A CLAIM for a 3.5 per cent pay increase for about 34,000 staff in the health service has been lodged by their trade union, Siptu.
The union said yesterday that the increase represented the first phase of the rise due under the national pay deal negotiated last autumn. The Government subsequently froze these increases for staff in the public sector.
Siptu warned of industrial action if the Health Service Executive (HSE) refused to engage on the implementation of the rise.
“It is Siptu’s position that our members have voted in favour of a national agreement and that the terms of the agreement must be implemented without delay.
“The Government is talking about pay cuts but there are pay increases due that were never implemented,” the union’s health services branch organiser Paul Bell said.
The HSE said last night that pay in the health sector was a matter for the Department of Finance. “The Minister for Finance has informed the Dáil that the increases provided for under the Review and Transitional Agreement with effect from September 1st, 2009 and June 1st, 2010 will not now be paid on those dates.”
“The Minister has stated that discussions in relation to these increases will be held in 2011, without prior commitment. He also outlined at the last budget that these measures will save a total of €1 billion in 2010,” it said.
The Siptu move increases pressure on the Government at a time when it has been hinting that it could target the €20 billion public sector pay and pensions bill as a means of saving money.
Siptu has already warned of strikes if the pay of public servants – which was already reduced by an average of 7.5 per cent in February under the pension levy – is cut again. Impact, the country’s largest public sector union, is currently conducting a ballot on strike action to be implemented if pay is reduced.
On Monday night about 1,500 frontline public sector staff, such as gardaí, nurses and prison officers, who provide round-the-clock services, attended the first of a series of regional meetings to oppose any cuts in pay.
The executive council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) will meet today to decide on the nature of a sustained campaign of opposition to cuts in pay and public services which it is planning.
It is understood that among the options under consideration are a major day of protest – along the lines of that conducted during the Irish Ferries dispute – in the first week of November and a reactivation of Ictu’s 10-point plan for an agreed economic recovery programme. Sources said that this programme could be sent to every house in the country.
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said yesterday that trade unions should engage in talks rather than strike action. She said alternatives suggested by social partners would be listened to.
Responding to the meeting of the alliance of frontline public servants, Ms Coughlan said the McCarthy report formed only part of the basis for the budget discussions. She said that while no-one wanted to see a reduction in frontline services, savings still had to be found.
Speaking after the Tánaiste’s comments, the chairman of the new 24/7 frontline alliance, Des Kavanagh, said: “Put very simply, we are not prepared to accept cuts in pay. On receipt of guarantees from the Government regarding our members’ earnings we will commit to discussions on how savings and efficiencies can be achieved in the public service. In their absence our campaign will continue.”