One of the main hurdles facing the forthcoming talks on a public service pay agreement is the increased expectations of State employees.
Across the public service, staff viewed the recent €1,000 accelerated pay rise as a down-payment on larger increases to come; nurses are seeking a 12 per cent hike to match the salaries of healthcare therapy personnel and to address staff-retention problems; and most groups want to see the abolition of requirements for them to work additional unpaid hours .
The talks are expected to commence on May 22nd and to run for a fortnight or more.
However, the potential shape of a deal suggested on Wednesday by some senior public service union figures could, if it comes to pass, prove to be extremely challenging for some groups .
Senior public service union figures believe it unlikely that nurses will secure the special pay rise which they are seeking to address problems in recruiting and retaining staff.
The senior figures believe “the only likely outcome from the talks is that we would seek to get the other side to agree a mechanism where these things [assertions of retention problems] can be examined and tested as opposed to and X plus Y” – where one group would receive additional money on top of the amount awarded to all others.
Retention problems
Senior figures pointed to the report of the Public Service Pay Commission which suggested that, in terms of staff turnover, the greatest retention problems centred around doctors, with staff such as occupational therapists or physiotherapists in second place ahead of nurses.
Sources suggested if nurses received a special award, therapists could also use the commission’s findings to press a case for increases of their own, potentially sparking a series of leap-frogging demands.
Whether nurses would accept a new deal which saw their pay ambitions shunted off to a new process remains to be seen.
Senior union figures also said the Government had signalled privately that it is determined to maintain the requirement for staff to carry out unpaid additional working hours.
The Government considers this a “red line” issue in the talks, a move which will anger many public service groups campaigning for the abolition of the requirement.
Senior figures also indicated the priority for unions in the talks will be to protect retirement benefits for staff.
Government moves to retain some of the €700 million currently generated from the public service pension levy by introducing higher contributions for some staff could see the emergence of three categories of workers for pension purposes.
Under this scenario gardaí, judges and others who have fast-accruing pensions could be required to pay more than other groups of staff.
Senior figures also believe that flexibility to recruit personnel on rates higher than the first point of the existing pay scale could ease problems being experienced in some areas in employing staff.