SIPTU boycotts pay talks over Harney's remarks

Talks on a new national pay deal were opened yesterday but were boycotted by the country's biggest union, writes Chris Dooley…

Talks on a new national pay deal were opened yesterday but were boycotted by the country's biggest union, writes Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent

SIPTU said it pulled out of the talks at Government Buildings because of comments made by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, at the weekend.

In an interview with The Irish Times, she had said the Progressive Democrats' participation in the Government would be in question if the Coalition failed to liberalise bus routes and break up Aer Rianta.

Her comments angered SIPTU leaders, who had called off threatened airport and transport strikes on March 18th on foot of commitments given then by the Taoiseach.

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Mr Ahern had assured the union's president, Mr Jack O'Connor, that the Government would engage with unions to ensure employment standards were maintained in any future public transport arrangements.

He also promised that unions would have time to examine the financial information underpinning the decision to break up Aer Rianta, before the move went ahead.

However, Ms Harney's comments were seen by the union as a direct rebuff to the Taoiseach. Mr O'Connor said last night that the Tánaiste had made no reference to the rights and interests of workers in the aviation and transport sectors.

"In a situation where the stakes are that high, where there is talk of not remaining in Government, then workers' rights go down the agenda. I have to put them back on top of the agenda," he said.

In a statement, SIPTU said it would return to the talks, due to resume after Easter, only if it was assured that the "whole Government" would honour the commitments given by Mr Ahern.

Mr O'Connor said he would not be satisfied with a verbal or written assurance from any member of the Government. Instead, SIPTU is to base its decision on progress in separate talks currently taking place with the Department of Transport on the futures of Aer Rianta and CIÉ.

Mr Ahern said there was no need for SIPTU to walk away from the talks and described the union's action as "a pity". The row overshadowed the formal opening of talks on a national pay deal, to run for the final 18 months of the three-year Sustaining Progress partnership agreement.

Representatives of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and employer bodies, including IBEC and the Construction Industry Federation, attended the talks, which were chaired by the secretary of the Department of the Taoiseach, Mr Dermot McCarthy.

Employers insist they will be seeking a much lower pay increase than the 7 per cent rise, in three phases, agreed for the first 18 months of Sustaining Progress.

However, in a document presented at yesterday's opening session, the ICTU said a pay increase based on anticipated inflation levels and productivity growth would be appropriate.

Mr Brendan McGinty, director of industrial relations, with the employers' body, IBEC, claimed there was nothing in the ICTU document to show that the case for flat rate or minimum wage increases was well made.