The country’s largest trade union Siptu is to recommend that its members accept the proposed national pay deal in a ballot that starts tomorrow.
Siptu president Jack O’Connor said the union’s executive had decided unanimously that they should not forego the possibility of enhancing employment rights and improving pay generally just because of unacceptable aspects of the Budget.
He said that if members rejected the pay deal they would still be stuck with the provision of the Government’s October 14th Budget.
Siptu is to continue campaigning against the removal of automatic rights to medical cards for the over 70s and the introduction of the 1 per cent levy and education cuts, which were set out in the Budget.
Approximately 250,000 Siptu members are eligible to vote in the ballot which begins on tomorrow and concludes on November 13th.
Under the proposed national pay deal, workers would receive increases of six per cent phased over a 21-month period. Low-paid staff would receive an additional 0.5 per cent rise. However, in the private sector there would be a three-month pay pause, while this would run for 11 months for those in the public service.