A VOTE BY Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has seen the Lansdowne Road public sector pay deal rejected.
In a ballot of members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), 52.6% voted against the deal which would have seen members receiving a €2,000 pay bump over three years – equal to what was expected by other public servants.
The association has not elaborated on the reasons for its members’ rejection of the deal at this time, saying that further comment will be made at the National Executive Meeting next Thursday.
On the vote, AGSI President Tim Galvin said, “It is clear that Sergeants and Inspectors are dissatisfied with proposals outlined in the agreement.”
Struggling for support
The Lansdowne Road Agreement has faced notable opposition since being announced by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin in May.
Earlier this week the Teachers’ Union of Ireland joined the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland in rejecting the agreement.
Together the two unions represent 32,000 teachers from across Ireland.
In July the Irish Medical Organisation voted overwhelmingly to reject the agreement, stating that it did not feel the deal addressed pay issues for doctors.
Despite this opposition, a number of other organisations, including the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the Irish Federation of University Teachers, and union IMPACT, have voted to accept the deal.
What’s included in it?
The Lansdowne Road Agreement was brought about to reverse pay cuts public sector workers have had to endure since 2008.
Beyond the restoration of €2,000 between January 2016 and September 2017, the deal would also see the restoration of pay to those earning more than €100,000.
Retired public service workers would also be set to receive €1,680 more in pensions over the next three years as part of a pension restoration initiative.
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