them for acceptance by the union’s public service membership.
It was concluded that they represent reasonable progress towards the objective of advancing pay and recovering austerity measures imposed under the Haddington Road Agreement, namely restoration of overtime rates, premium payments and working time.
The current proposals in ‘Building Momentum 2021 – A New Public Service Agreement’ are structured in a manner that is consistent with the commitments and achievements of previous agreements which prioritise the position of lower and middle-income earners in the public service.
Significantly, the proposals also retain the essential protections necessary to defend against the unilateral outsourcing of public service jobs and they provide for the creation of a sectoral bargaining fund as a mechanism to address a range of other issues.
If the proposal is accepted by SIPTU members in the public service, it is intended that negotiations on a successor agreement will take place during the early summer of 2022.
Accordingly, the National Executive Council of the union recommends acceptance in a secret ballot vote to be completed by Wednesday, 10th February 2021. The ballot will be conducted from mid-January 2021, following a period of extensive membership consultation and informed engagement with the membership on the content of the proposed agreement.