New campaign urges public-sector workers to reject Lansdowne Road II pay deal
A new campaign is being launched today to encourage public sector workers to vote against ‘Lansdowne Road II’.
The new public-sector pay deal, which will be voted on over the next two months, has so far received a mixed reaction.
The country's largest union SIPTU yesterday decided to join IMPACT in recommending acceptance - while teachers' unions the TUI and ASTI have expressed disappointment, and the INMO and Defence Forces' PDForra have deferred decisions while they await further clarification.
Eddie Conlon from the group 'TUI Grassroots' said that the campaign, starting today, offers support for rank-and-file trade union members who are not happy with what is being offered.
“What we’re trying to do is get the message out across the wider public sector that’s it’s really important that all public servants vote against this deal,” he said.
“We don’t believe it’s the best negotiations can get, but we also believe that if one or two unions vote against it not much will change – we need as many unions as possible to vote against it.”
He added: “The key issue here is that the union leadership went in and accepted the financial parameters that the Government put around the talks.
“The ICTU, for example, in the last year, saw tax increases, which would have led to a billion extra coming into the Exchequer – this was not raised at all in the context of these talks.
“Basically the Government said that there’s very little money available, and the union leaders said: ‘OK, that’ll do’.
“And really that’s not good enough.”
