Thousands public servants could receive a nice lump sum payment as part of a new pay deal under consideration.
People working in the public sector have been offered phased wage increases of 6.5 per cent over the course of 18 months to October 2023, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said. The package includes an increase of 3 per cent from February 2022, which will be backdates. This would mean workers would receive a lump sum payment before Christmas.
Along with the backdated payment, the revised package sees pay increases of 2% from March 1 2023; and 1.5% or €750, whichever is the greater, from October 1 2023.
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The lump sum payment is expected to be processed quickly due to the cost of living crisis. It would mean a pre-tax payment of just under €700 for a public sector worker earning €30,000, €1,125 for someone on €50,000 annually or over €2,000 for those already earning €100,000 or more per year.
This is in addition to 1% or €500, whichever is greater, due at the beginning of October 2022, the ICTU said on Tuesday.
Chairman of the ICTU’s public services committee Kevin Callinan said he believed the terms were the best that could be achieved through negotiations.
“We’ll now be explaining this package to union members, who will have the final say in ballots.
“Neither side has achieved all it sought, but this package is a significant improvement on the pay terms of Building Momentum, and it is worth more to those who need it most.
“This underlines the importance of the unions’ decision to invoke the review clause in the current agreement.”
On Monday afternoon, Irish Government officials and unions representing more than 300,000 public servants such as gardai, nurses and teachers resumed negotiations aimed at reaching a new public sector pay deal. Negotiations ended after 19 hours, finishing in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
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