The second report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body will recommend increases for a limited number of specialist grades but there will be no rise in pay for most public service employees, according to informed sources.
The report is now expected to be presented to Minister for Finance Brian Cowen and public sector unions on Thursday afternoon, rather than Friday as originally expected.
The report will point to the high value of public sector pensions, against those in the private sector, as a reason why pay increases are not justified on this occasion.
The previous benchmarking body, which reported in July 2002, awarded public servants an average increase of 8.9 per cent. This was paid in addition to the basic increases agreed in national pay talks. Prior to the publication of that report, then teachers' union leader Joe O'Toole controversially likened benchmarking to an "ATM machine".
In its report this week, the current benchmarking body is expected to state that pensions for public service employees have a differential value of 15 per cent over private sector pensions.
An additional consideration is the fact that there have been no major pay increases at the middle and lower end of the private sector that would justify comparable raises for public sector employees.
"There are some increases for a pretty small number of specialist grades," an informed source told The Irish Times. "There is really nothing in it for the bulk of people."
The body reviewed the salaries of about 300,000 public sector employees, including civil servants, gardaí, teachers and nurses.
