Public service unions have lashed out at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about how talks on a new pay public service pay agreements are being handled.
In a statement, the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said today is a "crunch day" in the process, which it described as "extremely fragile".
This morning the four PSC officers who are the key negotiators on the union side briefed around 20 other Congress affiliated unions on progress in the talks - and on the backdrop to a row which broke out yesterday over DPER's disclosure of documents to bodies not affiliated to Congress.
PSC Chairperson and Forsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan said DPER's conduct around the talks, and the absence of movement on issues raised by ICTU-affiliated unions, raised questions about whether progress towards a new public service agreement was now possible.
Mr Callinan said the process was now "extremely fragile," and that a meeting of the two sides set to take place this afternoon would be crucial.
He stressed that ICTU-affiliated unions were united on their approach and objectives regarding a successor to the Public Service Stability Agreement including the need for a "realistic and acceptable" approach to pay, a separate mechanism to address sectoral issues, and a process to address issues still outstanding from the 2013 Haddington Road Agreement, which imposed austerity measures including additional unpaid hours.
The PSC represents all ICTU-affiliated unions with members working in the civil and public service. Its officers, and lead negotiators, are Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan, SIPTU Deputy General Secretary John King, INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, and INTO General Secretary John Boyle.
