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PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MINISTER Michael McGrath has given the green light to exploratory discussions on public service pay.
In a statement this afternoon, the department said that having discussed the matter with Government colleagues at this week’s Cabinet meeting, the minister today directed his officials to arrange to enter into exploratory discussions with public service unions and associations in relation “to an agreed way forward on public service pay issues”.
The talks will centre around the pay for 350,000 people who work in the public sector against a backdrop of rising inflation.
“These will be difficult discussions against a very challenging backdrop. The discussions must be cognisant of the multiple challenges that the country is currently facing including the impact of rising inflation and the conflict in the Ukraine,” said McGrath today.
“However, I believe that there is scope for all parties to engage constructively on a way forward that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and taxpayers generally,” he concluded.
The Congress of Trade Unions and SIPTU previously called for a review clause in the current pay agreement to be invoked to respond to the pressure inflation was putting on public sector workers.
McGrath acknowledged at the time that inflation was now “a pressure point” for many workers.
Annual inflation hit a 40-year high of 6.7% in March, on the back of soaring energy prices, data from the Central Statistics Office showed last month.
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Public service pay, particularly at the lower levels is dreadful. I know there’s the benefit of job security but a clerical officer would barely make enough to make ends meet.
Something definitely needs to be done in raising the minnum wage and updating what the living wage actually is. In an ideal world the living wage should be seen as a minimum wage only then will people get paid their worth.
@Wooden Spoon: completely agree prioritise those on lower levels to get a larger increase rather flat increase across the board.
Number of public servants on crazy money or 4 months holidays a year.
@Wooden Spoon: couldn’t agree more. Worked as a clerical officer in the HSE for 25 yrs until retiring early in 2016 post spinal surgery. I was at the top of my scale at that stage €37,341. It sounds a lot but for what myself & a colleague were doing (support to 5 depts & last count 46 healthcare professionals) take home pay was a lot different. I would have considered staying had things been better, but the workload and the pressure were ridiculous. Decided I’d done my time & to enjoy life for a change. Was never rich & never will be but have enjoyed every single day since :) Lower grades in the public sector need better conditions.
@Wooden Spoon: I looked at the job spec for Qualified Paramedic (PHECC Registered), 24/7 rota including BH, C licence reuqired, high pressured job all for the grand total of 27,000€ starting.
@Declan Moran: same. Had to retire on health grounds in 2017, at the top of my scale also. Ended up on a disability pension of 250 euro a week. Can’t claim anything from SW bc my husband is a sole trader.
Having said that if they offered me twice my previous wage I wouldn’t go back, even if I could. The work was soul destroying and I consider myself lucky to be out of it.
@Wooden Spoon: Are there actually public service workers on minimum wage? Any source on that?
@Suzanne Mc Aleenan: Absolutely Suzanne. Wouldn’t go back in a million years. I liked my job up until about 2007 when we moved to a new hospital. There was too much politics, very low morale & the more you did, the more they wanted you to do. Very little support from management. I remember being verbally abused on more than one occasion by a member of the public & my line manager more or less said it was part of the job. Like you, because I went on health grounds, I’m only in receipt of invalidity pension €238 pw and a measly HSE pension of €418 per month (before anyone rants on about gold plated public sector pensions) maybe if you’re at the top of the tree. However, at the same time I’m healthier now than I ever was and that’s worth so much more. Look after yourself Suzanne
@Dave.: my father was an ambulance driver for 35 yrs and retired over 25 yrs ago. I don’t know how anyone does that job and to offer pay like that is just an insult
It will end up with higher taxes or pay cuts for all but bigger wage pks for the TDs etc plus bonus for their pensions.
@Derek Anderson: I think one of the impacts of the inflationary pressures we are seeing is that it will result in higher VAT, etc. Those taxes that are a percentage of the price of something are increasing, hence why they could afford to drop the tax of fuel, with the higher wholesale price even with a tax reduction the govt were still taking in higher than expected taxes. This phenomenon is what may fund higher PS pay.
Public Service, the greatest irony in Ireland
Yes, let’s give the people who do absolutely nothing more money who make coffee and complain about the 2 hours of work they do…
The standard of output from our public sector is a national disgrace. (Obviously not referring to front line workers)
@Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri: have you ever worked in the public service? I never drink tea or coffee and I work from 8 to 4.30 or more half hour lunch. Where do you get your information from, hardly first hand.
There are genuine PS workers who do a good job and are probably on low pay, but there is the top end, which gives the PS bad press.
The Central Bank
1 staff member earned between €250,000 and €300,000 with
3 earning between €200,000 and €250,000.
26 earned between €150,000 and €200,000,
226 earned between €100,000 and €150,000.
In 2020, the numbers employed by the Central Bank increased from 1,927 to 1,950.
Source RTE news.ie
More than 117 RTÉ staff earned a basic salary of over €100,000 in 2020.
Management in ESB and other semi states all on over generous salary & benefits.
Management in Government all on over generous salary & benefits.
Management in Local Councils all on over generous salary & benefits.
Don’t forget the 1000′s of NGO ‘businesses’ who also get state funding of around €6 BILLION p.a. etc, etc.
@SteveBuzzard: Yeah, let’s go back to when there was only a few hundred poorly pays Central Bankv employees trying to keep a handle on hundreds of financial institutions. What could possibly go wrong?
@Mickety Dee: “poorly pays Central Bankv employees” ??? they were never poorly paid.
Politicians negotiate their pay rise
If want get into an inflationary cycle that will do lots of harm in the long run to everybody thats a good start.
have your say