IRISH MILITARY OFFICERS have been granted temporary access to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions ahead of public sector pay talks.
The move for the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers comes just weeks after a similar status was granted to PDFORRA following years of campaigning. PDFORRA represents the non-commissioned ranks of the Defence Forces.
The decision by Minister for Defence Simon Coveney was made following legal action by both bodies.
The representative bodies had been campaigning for better pay and conditions for Irish Defence Forces personnel.
They have blamed a retention crisis for poor wages and their campaign for ICTU membership was about compelling the Government to provide them with similar status to other public sector workers.
It is seen by officer ranks and non-commissioned members as a major way to ensure an equal playing field for negotiations with Government.
The recent Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces also made recommendations that they would join ICTU.
That Report, and the advices Minister Coveney received from the Office of the Attorney General, has now pushed agreement for access.
Minister Coveney said he has been working with the State’s lawyers to find a solution to the issue.
“As I stated in the Dáil, I undertook to respond to the Representative Associations, which I have done. My officials, as well as officials from the Chief State Solicitors Office and Office of the Attorney General, have spent a considerable amount of time in finalising appropriate legal arrangements.
“As provided for in the Defence Acts, and following on from the consent provided to PDFORRA last week, my officials have this week conveyed an offer of temporary conditional consent to RACO, to seek temporary associate membership with ICTU solely for the purpose of the forthcoming pay negotiations.
“I am happy to announce that this offer of temporary conditional consent has also been accepted by RACO. I have now instructed my officials to commence the process of making the appropriate legislative amendments required,” he said.
A spokesperson for RACO welcomed the decision: “This is a historic move for Defence Forces commissioned officers and we hope it will be a positive step for the pay and working conditions, and ultimately the retention of our members.
“We are grateful to the Minister and his Department for their engagement and support in reaching this agreement, which will be followed in time by supporting legislation.”
As previously reported by The Journal, the Irish Defence Forces are in a staffing crisis. RACO has said poor pay and conditions are to blame for the crisis and that lack of respect for the armed forces within the Government is a contributing factor.
The group’s General Secretary at the time, Conor King, had said that Raco’s membership had “lost faith” in the pay negotiation process.
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