SIPTU says no to compulsory redundancies in new Croke Park deal
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SIPTU has stated that it will not sign up to a new public service agreement if it involves compulsory redundancies
SIPTU Vice President, Patricia King, said: “Opposition to compulsory redundancies is a fundamental trade union position in both the public and private sectors.Trade unions exist to represent the best interests of their members; recommending that they are sacked is not in their best interests.”
King made the comments on Tuesday (15th January), the second day of talks between public sector management and trade unions on a possible extension of the Croke Park Agreement.
SIPTU and other unions have said that a deal would not be possible on the basis of the package of proposals tabled by public service management at the opening of talks on Monday (14th January). These proposals included discussion of “exit mechanisms,” which is believed to refer to compulsory redundancies in certain situations as well as a range of other proposals covering pay, allowances and hours of work.
Unions have also outlined measures that need to be satisfactorily addressed in the negotiations. These include an adjustment to the pension levy to exempt more earnings, measures to ensure the elimination of the two-tier workforce and curtailing outsourcing.
Negotiations on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement, which expires in March 2014, commenced with tense, and widely reported, exchanges between the government employers and unions.
Several unions reacted with shock and anger at the list of proposals put forward by management at the first meeting on Monday (14th January) although substantive negotiations only commenced the following day at Lansdowne House, Ballsbridge in Dublin.
The Government has said it hopes to achieve savings of €3 billion over the life-time of any extended agreement, including €300 million this year. The talks chaired by the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, are expected to continue for several weeks before any ballot of union members takes place.
 
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