Irish unions have warned the Government that any future Public Service deals over pay and conditions must involve the end of the unpaid hours introduced in 2013 as an austerity measure following the Global Financial Crisis.
The Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said in a statement it believed the €150 million ($A237 million) allocated by the Government as part of the accord concluded earlier this year, should be sufficient to restore the additional working hours to employees.
In a submission to a new independent body which has been established by the Government to examine the additional hours worked by Public Servants under the 2013 Haddington Road Agreement, the unions said that delivery on this commitment “is an absolute requirement”.
“The degree of progress on this matter during the lifetime of the current agreement will set the tone for any negotiations on a successor to it,” the submission said.
From the beginning of July 2013, staff in the Public Service who prior to that point had a working week of 35 hours or less saw this increase to a minimum of 37 hours.
Those who worked more than 35 but fewer than 39 hours had a new working week of 39 hours, while for those who were already working 39 hours the situation remained unchanged.
Chair of the ICTU Public Services Committee, Kevin Callinan (pictured) said it was absolutely clear there would not have been a revised Public Service deal agreed with the Government last December without a commitment to address the additional working hours.
“This is not “bluff and bluster — there will not be stability in the current agreement unless it is followed through,” Mr Callinan said.
Dublin, 25 June 2021
