Childcare in Ireland consumes a higher proportion of working parents' earnings than in any other EU member-state, the IMPACT conference was told yesterday.
Ms Caroline Kane of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown branch said she knew a full-time clerical officer spending 80 per cent of basic salary on childcare because of a lack of workplace creches.
"This leaves her in the position of being away from her child for anything up to 50 hours a week and with no reasonable quality of life.
"In the last budget the Government granted tax concessions for people setting up creches," but, Ms Kane asked, "who in Ireland can afford childcare?" The conference called for the expansion of workplace creches and tax relief for childcare costs.
In the debate on public-sector pay, delegates called for interest to be paid to workers when they were awarded retrospection on increases in salary or pension entitlements. There was also a call for loyalty payments and a "euro bonus" for members involved in currency conversion.