Benchmarking pay increases under threat for some groups

Pay increases due to Ireland’s public service workers in January 2004 under both a public sector 'benchmarking' process and the terms of the current national agreement, are in danger of being withheld from some groups.

A public sector 'benchmarking' process conducted in 2002 (IE0207203N) awarded pay increases ranging from 2.5% to 25%, with an average of 8.9%, to Ireland’s public servants after they were benchmarked against private sector comparators. The main 'quid quo pro' was that the workers concerned would have to show real progress in cooperating with the 'industrial peace' and modernisation/change agenda contained in Sections 19-26 of Ireland's current national agreement, Sustaining Progress, which was ratified by the social partners in March 2003 (IE0304201N and IE0301209F).

Progress against this yardstick is being assessed by five Performance Verification Groups (PVGs) established under the national agreement, covering health, local government, the civil service, justice and equality, and education. As of late November 2003, these PVGs are in the process of passing their final verdicts.

Payment of benchmarking increases, and rises due under Sustaining Progress, will be paid only following verification of what is deemed to be adequate progress in the implementation of the industrial peace and modernisation agenda. A number of disputes over payments to some groups are emerging.

The Department of Finance is considering deferring the payment of pay increases due to prison officers under benchmarking and Sustaining Progress if it is judged that they have not cooperated sufficiently with prison service reform, particularly in relation to reducing the overtime bill. In the event that a current impasse over prison officers’ overtime cannot be broken, and it is deemed that there is insufficient cooperation from the Prison Officers Association (POA) and its members with the modernisation agenda under Sustaining Progress, then the Department of Finance may move to defer the payments due on 1 January 2004, for at least two weeks. Prison officers and assistant chief officers were awarded 4% under benchmarking, with chief officers receiving 6.9%, and officers are also due a 3% pay increase under Sustaining Progress in January 2004.

Elsewhere, at least two groups in the civil service have issues over payments under Sustaining Progress and benchmarking: the grades represented by the Public Sector Executive Union (PSEU) in the Central Statistics Office (CSO); and mapping grades in the Land Registry, who are represented by the Irish Municipal Public and Civil Trade Union (IMPACT).

In the Land Registry, the 130 or so mapping grades staff have claimed that digitisation of the maps they use, which is being sought by management, goes beyond normal 'ongoing change' and is a more fundamental issue. However, the union has agreed that staff should work normally pending the outcome of procedures. The issue has been referred to the civil service conciliation and arbitration scheme, and both parties have committed themselves to honour the outcome. Assuming that this procedure is honoured, it is expected that payments due under Sustaining Progress and benchmarking will follow for this group. It may even be that the issue is resolved before Christmas, so they can receive their increases on 1 January 2004, like the rest of the public service.

In the CSO, the dispute over payments concerns about 170 executive officers and higher executive officers. The action plan for the CSO lists six key objectives, one of which is to move towards greater use of merit-based promotion. This issue is cited in paragraphs 22.14 and 22.15 of Sustaining Progress, with 22.15 also noting that discussions must 'take account of existing arrangements'. A trade union source says that the grades involved have few promotional opportunities and virtually all promotions are currently on the basis of the most senior suitable candidate. Since these workers are starting from such a low base of hardly any merit-based promotions, they feel that the 'existing arrangements' provision should that mean their level of merit promotions after Sustaining Progress could still be lower than other areas of the civil service, where there is an existing higher level of such promotions. It is understood that the issue has been the subject of five direct meetings and one attempt to find a resolution at the Labour Relations Commission, with no agreement reached. The parties are currently in the process of referring the issue to the civil service arbitration board, whose finding on the issue will be binding. Again, assuming this process remains orderly, the issue may be resolved in time for their increases on 1 January 2004.

Furthermore, some clarifications on pay increases are being sought by the secretary general of the Department of Education in respect of two groups at the Athlone Institute of Technology, represented by the Teachers Union Ireland (TUI) and Amicus MSF. The issue for TUI staff relates to 'flexible modes of delivery' and the issue for MSF staff concerns 'reporting relationships'. However, it is expected that these issues will be resolved easily and there is no serious prospect of these small groups being refused their increases.

Industrial action by workers at Dublin City Council, in support of a union recognition dispute at the private sector recycling-collection firm Oxigen, may prevent them from receiving the benchmarking payments. However, the union involved, the Services Industrial Professional and Industrial Union (SIPTU), strongly rejects the view that the action comes within Sustaining Progress.

Finally, there was also a question mark over the pay increases due to non-consultant hospital doctors under benchmarking, if the Irish Medical Organisation had continued to refuse to enter talks on reducing their working time, as required by implementation of the relevant EU Directive on working time. However, IMO has now agreed to participate in a Labour Relations Commission conciliation conference, though no date has yet been set for this – which is likely to head off this threat, provided that no further industrial action is taken further down the line.