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Govt secures Croke Park II deal

Monday, February 25 12:06:16

The government struck an agreement with the largest public-sector unions today to extend a pay deal that has been credited with avoiding industrial unrest during the country's financial crisis.

Officials from the SIPTU and IMPACT trade unions, the country's largest, said a deal had been reached on an extension to the Croke Park pay deal, which the government has said it hopes will provide savings of 1 billion euros over three years.

High earning public sector staff face pay cuts of between 5.5 per and 10pc under the new agreement.

Pay cuts of 5.5pc will be introduced for staff earning over E65,000. The scale of pay cuts will be increased on a gradual basis, with those earning over E185,000 facing a 10pc reduction.

Premium rates for staff working on a Sunday will be set at 1.75 times normal pay rather than double time.

Staff earning more than E65,000 face a three-year freeze on increments, while those earning up to E35,000 will have a three-month freeze. Those earning between E35,000 and E65,000 will face two three-month freezes in the course of the agreement, which runs until 2016. Staff at the top of their incremental pay scale will be asked to contribute either six days annual leave, the cash value of these holidays or the cash value of one increment on their scale.