TWO of the States largest unions are meeting today to discuss the merits of entering talks on a successor to the PCW, the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. Major tax concessions for PAYE workers will be high on both agendas.
Today's meetings of SIPTU and IMPACT delegates are an important part of the run up to a special delegate conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on September 26th, which will decide the trade union movement's attitude to a new agreement.
Both unions are expected to endorse negotiations, but only on the basis that there are firm commitments by the Government to radical tax reforms.
Rejection of the motion at the SIPTU conference, while unlikely, would be a death blow for the PCW. SIPTU is Ireland's largest union, with 200,000 members in both the private and public sectors. Its leaders have already indicated that tax cuts of at least £400 million will be needed by PAYE workers in January's Budget to sign up for a new pay deal and a further £450 million in the following two Budgets.
Last year the ICTU looked for £300 million in tax relief for the PAYE sector and ended up with £190 million. But last year the unions were locked into the terms of the PCW. This time around, SIPTU vice president Mr Jimmy Somers has made it clear that his members will want specific commitments on tax cuts up front. They will not settle for vague aspirations.
IMPACT is the largest of the public service unions. At its conference earlier this year delegates voted reluctantly to re enter talks. The unions meeting wilt take the form of a "seminar" and no formal vote is expected. About 12,000 of its 30,000 members are currently balloting on a pay deal under the PCW. The result will be known just before the ICTU conference.
The ballot involves clerical and administrative staff in the health boards and local authorities.
The outcome is for acceptance of the offer, it will be a major boost for the credibility of the PCW. At present most other major groups of public sector workers, such as nurses, teachers and clerical civil servants, have rejected their PCW deals.
However, if IMPACT members reject the PCW, it could affect the union leadership's attitude towards talks on a successor. General secretary Mr Peter McLoone has made it clear that a new agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, to conclude, while there was major "unfinished business" left over from the PCW pay negotiations.
SIPTU, with a high proportion of its membership in the private sector, is also concerned at the lack of flexibility shown by employers in interpreting the PCW. General secretary Mr Billy Attley has accused employers of "hiding behind" the PCW and keeping bay increases to a minimum.
The motion to be discussed by SIPTU delegates states that "few employers have shown any commitment to developing local involvement and social partnership with unions at company level", and it expresses concern at the quality of jobs being offered to young people many of which are "below minimum acceptable standards".
SIPTU members will push for minimum standards of employment, especially for part time, temporary and contract workers, as well as for more resources to be put into tackling social exclusion by the Government.
Because it covers private and public sector employments the union will be anxious to ensure that any new agreement does not seem to favour any one group.
It is generally accepted that private sector workers did best out of the first national agreement, but have not done as well as public sector workers since.