Labour inspectors have asked their union to ensure that their career prospects are not damaged under any new structure that emerges from the partnership talks.
Delegates to the Public Service Executive Union annual conference passed an emergency motion yesterday urging that any proposed new directorate be staffed entirely by civil servants and that inspectors' terms and conditions be protected.
As revealed in The Irish Times on Wednesday, the Government has agreed to treble the number of labour inspectors, to 90, as part of any new national partnership programme. It also plans to replace the existing labour inspectorate with a new statutory body, the Office of the Director for Employment Rights Compliance.
Labour inspector Ciarán Roche said he had read in The Irish Times what was "really happening" in relation to the future of the inspectorate. Inspectors wanted to ensure that new posts were staffed by civil servants and that a number were at higher executive officer and assistant principal level, so there would be promotional opportunities for staff.
It is understood the proposed new directorate would operate within the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and would therefore be staffed by civil servants. It would have a status similar to that of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
Delegates to the PSEU conference, which concluded yesterday, also passed a motion calling for mobile phone equipment to be removed from all government buildings "until further scientific research proves this type of equipment is safe".
Social and family affairs delegate Michael Ryan, who proposed the motion, joked that if colleagues were unable to secure the removal of a mast, they should ensure a creche was set up within 150 yards of their workplace. The presence of a creche, he said, had resulted in a mast on the pension services office in Sligo being switched off.
PSEU assistant general secretary George Maybury said the union's executive supported the motion, but the chances of getting all of the masts switched off were between "slim and none" unless everybody decided to "throw their mobile phones in the bin".
In her conference address, outgoing president Patricia Tobin said civil servants were prepared to continue changing work practices in return for pay increases. Bertie Ahern said earlier this week that public service pay increases in future would be more strongly linked to greater reforms.
"We want to deliver the modern and professional public service that our community wants and deserves," she said. "However, we can only achieve this if the Government provides us with the necessary resources. To put it very simply, give us the tools and the manpower to get the job done."
Dermot McAuley
Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
I wouldn't expect to be getting pay rises of the same level of the last few years, but would instead hope to secure improved conditions, such as more flexibility. This could include more access to work-sharing arrangements or to term time, which allows you to take unpaid leave if you have children under a certain age, for example. I can't see in the present climate that wages can just keep spiralling. Having said that, if inflation and stealth taxes just keep going up, then wages will have to match that. As long as they keep pace with the cost of living I'm happy enough.
Anna Corrigan
Revenue Commissioners
My expectation is more money, basically. I'm interested in social partnership but I find that while they're giving tax reliefs, they're actually giving money with one hand and clawing it back with another. We are burdened with so many extra taxes: VAT has gone up on ESB bills and on gas bills. We have water charges and various other charges that are increasing, so on balance I don't think I'm going to be any better off. I'm a civil servant for 15 years and while my standard of living has increased slightly, it hasn't increased anything like it should.
Dermot Brown
Revenue Commissioners
We've done very well out of the pay talks over the last few years. It has led to greater stability in our jobs because we get a percentage pay increase and in management get improvements and modernisation in return. So I hope the new round of talks maintain what has been achieved so far. Government talk about the need for more modernisation doesn't scare us at all, because we have been signed up to modernisation for years, particularly in Revenue with developments such as the use of the internet and other technology. It's a continual process.
Joanne McCormack
Department of Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources
I'm looking for pay increases to keep in line with inflation, which of course is increasing at the moment. Social and affordable housing is another issue I would like to see prioritised. Having just bought my house in Dublin, I can see the pressures that people in my age group are under. And then the biggest issue for me as a Dublin-based civil servant is decentralisation. I hope the discussions can offer me some job security and promotion prospects. I want to remain in Dublin but, as all the jobs are going down the country, the fear is that we're going to be left sitting with no promotion prospects.
Gerry Stapleton
Social welfare inspector
It is important that they at least maintain the living standards of all our members and take into account the upward trend in inflation.
The Civil Service is a good employer in terms of family-friendly arrangements.
We're quite privileged in that we work for an employer who is subject to the laws of the land and is not into exploiting workers.
There are a lot of people out there who are being exploited at the moment and it's important their interests are looked after as well.
