Tánaiste welcomes Social Partnership Agreement
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Mary Coughlan, TD, welcomed the draft agreement reached today between the Social Partners on a successor to the first module of Towards 2016.
The Tánaiste said: “I congratulate the Social Partners on their success in reaching this important agreement against an economic backdrop which is more challenging than we have had in some time. This Agreement is a testimony to the strength and durability of social partnership in tackling and finding shared solutions to economic and social challenges. Social partnership has underpinned the level of economic and social progress we have achieved in recent years and, through this renewal, it will continue to be central to our meeting the challenges in the uncertain times we now face”, the Tánaiste added.
The Tánaiste said that the new Transitional Agreement will provide the necessary strong protection for employment standards, while also providing a much-needed boost to enterprise by ensuring that Ireland continues to provide a degree of certainty for the business community and allow Ireland to present an excellent environment for business and job creation.
Notes for Editors
Date of Implementation and Duration
Except where otherwise agreed at local level this Agreement should come into force on the expiry of the first module of Towards 2016 in each individual employment or industry and shall last for 21 months.
PRIVATE SECTOR PAY TERMS
It is agreed by the parties that the following basic pay terms shall apply in the Private Sector:
A Pay Pause of 3 months from the expiry of the last phase of the first module under Towards 2016.
An increase of 3.5% for the next 6 months of the Agreement as it applies in each particular employment or industry; and
An increase of 2.5% for the next 12 months of the Agreement - except for those employees on an hourly basic rate of ¤11 per hour or less on commencement of the second phase where a 3% increase will apply.
PUBLIC SECTOR PAY TERMS
It is agreed by the parties that the following basic pay terms shall apply in the Public Sector:
A Pay Pause of 11 months from the expiry of the last phase of the first module under Towards 2016.
An increase of 3.5% for the next 9 months of the Agreement; and
An increase of 2.5% for the remainder of the Agreement - except for those earning up to and including ¤430.49 per week (¤22,463 per annum) on commencement of the second phase where a 3% increase will apply.
The draft Agreement reached between the parties covers a range of initiatives including:
Setting up a process to develop a national framework on the employment and rights of temporary agency workers; while prohibiting their use in the case of official strikes or lock outs;
Optional recourse to voluntary arbitration on change at enterprise level;
Setting up a time-bound process in which the issue of employee representation and the appropriate legislative framework will be addressed;
The introduction of a statutory prohibition on the victimisation of employees based on their membership or non-membership or activity on behalf of a trade union, and on incentivising non-membership of trade unions;
Making provision for pensions under the Transfer of Undertakings Directive; and
Commitments in relation to public service modernisation, including responding to the OECD Report on the Public Service.
The terms of the draft Agreement will now be considered by the relevant councils and executives of the social partners with a view to ratification.
Last modified: 17/09/2008
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