Unions fail to pay out wage rises for their own staff
UNIONS that have threatened industrial action against employers who refuse to pay national wage increases have not given them to their own staff, it has emerged.
Major private-sector unions, including SIPTU and UNITE, have paid both instalments of the pay rise worth up to 6.5pc that was brokered by the social partners last year.
But the Irish Independent has confirmed that the payment is overdue at several other unions, including the Communications Workers Union (CWU), and retail union MANDATE for months.
Public-sector unions have also not paid the increases.
They said this was because their officials' wages along with those of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) were directly linked to public-sector pay, which has been frozen by the Government.
Unions last night said they were in a "no-win" situation, as they faced criticism from members if they raised wages for leaders and officials while members' wages stayed the same.
However, unions who can arguably afford the increase -- if their subscriptions have risen, for example -- may be open to challenge by staff at the Labour Relations Commission.
Under the national agreement, employers must prove they cannot afford the increase if they want to be exempted from the deal.
CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick, last night denied it was hypocritical not to pay the increase when his union is urging employers like Eircom and An Post to honour the wage deal.
He said the union's policy on staff pay was to mirror the wages of members and it was fighting for payment of the agreement in a number of disputes.
By the same token, he said he would expect his staff to take a pay cut if union members endured them.
Mr Fitzpatrick also claimed he could not fund the increase.
"If our members get the pay increase, I'll be in a position to pay members of our union," he said. "If they don't, we won't have the money to pay it."
Overdue
"We have an agreement that hasn't been torn up but our officials accept they work for the trade union.
"And if the people who pay their wages don't get a pay rise, they don't as well," he said.
MANDATE admitted payment of the wage deal was "overdue", but said it was in discussions with staff about the increase.
"We are involved in a complex range of negotiations with staff representatives," a spokesman said.
One of the public-sector unions that has not paid the increase, the Civil and Public Service Union, which represents 13,000 lower-paid civil servants, said this was because of the pay pause in the sector.
- Anne-Marie Walsh Industry Correspondent
Irish Independent
