30 August 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork North Central Socialist Party TD Mick Barry today voiced opposition to any pay deal which does not fully compensate the country’s 300,000 public sector workers for inflationary price rises.
Mick Barry TD
His comments came as talks between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) public sector committee and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform concluded after all night talks.
A special meeting of ICTU’s public services committee has been convened for 10am to consider proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission.
It is understood that the Government made a proposal to increase public sector pay by 6% over two years at the start of the talks yesterday.
However, the Cork North Central TD said that any increase which does not match inflation effectively amounts to a pay cut: “With inflation running at nearly 10%, a 6% pay increase over two years would effectively represent a massive pay cut for public sector workers. Many of these workers, for example health service workers, were on the frontline getting this country through a pandemic. They do not deserve to have their wages cut. I hope that the unions do not put a below inflation pay proposal out to ballot but if they do I hope that it is then roundly rejected. Working people deserve better than that.”
Deputy Barry added that ballots for industrial action and union mobilisation for the cost of living protests in Cork (September 17) and Dublin (September 24) would put serious pressure on the Government to improve the pay offer.
