Frontline staff 'not being singled out'

The country’s largest public service union, Impact, has said that arguments by frontline public servants that they are being singled out for excessive cuts are “wrong”.

In a bulletin to members today Impact said that management had sought cuts of €170 million from premium payments for working on Saturday, Sunday and in the evening but that this could be reduced through negotiation. .

Impact said that larger or equivalent sums were being targeted in other parts of the public service.

"It has emerged that over €350 million – more than a third of the additional €1 billion in pay and pension savings sought – is likely to come from those on higher pay, together with an accelerated reduction in public service headcount facilitated by extended working hours."

"Virtually no 'uniformed' public servants will be affected by any adjustment in higher public service pay. "

Impact said other categories of staff in the public service were also facing cuts of the same order as the proposed cuts in premium pay .

"For example, if agreement can be reached, cuts in the education sector are likely to be similar to those in health. It is also likely that the amount of additional working time sought from clerical and administrative staff across the public service will be more than that sought from others."

"Impact and other unions involved in trying to negotiate an extension to the Croke Park agreement say claims that certain categories are being "singled out" for excessive cuts are wrong."

Impact said that from the outset of the current talks, it and other unions had insisted any package that emerges must be broadly equitable. It said this meant that those on higher incomes should be asked to contribute proportionately more, and that the net outcome of a final package should not hit any group disproportionately.

"Premium attendance payments make up a relatively large portion of the pay bill, which goes almost exclusively to a small number of staff groups. Management says it can't be excluded from savings in the current climate. It also says that excluding premium attendance payments from any change, when everything else is on the table, flies in the face of equity."

"This is especially true when other groups of workers, including local authority outdoor workers and staff in disability services and medical labs, have already seen big cuts in their overtime and premium payments through reforms agreed under the Croke Park deal."

Last night the deputy general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association Seamus Murphy strongly criticised other trade union leaders who were involved in the talks with the Government aimed at securing a proposed extension to the Croke Park agreement.

He said the Government was reneging on the current Croke Park agreement with the complicity of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Addressing the 24/7 frontline alliance rally in Tallaght, he said it was incomprehensible that negotiators of the public services committee of Congress were in cahoots with the Government to breach a deal which had 16 months to run.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association is not affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Speaking on his way into a Cabinet meeting this morning, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney insisted the Government was treating everyone fairly. "This is simply a question of the Government trying to make savings of an extra €1 billion from the existing Croke Park agreement," he said. "I can understand anger. Ireland has been through a very very difficult five or six years, people have seen wage reductions and a reduction in their take home pay."

In a document released last night, management in the health service said that in the provision of services that operated round-the-clock every day of the year, the current costs for delivering of Sunday and public holiday services was "unsustainable".

"Management do recognise that Sunday is an important day and are satisfied that the proposal to reduce the current rate from double time to time and a half is fair and reasonable in the current economic circumstances."

Figures produced by health service management said at present it could "range from between €417 and €604 to pay a nurse for a 12-hour night shift on Sunday (depending on the point on the pay scale).

"In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €324 and €470. This still represents a significant premium payment."

Management said the total costs of a 24-hour Sunday cover for a nurse could range from between €793 and €1,149 at the moment.

"In our proposals this would reduce to between €603 and €873. This still represents a significant premium payment."

Management also argued that under its proposals doctors would still receive a significant premium payments for working on a Sunday.

"It can range from between €458 and €646 to pay a senior house officer for a 12- hour rostered Sunday (depending on the point on the pay scale). In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €344 and €484.

"It can range from between €712 and €897 to pay a specialist registrar for a 12-hour rostered Sunday(depending on the point on the pay scale). In our proposals the costs of this would reduce to between €534 and €673. This still represents a significant premium payment."
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