Unions warn against public-sector pay reductions
Trade unions are hitting out at government ministers for suggesting further reductions in public sector pay.
Earlier, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said the Government may have to defer salary increments for public sector workers.
SIPTU said it would resist cuts to premium pay and overtime for health service workers, while IMPACT said any deferral of increments would breach the Croke Park agreement and hit low-paid workers hardest.
Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said the public sector had already taken enough pain.
"Public servants as a body have more than carried their fair share and they're not in a position to suffer any further cuts," he said.
Meanwhile, outspoken GP Dr Ruairi Hanley said he agreed that pay increments for health service workers should be deferred for a year, but he did not think the Government would go through with it.
"I don't think there's enough political will," he said. "To be fair to Leo Varadkar, I think he has got the liathróidi to do this, but I don't think James Reilly does.
"I think that while there are those within Fine Gael who, it appears, would have the guts to take on the unions, revist Croke Park, sack incompetent administrators and stop paying increments, there are plenty of others who would bottle it and unfortunately, I think the bottlers will win out."
