1. Shay Cody General Secretary IMPACT

3.  A heroic failure.....  A failure of negotiations.  A failure for the workers in the battle.  A failure for the employers in the war.  (Commenced in August 1913 and was still underway by this time in 1914.)  In contrast.....

5.  2009 – 2013.  Agitation and conflict was designed to create a negotiation.  Not an alternative to a negotiation.

6.  No further cuts in pay or pensions  No compulsory redundancies  Continued downsizing of public sector (320,000  282,500)  Extensive cooperation with change, flexibility and redeployment  Speedy and binding Dispute Resolution.  An enabler for change and savings.  Savings of €3.3bn delivered

7.  Government sought early renegotiation of CPA to save an extra €1bn per annum  Threatened to achieve €1bn saving in any event  Set of Bilateral Agreements  Savings achieved through further cuts in high pay (over €65k), some incremental deferral (middle earners), some further downsizing and extra working time for most (those on 35 or less  37 hours; over 35  39 hours)  General CPA terms apply but more specific in delivering savings through cuts/overtime changes/ utilisation of hours.

8.  In the four years to Q3 2013 public sector earnings fell by €47.88 (-5.0%) compared with a decrease of €2.41 (-0.4%) in private sector average weekly earnings.  All earnings are gross amounts but ignores 2009 pension levy (average 7%).  Adjustment in private sector mostly through compulsory downsizing rather than pay cuts.  CPA/HRA expression of our agenda to protect jobs security. Private sector took a different hit.

9. July 20132011 <€40K117,80040%35%112,695 €40-60K118,70041%38%112,954 €60-80K42,10015%18%52,600 €80-100K6,4002.2%5%14,960 €100K+5,0001.7%2.3%6,791 Total290,000300,000

10.  PS Numbers down by 10% (since 2008) and gross voted spending by 13.5% (2009-2013)  260,000 more people in receipt of social protection payments (18%) 2008-2012.  630,000 more medical card holders than in 2007.  49,000 (6%) more children in our schools than in 2008/2009.  13% more people at pensionable age since 2008.  350,000 more people living in Ireland in 2011 than in 2006. 

11.  27 separate agreements was a ad hoc solution.  Impossible format for the future.  How can we return to a single agreement format, with individual unions willing to accept the majority view?  More difficult with ‘concession’ bargaining if the employer demands are seen to have varying implications for different groups.

12.  Need for an ‘Employer Labour Conference’.  Worked before Social Partnership.  Social partnership had the National Implementation Body. (Public Service has an Oversight Body)  Ad hoc group established to deal with Dublin Bus dispute when all other options were exhausted.  Need for a place to deal with wage rounds in the context of the single currency and comparative competitiveness.

13.  NESC discussion on elder care.  A whole of society discussion with the whole of Government.  Requires a restoration of some form of Social partnership.  Exists across Northern Europe.  We had/have no place to address changes to Social Protection Pension age.  Too late to address pay rounds when they are underway!

14.  Pay movements commencing-modest increases.  Base pay and variable elements.  Some sectors first into recession, first out.  Most negotiated but some instances of industrial action threatened.  Modest increases can be bettered if move away from traditional pay and reward systems.