A chara, – Are we really going to go back to those benchmarking days again?
If public sector pay is to be increased simpliciter, or indeed increased linked to any purported economic recovery, then four things need to happen. The first is a proper assessment of the real and true value of a public sector pension ought to be factored into any awards (to be done by an outside body and not civil servants!); the second is that real (as opposed to notional or even fictional) efficiencies need to be agreed and actually implemented in the public service; the third is that a robust and effective method of addressing incompetence must be put in place, and actually implemented; and, last but not least, there must be a firm and unconditional acceptance, in principle, by all unions and public sector employees that if they share the gain, they must also share the pain and, that in the event of a future economic downturn, their salaries would automatically be reduced proportionately. – Is mise,
E DILLON,
Farranahone,
Limerick.
A chara, – Stephen Collins ("Garda deal could bring down the Government", Inside Politics, November 5th) seems to be of the opinion that the public service benchmarking process is "the source of Ireland's recent financial woes".
For the record, the total pay rise awarded to public sector workers over the two rounds of benchmarking (2002 and 2007) averaged at just 8.9 per cent. A combination of multiple pay cuts and levies has more than obliterated this. In fact, the 2007 report of the benchmarking body awarded public servants no increase whatsoever as “a discount of 12 per cent was applied for pension entitlements”. In other words, because of the benchmarking process, public service workers had to forego the possibility of a significant pay increase in recognition of the cost of their pensions to their employer. – Is mise,
KEVIN P McCARTHY,
Killarney, Co Kerry.
Sir, – Are we on the cusp of an accelerating downward spiral to a place with which we are all too familiar? The short answer must surely be a resounding yes. Eight years of slog, pain and suffering has fallen on deaf ears. When the results of the general election became known, most of us knew we would be in for a tough ride – but nothing prepared us for the speed at which we would return along the same well-worn path. There is little the citizenry can do to stop the rot as our current Government has circled the wagons and retreated to survival mode.
More public sector wage demands will be conceded as the non-pensioned private sector seethes with envy. The die is cast, and all we can do is pray for a relatively soft landing. We might even learn something from the next crisis. – Yours, etc,
NIALL GINTY,
Killester,
Dublin 5.