Hi °C | Lo °C CUTS in the pay agreement will be levied across the entire public sector – even to unions who left the talks – if the deal is accepted by the majority of workers.
The new pay deal will now be considered by the executives of all unions, before being voted on by rank-and-file members, with a final result expected within two months.
But a number of unions walked out of the talks at the last minute, including the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO).
It represents doctors and consultants, who are most likely to be hit with the 10pc cut on pay over €185,000.
The other unions to walk out were Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU), and UNITE. Even though they left the talks, all unions will still consider the deal.
Public Spending Minister Brendan Howlin said: "If there is an agreement by the majority of public sector workers then obviously that will apply to everybody. The scope of the agreement will apply to everybody.
"It'll be a matter for everybody, whether you were in or out of discussions, to consider the proposals, because they are proposals that affect everybody."
But Liam Doran, general secretary of the INMO, insisted his union was right to walk out and would not by bound by the agreement if it was passed.
"The proposals that are emerging are not fair – they are inequitable," Mr Doran said, adding there was a "long way" to go before the agreement was accepted.
The IMO last night said the outcome of the talks proved it was right to walk out, and said it would "continue to fight".
Steve Tweed, the IMO's director of industrial relations, said: "These proposals are seriously flawed and if they are implemented they will have a hugely negative impact on the health services in Ireland and on the welfare of our members."
Assess
A spokesman for UNITE said they would "have to assess the detail to see the level of effect" it had on their members.
"There is a lot of detail in the deal," the spokesman said.
"We need to look at it, analyse it and have a discussion about it before we decide what action we would take."
A spokesman for the CPSU did not return calls.
Mr Howlin said the vast majority of public sector workers were represented in the final round of talks, and said acceptance of the deal was now down to individual union members.
"I'm confident this will be the last ask of public servants," Mr Howlin told RTE.
"The huge majority of public servants were involved in the talks, representatives of 60,000 excluded themselves, but that 60,000 is out of almost 300,000 so the great majority of unions were involved.
The Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors were not represented at the talks. In the event of an outright rejection, the Government would have to pass legislation to cut public sector pay.
Irish Independent
