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THE HEAD OF the union representing mid-level civil servants says that his members will seek pay restorations worth around €1.4 billion in upcoming pay talks.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today,Tom Geraghty of the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU) said that the extra money was not just a pay rise.
“There’s still €1.4 billion outstanding, an average of 10% reduction to the income of public servants.
“Some civil servants are already out of the FEMPI legislation, which was grounded in what was said to be a fiscal emergency, a fiscal emergency which is now over. So the legal basis for the cuts imposed in 2009 is gone now.”
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has already warned that the country has around €500 million available to increase spending, not nearly enough to bridge the gap that Geraghty wants.
If there’s one thing that the public knows, it’s that public servants are realistic. And they were realistic throughout the whole crisis when they were asked to take on extra burdens, in addition to the burdens imposed on other citizens.
“So, public servants don’t have an expectation that the impositions will be removed from them in one fell swoop. Any deal we negotiate will have to be over a period.”
Geraghty said that he expected pay negotiations to begin some time in May. Asked how he expected the government to go back to “unsustainable” pay scales, Geraghty disagreed with the premise of the question.
“The government ran out of money because of decisions that were made about fiscal policy where we narrowed our tax base. To be brutally frank, the country lost the run of itself.
“It was public servants who were expected to pay a disproportionate share for the necessary steps to rectify the situation.”
Geraghty said that he didn’t want the issue to be a public sector versus private sector divide, but said that their demands were “reasonable”.
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It’s parents leave, not parental. Parental is fully unpaid, parents is paid by the state and then company dependent.
@D: perental leave is a term describing the type of leave not weather you get paid for it or not. Get a grip.
@Joe Byrne: I was explaining that it wasn’t the unpaid leave in case anyone was confused as the article initially said parental leave and it’s confusing with the different types of leave. Absolutely no need for that rude reply.
@Joe Byrne: it’s spelled parental
@Joe Byrne: what’s the weather like Joe???
Looks like I picked the wrong day to get a vasectomy.
14 months in Germany
Previously it was stated this bill would increase the parents leave to 7 weeks from 5 for parents of children born after July 2022. However now everywhere seems to say parents are entitled to take 7 weeks with no mention of the child having to be born after a specific date. Has this been extended retrospectively to all parents of children under 2? Would be good if some publishment whether it’s media or citizens information website could confirm as I’m not long (about 1 week ago) after receiving a reminder from social welfare that I’ve yet to apply to take the “5 weeks” that I’m eligible for.
@Darragh Bailey: The published information says you get seven weeks as long as the child is under two. If a parent has already taken five weeks and the child is still under two they are able to apply for the additional two weeks now also.
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