Public Pay Talks - see mod warning post 4293

11% for a 2 year deal with repeal of remaining FEMPI measures, is what would be fair but is what we will not get because many old timers would rather not get out of their office chair because they're already doing grand here 30 odd years on the top of the pay scale.

I’m aware, pay has not even been discussed.

going on strike for a deal makes no sense. The government can simply put forward an awful deal and the claim has been met and (in theory) the strike should be called off.

Going in strike for a specific deal makes sense.

the earliest we can go on strike is late January factoring in the notice period and time to ballot. It’s likely talks will have progressed by then and the mandate for a strike wouldn’t make sense anymore either.

We go on a few one day strikes. government make an offer (a credible offer). We refuse. Our only other option is an all out strike.

I think striking because of no deal reduces our options and backs us into a corner.

By the time any strike comes around, we would be in a much clearer place anyway. Minimum 4 weeks away? 3 for ballot and 1 week notice

In addition to this, the cohort you describe are the ones who are still down the 6%-8% of salary that was cut under the guise of the PRD, reinforced as the ASC, with no actual discussion of reinstatement even coming to the table.

There are other options between one-day strikes and all-out strikes, such as work to rule and refusal of flexibility.

Long time reader of this thread but first post. I note a growing trend of utilities using a model for price rises of CPI+x%. In particular in telecoms, operators all seem to be offering 12 or 24month contracts which have built-in review periods in the t&cs where the monthly price can rise.

I wonder could or would the unions consider proposing a similar model in the current talks? If a multi year approach is selected, have a midterm review with CPI-+or- X? This would certainly avoid the large differences which occurred in the 2022/2023 agreement and what actually happened with inflation.

I realise this may be a bit open ended from the govt spending side, and there is a view that wages should not track inflation exactly but govt seem to have looked after everyone else, so why not it’s own workers too at a time when they are struggling to get staff in certain areas

I see work to rule or refusal of flexibility very difficult to implement.

if teachers want to do a work to rule, it’s easy enough. If the entire public sector does it, I think it’s much harder.

In my case, i would have no idea what a work to rule means. My contract is very vague. The union would likely have to spell it out in intricate detail what I should and shouldn’t do. I don’t see it viable on such a large scale.

Saying that, the unions may be happy with some sectors carrying more of the burden on a work to rule. I would likely continue my job as normal.

Email from SIPTU:

”In the event of any further procrastination by the Government or failure to secure a set of proposals that protect our members' employment and award them with proper pay increases, the ICTU Public Service Committee will meet on Thursday, 11th January to discuss a strategy for effective and widespread industrial action across the public service.“

It would indeed be difficult to implement across the board.

I recall refusal to engage with new technologies as one of the ways to do this in the past, which would be an awful shame, but perhaps we need to go there.

Why should anyone do more work for the same pay

EDIT: sorry lol misunderstood your comment as being serious rather than a joke

What you seem to be overlooking, is that a lot of those older staff who you think "couldn't care less" are the parents of the generation of young people who will end up emigrating or struggling to buy a house.

They're the ones who probably have adult children stuck living with them into their 30s or later with no end in sight - and believe me, it's not easy living with adult children after a certain age.

So again, it's a big generalisation on your part to assume that those who you believe are "settled" couldn't care less or are oblivious to the challenges facing young people. Most likely they are far more aware of the issues facing young people than YOU are aware of, because it is their children who are facing them.

I repeat, if young people want better pay or terms and conditions, then it's up to them to become active in their unions and look for them. No one else is going to do it for them. DPER certainly isn't going to do it out of the goodness of their heart.

If there are problems with WFH in your department, well, that is a local issue. No such issues in my department. Maybe you'll be luckier in your next role.

You do realise that if you go on strike the Gov. will penalise you and deduct all your strike days when you finally retire,a former colleague told me she had it all in writing....all the strike days way back over her working lifetime DEDUCTED!

Unfortunately 'having a go' or giving off about young workers will not solve anything.

Yes,they should join a union,for their own protection,if for nothing else.

I still do not see a double digit % pay rise....and should it hit double figures it will be for a 3 yr ,at least, period.

Remember the rate of inflation is creeping down at the moment so who knows it may be 2.5% by March and then a 10% over 2 and a half or 3 years will look mighty!....even though we all know that it will not make a whole lot of difference for those trying to get on the property ladder or for those of us who are still awaiting FEMPI retraction,going back nearly 15 yrs now!

Having a go at older workers won't solve anything either.

In over 30 years I think I've had 3 strike days. It's on NSSO, I will check the next time I've my work laptop logged on.

I'm pretty sure it won't impact my service record or pension that much.

I see it every day if the week in DSP. Scrotes who have never worked a day in their lives and spend more time in jail then out get €12 a week. I'm actually down a euro a week with the latest budget.

The last pay increase gave me €8 a week before deductions.