The association representing commissioned officers in the defence forces has said it cannot at this stage recommend that members accept the proposed new public service agreement.
The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) said its decision not to endorse the draft deal was “heavily influenced” by the Government’s decision in the recent talks to shelve, for those commissioned after 2013, a supplementary pension paid to military personnel to bridge the gap from the date of their mandatory retirement to the time of receipt of the State pension.
It said this move would have serious financial implications for members.
Side deals
Raco also expressed unhappiness that its members were disadvantaged by being excluded from a number of side deals reached between the Government and other public service groups at the recent talks.
The Irish Times reported on Wednesday that as part of a series of side deals more than 1,000 clerical staff are to be placed on a higher pay scale, thousands of civil service personnel are to receive additional leave, while a number of allowances are to be restored for some groups of recently recruited employees.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform also said on Wednesday that prison officers and firefighters were to receive an extra €500 in rent allowance payments. This is similar to the rise in rent allowance secured by gardaí last November in a Labour Court recommendation that averted a threatened strike.
The provisions of the side deals are in addition to the benefits set out in the draft public service agreement.
In another side deal, the Government agreed to scale back the level of open recruitment at executive officer level in the civil service from a ratio of 50 (open): 25 (inter-departmental): 25 (internal) to 40:30:30 for the duration of the new public service accord. This move would enhance the promotion prospects for internal candidates.
The Department of Public Expenditure said on Friday “while the overarching policy is to increase open recruitment in the civil and wider public service, a temporary change has been made to the recruitment/promotion sequences for the executive officer (EO) grade in the civil service only, as part of the overall agreement to merge the SO (staff officer) grade with the EO grade in the civil service”.
Raco said provision for a supplementary pension which had been contained in an agreement reached with the Department of Defence in 2008 would not apply to officers commissioned after January 2013.
Raco also said it had raised concerned with the Department of Public Expenditure regarding the various side agreements.
It said the Department of Public Expenditure had contended that the measures were “commitments previously entered into but held back to coincide with the pay talks”.
Public service accord
Raco said the new side agreements were similar to measures which emerged as “chairman’s notes” shortly after the conclusion of the Lansdowne Road public service accord in 2013 .
“The chairman’s notes identified a range of other side-deals with particular sectors. These deals, in addition to a range of additional deals secured by those unions and associations who either took industrial action, threatened industrial action or whose sectoral management negotiated added benefits to accept the Lansdowne Road agreement, undoubtedly have secured greater pay advantages relative to those serving in the defence forces.”
“During the pay talks, Raco also highlighted to the Department of Defence and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that representative association status regarding industrial action should not be used as a measure to ignore our concerns or disadvantage defence force members with respect to remuneration (pay and pensions).
“Where Raco clearly understands and respects the position of the Minister and the defence forces in the context of industrial action, this continued loyalty and commitment to military service should not place our members at a disadvantage in terms and conditions of service.
“A review of the range and quantum of ‘monetary commitments’ and awards, sanctioned by Government to other sectors over the lifetime of the current Lansdowne Road agreement , is a tangible measure of the failures of our industrial relations process.”
