SF: New deal fails to tackle inequality in public-sector pay
Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has today criticised trade union leaders and the Government after they
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Responding to the proposed agreement on an extended Croke Park deal reached this morning, Deputy McDonald said it did not tackle excessive pay at the top of the public sector.
"The Croke Park negotiations were a golden opportunity for Government and trade union leaders to once and for all tackle the massive pay inequity across the public and civil service," she said.
"Instead this agreement heaps pain on low and middle income workers and does little more than tinker with excessive pay at the top.
"Far from protecting low and middle income pay the government has aggressively gone after their increments and unsocial hours pay.
"It is crystal clear why the CPSU, INMO, IMO, and Unite walked out of the talks yesterday. Frontline workers have been disproportionally targeted.
"Nurses, gardaí and fire fighters deliver a 24/7 service keeping us safe and well. They, like us, have mortgages to pay and children to feed.
"Their pay has been significantly reduced over the couple of years and they simply have no more to give.
"The reality is high earners at the top of the public sector are not in receipt of increments or Sunday payments.
"Even after the 10% cut to high pay those at the top of the public sector will still earn more than French President and British Prime Minister."
