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A dispute has broken out in negotiations over a new public service agreement, after the government side handed over documents to unions that were not affiliated with the Irish Trade Union Congress before the four key union negotiators distributed them to members of Congress. .
Intensive talks began last week on a successor to the Public Service Stability Agreement between the Public Expenditure and Reform Department and the ICTU Public Services Committee, which represents more than 20 unions.
There are four central negotiators for ICTU unions: Forsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan, INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, SIPTU Deputy General Secretary John King, and INTO General Secretary John Boyle.
However, several unaffiliated bodies participate in a separate branch of the negotiations, including the Association of Garda Representatives, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the Defense Forces bodies PDFORRA and RACO, along with the Association. of Psychiatric Nurses and the Irish Hospital. Consultants Association.
It is understood that the parties agreed to preserve confidentiality, and the four ICTU negotiators were to brief their affiliates in a meeting tomorrow morning on the progress of the talks.
However, today it became known that the unaffiliated representative bodies had access to the discussion documents from the government side before the ICTU affiliates received them from their own negotiators.
Several unions are furious that they have been “left in the dark.”
A spokesman for the Public Services Committee acknowledged that there was “a lot of unhappiness” tonight.
He said the four key negotiators had been told to “keep things tight” and asked why the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had handed over the documents to unaffiliated unions in this way.
While it is not unusual to have a core group of negotiators in such complex conversations, in normal times all unions would have representatives in the building and could get details of the agenda as matters progressed.
However, the pandemic has meant that much of the negotiation takes place online, making it more difficult than usual to communicate in complex conversations.
The dispute is likely to be raised at tomorrow morning’s online meeting of all ICTU affiliates, who will also be briefed on progress to date.
The talks are framed around five pillars: salary, sector bargaining, reform and modernization, dispute resolution and the possible reversal of the unpopular austerity measures imposed during the financial crisis, including unpaid overtime.
It is understood that a two-year deal is being considered, rather than the usual three.
While no specific amounts have been proposed for salary increases, there will be an element of sectoral bargaining.
Management has also proposed a complex enhanced dispute resolution framework involving participation initially at the local level, then at the sectoral level, moving to a Public Service Agreement Group and finally to a new ‘Tripartite Implementation Body’ that would address on issues of national importance only.
The government seeks a broad modernization agenda and also wants the temporary reforms granted by the unions when the pandemic strikes to be permanent.
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