Shay Cody
General Secretary
IMPACT
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A heroic failure.....
A failure of negotiations.
A failure for the workers in the battle.
A failure for the employers in the war.
(Commenced in August 1913 and was still
underway by this time in 1914.)
In contrast.....
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2009 – 2013.
Agitation and conflict was designed to create
a negotiation.
Not an alternative to a negotiation.
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No further cuts in pay or pensions
No compulsory redundancies
Continued downsizing of public sector
(320,000  282,500)
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Extensive cooperation with change, flexibility
and redeployment
Speedy and binding Dispute Resolution.
An enabler for change and savings.
Savings of €3.3bn delivered
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Government sought early renegotiation of CPA
to save an extra €1bn per annum
Threatened to achieve €1bn saving in any event
Set of Bilateral Agreements
Savings achieved through further cuts in high
pay (over €65k), some incremental deferral
(middle earners), some further downsizing and
extra working time for most (those on 35 or less
 37 hours; over 35  39 hours)
General CPA terms apply but more specific in
delivering savings through cuts/overtime
changes/ utilisation of hours.
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In the four years to Q3 2013 public sector
earnings fell by €47.88 (-5.0%) compared
with a decrease of €2.41 (-0.4%) in private
sector average weekly earnings.
All earnings are gross amounts but ignores
2009 pension levy (average 7%).
Adjustment in private sector mostly through
compulsory downsizing rather than pay cuts.
CPA/HRA expression of our agenda to protect
jobs security. Private sector took a different
hit.
July 2013
2011
<€40K
117,800
40%
35%
112,695
€40-60K
118,700
41%
38%
112,954
€60-80K
42,100
15%
18%
52,600
€80-100K
6,400
2.2%
5%
14,960
€100K+
5,000
1.7%
2.3%
6,791
Total
290,000
300,000
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PS Numbers down by 10% (since 2008) and
gross voted spending by 13.5% (2009-2013)
260,000 more people in receipt of social
protection payments (18%) 2008-2012.
630,000 more medical card holders than in
2007.
49,000 (6%) more children in our schools
than in 2008/2009.
13% more people at pensionable age since
2008.
350,000 more people living in Ireland in
2011 than in 2006.
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27 separate agreements was a ad hoc
solution.
Impossible format for the future.
How can we return to a single agreement
format, with individual unions willing to
accept the majority view?
More difficult with ‘concession’ bargaining if
the employer demands are seen to have
varying implications for different groups.
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Need for an ‘Employer Labour Conference’.
Worked before Social Partnership.
Social partnership had the National
Implementation Body. (Public Service has an
Oversight Body)
Ad hoc group established to deal with Dublin
Bus dispute when all other options were
exhausted.
Need for a place to deal with wage rounds in
the context of the single currency and
comparative competitiveness.
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NESC discussion on elder care.
A whole of society discussion with the whole
of Government.
Requires a restoration of some form of Social
partnership.
Exists across Northern Europe.
We had/have no place to address changes to
Social Protection Pension age.
Too late to address pay rounds when they are
underway!
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Pay movements commencing-modest
increases.
Base pay and variable elements.
Some sectors first into recession, first out.
Most negotiated but some instances of
industrial action threatened.
Modest increases can be bettered if move
away from traditional pay and reward
systems.