The IMO – along with the INMO, CPSU and UNITE - walked out of the Croke Park II talks on Sunday evening due to the Government’s resolve to extend the working week for many members and to reduce the salary for the majority of members.

So what was on the Government’s agenda? Saving €1 billion off the pay and pensions bill across the public sector. What did the Government achieve? All the financial savings it was seeking.

The IMO could not justify remaining in the talks when a multiple of the measures being proposed would directly impact our members. The statement by Government that the ‘pain’ would be shared proportionately across the public sector is not supported by events. The IMO argued that this statement was a fallacy as the health sector members would take a disproportionate amount of the ‘pain’.

The majority of IMO members would suffer a significant cut in earnings:

• A % cut depending on salary
• A freeze on increments. If on the top of the scale it means a reduction in salary or a reduction in annual leave
• Reduction of overtime rates and premium rates

This flies in the face of the commitment in the current Croke Park Agreement which guarantees no pay reduction for public service employees. However, the Government retains the ‘industrial peace’ clause in the agreement. All the benefits are in favour of Government while IMO members were being asked to work longer for less.

An increase in hours for NCHDs is incomprehensible when the Government is fully aware of the current dangerous working hours. It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the campaign to reduce hours.

It is understood by commentators that the NCHD campaign is not about money. However, to effectively increase the already illegal working hours while reducing the earnings for the hours worked is not acceptable to the IMO.

Consultants accepted an agreement in November 2012 to change work practices. Part of the agreement included payment for 5/7 and 24/7 rosters on the same basis as other health service workers together with the Minster for Health’s commitment not to reduce pay in return for reform. Before the agreement is even implemented the payments would either have been reduced or removed and pay cut.

What the proposal would mean to you:

1. Pay cut – which will be triggered if you earn above €65,000 per year (including allowances)
2. 5.5% pay cut up to €80,000 per year
3. 8% cut for staff earning over €80,000
4. 9% cut for staff earning over €150,000
5. 10% cut for staff earning over €185,000.
6. Working hours - employees working under 35 hours a week will now work a minimum of 37 hours and employees working between 35 and 39 hours a week will work a minimum of 39 hours. These are ‘net’ hours. Many IMO members work ‘gross’ hours; e.g. for NCHDs this means the loss of the one hour paid lunch break.
7. Overtime rates - will be cut and based on salary
8. Under €35,000 will receive overtime at time-and-a-half
9. Over €35,000 will be paid at time-and-a-quarter
10. Sunday premium - will be reduced from double-time to time-and-three-quarters. Saturday payments remain unchanged.
11. Increments – again based on salary
12. Under €35,000 – the next increment will be delayed by three months
13. between €35,000 and €65,000 - the next two increments will be delayed by three months apiece
14. Over €65,000 – the next increment will be delayed for three years
15. Employees at the top of their pay scales will lose either six days of annual leave over the next three years, or half of the value of their last increment, whichever costs them less.
16. Public sector pension levy - will be cut. Employees earning between €15,000 and €20,000 will now be subject to a rate of 2.5% instead of 5%.

The IMO will fight any attempt by Government to impose the cuts and is liaising and working with the INMO, CPSU and UNITE in developing our strategy.

Events will unfold over the next days and weeks and members will be kept fully informed and involved.

Steve Tweed

Director

Industrial Relations