News Information
News Summary:
Social partnership talks, which intensified over the weekend, are expected to adjourn today (Monday) when the Government’s immediate focus will shift to tomorrow’s Budget announcement. But IMPACT negotiators believe it could be possible to develop a framework agreement to protect public service jobs when the talks reconvene.News Content:
IMPACT has also pressed strongly for changes to the public service levy and believes that this may be reflected in tomorrow’s budget announcement. The union has stressed the harsh impact of the levy on those on low and middle incomes, and the anomalies that mean some lower paid workers lose more than colleagues on higher incomes because they get less tax relief.
However, any Budget changes to the levy are likely to be modest because of the wider financial situation, in which the Government’s main objective is to raise revenue.
Job protection has become a top imperative for the union following the Department of Finance’s announcement of draconian new restrictions on recruitment , which amount to an almost total embargo on appointments and promotions – and could mean the non-renewal of thousands of public service temporary posts.
The union believes the Government can be persuaded to enter a framework agreement to protect public service jobs and protect core pay. In exchange, they would demand early and substantial changes in staff redeployment practices as part of such an accord.
As a quid pro quo for guaranteeing no compulsory job losses, Government would want workers’ representatives to agree that staff could be redeployed to other parts of their organisation – or even elsewhere in the public service – to meet changing needs and priorities during the economic crisis.
At this stage the issue has only been discussed in general terms and, if it were to develop, IMPACT would seek a number of guarantees to protect staff in such circumstances.
The talks have covered a wide range of issues including the Towards 2016 transitional agreement, the funding collapse in private sector pension schemes , and the general approach to economic recovery, where ICTU is seeking a ‘social solidarity pact’ based on the principles set out in its ten-point plan for national recovery. Although there have been no negotiations over the Budget statement as such, ICTU believes that some of its proposals will influence the Government’s Budget approach.
Read the agreed statement on the talks adjournment HERE.
Read more on the new recruitment restrictions HERE.
