Everybody suffered financially during the economic crash and it is encouraging that the sacrifices and adjustments we all made are paying off. It is essential that the recovery we all contributed to is experienced by everyone. The Government has pursued and implemented policies that are giving us a two tiered recovery and that must be halted and corrected.
Most recently the Government has opened talks on Public Sector Pay. Workers and taxpayers should not be made to fund the Government’s re-election by them using this process to buy public sector worker votes in the next election. Any agreement must be independently audited and approved.
Reform of the public sector should continue with priority focused on achieving value for money, improved frontline services and a fairer recovery for ALL.
The key points of Fianna Fail’s policy on Public Sector Pay are :
- Public sector pay increases must be in line with general wage improvements in the economy and target middle and low income public servants.
- Everybody in Ireland has suffered financially in recent years and we have all contributed to Ireland’s recovery.
- Recovery should be experienced by every section of society, not just a few.
- Public Sector workers should not be pitted against Private Sector workers and vice versa.
- The current Government and Union talks are an opportunity to acknowledge the huge sacrifices that have been made by public servants in recent years without further disadvantaging private sector workers.
- The key issue for all workers is “take home pay”.
- Improvements in “take home pay” for all workers can be achieved through changes to pay levels, the pension levy, universal social charge, PRSI and PAYE or a combination of all these.
- A flat rate increase combined with a percentage increase for public sector employees should be considered as part of these negotiations.
- Priority should be on giving most benefit to low and middle income workers.
- The pension levy must be reformed to give the greatest percentage gain to low and middle income earners.
The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) report due at the end of June 2015 should provide the necessary detail for assessing the state of the public finances prior to the conclusion of a pay agreement, and talks should not be concluded until this report has been published. The Haddington Road agreement is due to expire in June 2016 and any new agreement should be finalised by this coming September.
Government must detail how it will lift the moratorium on public sector recruitment, ensure full equality for newly recruited public servants as well as give detailed plans for how it will restore frontline services.
Public Sector pensioners were unfairly excluded from the Haddington Road process. The Government should stop excluding them and invite Representatives of the 140,000 retired public servants to participate in the current discussions.
It is essential that there is an independent verification process of any agreement. Workers and taxpayers should not be made to fund the Government’s re-election should the Government try to use this process to buy public sector worker votes in the next election.
Reform of the public sector should continue with priority focused on achieving value for money, improved frontline services and a fairer recovery for ALL.