SIPTU secure a proposal to address new entrants pay in the public service
SIPTU representatives have today (Monday, 24th September) secured a proposal from Government that will address outstanding pay issues for post 2011 new entrants in the public service.
SIPTU Deputy General Secretary for the Public Sector, John King, said: “SIPTU Public Services Division, in conjunction with other unions on the Public Services Committee of the ICTU, have secured a proposal from Government to address the outstanding issue of post 2011 new entrant pay in the public service. Union representatives secured this agreement from Government to address this issue as part of the negotiations on the extension to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.”
“The effective date of implementation of these measures of the 1st March 2019. This will see workers receive pay increases significantly earlier than originally anticipated. The Government proposal to address this long-standing pay injustice for new entrants has been long debated and considered by the parties. The negative impact this policy has had on thousands of workers across the public sector, including health, local authorities and education is undeniable, but now these workers have some light at the end of the tunnel.”
He added: “SIPTU representatives will be seeking the implementation of these proposals as laid out and will be demanding that the agreed dates for implementation are strictly adhered to by Government to the benefit of our members.”
Text of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Paper below:
Agreed measure to address salary scale issues under Section 4 of the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) 2018-2020
The following measure has been agreed by the Parties to the PSSA, informed by the Report to the Houses of the Oireachtas by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in accordance with Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act. It also reflects detailed discussions and analysis between the Public Services Committee and representatives of Public Service Employers. The outcome is considered the best that can be achieved in the context of the PSSA and the very significant other expenditure demands on the Exchequer for Budget 2019 and subsequent years.
- Where two additional scale points were applied to pay scales under the Haddington Road Agreement, it is agreed that there will be two separate interventions in the pay scales as they apply to ‘new entrant’ public servants recruited since January 2011.
- The two separate interventions will take place at point 4 and point 8 of pay scales. The practical effect of this is that for ‘new entrants’ the relevant points on the scale will be bypassed thereby reducing the time spent (by bypassing two increment points) on the scale for progression to the maximum point.
- Where one additional scale point was applied to scales, a single point of intervention will apply at point 4.
- This measure will apply from 1 March 2019 and will be applied to each eligible new entrant as they reach the relevant scale points (point 4 and point 8) on their current increment date.
- Due to the interaction with normal increment progression, the above means that existing ‘new entrant’ staff)whose next increment after 1 March 2019)is Point 7 or above on relevant scales will receive the benefit of both interventions on the date of their next normal increment. Existing ‘new entrant’ staff due to reach points 5 or 6 on relevant scales as their next normal increment will get the benefit of the first intervention on that date and the second when they progress to Point 8.
- All of the above is subject to not exceeding the scale max. Where necessary the waiting time for Long Service Increments (LSIs) where they currently apply in relevant scales will be reduced by one or two years as appropriate as part of the implementation of the above measure.
The cost of this measure during the remaining term of the PSSA is €75m.
It is estimated some 58% (35,750) of ‘new entrants’ will benefit from this measure in year 1 rising to 78% (47,750) by year 2.
The above measure will be given effect by way of a detailed Circular in due course.