asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will give a report on the various negotiations held since Christmas with the public sector unions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Sector Union Negotiations.
15.
In the period after Christmas I had some 21 meetings with the following public service groups: Local Government and Health Services Staff Panel, Civil Service General Staff Panel, Civil Service (Higher) Staff Panel, and Teachers. The Minister for Education also participated in these discussions.
I met representatives of the Local Government and Health Services Staff Panel eight times between 6 and 17 of January, the Civil Service General Staff Panel five times between 8 and 20 of January, the Civil Service (Higher) Staff Panel four times between 9 and 20 of January and the teachers' unions four times between 2 and 15 of January. The negotiations eventually resulted in a package of proposals covering the 25th round and other pay related matters. Details of the package are as follows:
(1) 25th Round Agreement
The overall length of the proposed agreement is 18 months with a pay pause of four months from 1 January 1986. The proposed general pay increase involves a 3 per cent increase on 1 May 1986, 2 per cent on 1 January 1987 and a further 2 per cent on 1 May 1987.
(2) Special Pay increases
(a) Existing findings on special increases will be implemented in three phases over the period from 1 December 1986 to 1 July 1988. (b) Other cases may be implemented in three phases over the period from 1 December 1987 to 1 July 1989.
(3) Superannuation Lump Sums
In the case of existing adjudication findings, superannuation lump sums would be paid as if the findings had been implemented on the dates recommended.
The package of draft proposals has already been formally offered to three of the above groups of public servants and also to the main Garda associations. These terms were never formally offered to the teacher unions, because the teacher unions broke off negotiations on 15 January, with the result that I was unable to make an improved offer to them. Since then the Government have decided — and the Dail has voted to support that decision — that the same terms as have been offered to the other groups should be offered to the teachers.
The staff representatives in the other areas have agreed to consider, in accordance with their union or association procedures, the draft proposals for pay agreements covering the 25th round and other pay related matters. These proposals incorporate an undertaking by both sides to engage in meaningful discussions to be concluded by 1 August 1986, on changes in the conciliation and arbitration in the schemes. Subsequent to the conclusion of the negotiations a chairman was appointed to both the Local Government and Health Services Arbitration Board and the Civil Service Arbitration Board.
I acknowledge that the Minister was the busiest Minister in Government in January, wherever he goes afterwards.
He had a very tough meeting this morning.
Wherever he goes after this I am sure it will be a bit easier. Will he outline what sections of the public service have given a reply having gone through the various procedures?
There has been no reply as yet from any of the panels who undertook to put the draft agreement to the constituent unions or associations for consideration. In other words, the Local Government and Health Services Panel, the Civil Service General Staff Panel and the Civil Service (Higher) Staff Panel have not yet come back with a reply.
Do I assume that no negotiations on the conciliation and arbitration scheme will be undertaken until they formally accept the proposals? If they reject them, there is to be no consultation. Is that the position?
Negotiations on the terms of the conciliation and arbitration scheme are a matter which the Government have been very anxious to have for the past two years. As I mentioned in the last part of my reply, the unions undertook to have those negotiations concerning possible changes in the scheme concluded by 1 August next. I have not since pressed the panels to have those discussions until such time as they come back with the reply on the general package, but if I thought that the panels felt they were in a position to begin those negotiations now, I would be very pleased to enter into them in the next few weeks.
The Minister mentioned that he had reappointed the arbitrator to the Local Government and Health Services Arbitration Board on the basis that none of the groups had formally accepted the offer put to them. Why has the Minister not appointed the arbitrator to the other conciliation and arbitration boards?
The arbitrator has been appointed in the Local Government and Health Services scheme by agreement between the union side and the Local Government Staff Negotiation Board. That is because the staff panel agreed to take away the terms of the package which had been offered and to put it to their constituent unions or associations for a decision in the appropriate way. On foot of their agreeing to do that, the decision was taken that an arbitrator would be reappointed in that case. That applies similarly in the case of the Civil Service Staff Panel and Civil Service (Higher) Staff Panel. In the case of both of those schemes the Government have agreed to the appointment of an arbitrator on foot of the same undertaking.
Since none of the groups within the public service has accepted the offer put to them by the Government, the Minister has told us today that he has reappointed the arbitrator to the Local Government and Health Services Arbitration Board and for the association of higher civil servants. Why has he not reappointed the arbitrator for the other sections since they are also considering the proposals in the same way?
Question No. 19 appears to deal with that.
A Cheann Comhairle
The Chair is merely pointing out——
All right, but unfortunately as spokesman for the Department of the Public Service I get only 30 minutes in every six weeks. I know the Minister is not dodging it but I would like to get the answer.
I suppose we will get as far as Question No. 19 if the Deputy will co-operate.