Public Service Committee of ICTU vote to approve Lansdowne Road Agreement

The Public Services Committee (PSC) of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has voted to approve the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

The deal was approved by an aggregate ballot of the PSC at a meeting on Wednesday 16th September 2015

The Lansdowne Road Agreement extends the main provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement until September 2018, and restores around €2,000 to the pay of most public servants in three phases between January 2016 and September 2017. The pay restoration will be achieved through a combination of adjustments to the public service pension levy and a partial reversal of the 2010 public service pay cuts.

Speaking to SIPTUhealth.ie Divisional Organiser Paul Bell said: “One of the main reasons SIPTU enjoyed a successful campaign and ballot supporting the Lansdowne Road Agreement is that our members had the opportunity to frame our agenda. Our members demanded job security and pay recovery. We have achieved those objectives and now move forward stronger and better together.

Throughout our consultation meetings around the country we made it clear the Lansdowne Road Agreement is the first step on the journey to repair the damage inflicted on our public health service and workers since the crash. Our members now have protection from outsourcing, a modest increase in their take home pay, our intern members working in the health service the opportunity of a permanent job and our nurses and midwives a freeze in professional fees.”

Bell said that the next step for SIPTU Health is to continue the conversation with shop stewards to organise the membership in demanding a fully resourced public health service that the Irish people deserve and can be proud of.

Individual unions balloted their members on the terms of the agreement through the summer months. The agreement was endorsed by members of the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (INMO), SIPTU, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), MLSA, TEEU and IMPACT. In recent days the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) also voted to approve the deal.

Shay Cody, General Secretary of IMPACT and chair of the PSC, said that the Lansdowne Road Agreement marked a significant step forward for workers after seven years of pay cuts, and reflected a growing trend for wage improvements across many sectors of the economy since 2014.

“Workers in the public and private sectors have faced huge challenges during the economic crisis. Pay improvements across all sectors are a crucial element of the country’s continuing economic recovery. More money in workers’ hands will largely be spent in the local economy, improving living standards and, most importantly, contributing to the job growth which has now developed,” he said.

To watch Paul Bell, Divisional Organiser speak on the Lansdowne Road Agreement click here

Members Update: Lansdowne Road Proposals

The balloting of SIPTU Health members on the Lansdowne Road proposals is underway and information meetings are taking place around the country.

Speaking to SIPTUhealth.ie Divisional Organiser Paul Bell said: “After consulting our members we took the decision to host information meetings around the country to help our Shop Stewards campaign for a YES vote on the Lansdowne Road proposals. We also did this to ensure every member uses their vote before the July 22nd,

It is very important that our members have the opportunity to fully inform themselves about the agreement before they cast their vote.”

So far, we have taken the conversation to Tipperary, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick and Donegal. Our Shop Stewards have been very constructive and engaged throughout our Better Health Care, Better Jobs campaign and they have taken that commitment, passion and enthusiasm to our meetings.

What is very clear is our members know the proposals another step in the journey to recover what was taken from them during the economic crisis.That is the message our members are carrying loud and clear into workplaces across the country and that the recruitment of non-union members of the health service into the union is very important for any future negotiations.

SIPTU Shop Steward, Jane Reynolds told SIPTUhealth.ie she is hopeful the proposals will be well received by members she represents in her workplace.

“My view is this is a stepping stone towards better pay restoration. Our short term goal must be to get this modest increase back into the pockets of our members over the next two years.

Our SIPTU representatives can then go back to the negotiation table and hopefully get another increase in take home pay for members in the health service.”

SIPTU Health will be hosting meetings in Sligo, Tralee, Wexford next week.

Lansdowne Road Proposals

Vote YES For Pay Recovery and Job Security

The Lansdowne Road Proposals, which you are now being asked to consider, arose from the determined efforts of SIPTU members to secure the restoration of their pay and commitments on job security from employers.

We will be holding information meetings around the country so please get in touch with your local organiser or shop steward if you wish to attend or email ask@siptuhealth.ie to get more details.

Video: Click here to see Divisional Organiser Paul Bell discuss the outcome of the talks.

Download Lansdowne Road documents and leaflets 

  • Click here to download all of the information on Support Grades
  • Click here to download all of the information on Nurses and Midwives
  • Click here to download all of the information on Allied Health Professionals
  • Click here to download all of the information on Interns
  • Click here to download all of the information on Home Helps

Click here to download or view Lansdowne Road Proposals document.

Click here for a full list of pay restoration for health workers.

Click here to order a postal ballot paper.

Click here to get a breakdown of the pension levy adjustments.

FAQs and Irish language text

A comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions document is also available for members and will be updated with answers to the most frequent questions raised at information meetings from around the country. 

An Irish language text of the Lansdowne Road agreement is now also available here

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