THE leader of Impact, the State's second-largest union, has called on members to vote for the new national agreement, Partnership 2000. The general secretary, Mr Peter McLoone, warned against the "simplistic" notion, being promoted by some opponents of national agreements, that workers would do better in a pay free-for-all.
Impact has 30,000 members and its central executive has recommended acceptance of the deal, largely because it is unlikely that public service employees would receive comparable pay rises and tax cuts without a national agreement.
It is also concerned at the growing numbers of private and public sector unions which have recommended rejection of the terms.
Impact members are expected to accept the new agreement. Unlike teachers and nurses, most Impact members have successfully concluded restructuring deals under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW), winning increases of from 7 to over 20 per cent.
As a result they have greater faith in their ability to "work" the national agreement structures.
Ironically, negotiations for one of the worst-paid groups in Impact, speech therapists, are being held up because of the continuing nurses dispute.
"Partnership 2000 guarantee that pay rises will keep ahead of inflation. It ties the Government into a three-year, tax-cutting programme, which will translate into improved living standards for all working people," Mr McLoone said yesterday.
"This would also provide workers with greater stability and economic security. Partnership 2000 is about protecting public services and generating real improvements in living standards."
Referring to the rift between the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, and the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, over how the public service pay deal should be negotiated, Mr McLoone said: "With certain politicians proposing a public sector wage freeze . . . it is clearly in the interests of public servants and others to support this deal."