Securing further pay rises for members through the new Local Bargaining Fund is a key priority for the State Related Sector which has lodged claims with each of the agencies and bodies where SIPTU members are organised.
SIPTU State Related Sector Organiser, Peter Glynn, said: “The creation of this fund was negotiated by the Union side as part of the new Public Service Agreement. It allows for a 3% value of the annual wage of an agreed group of workers to be awarded through negotiation for income improvements for the workers in the group. Workers in each State Related body constitute one of these groups and we have lodged claims with each of our members’ employers.”
He added: “Our Sector will be to the fore in crafting appropriate claims for our members to avail of this fund. The first 1% will be paid out in September 2025. The remaining 2% is due to be considered within the next phase of national pay negotiations in 2026. State Related Sector members must avail of this significant benefit in the public sector pay deal.”
An example of a claim lodged by SIPTU is an increase in the eating on-site allowance for Office of Public Works staff. SIPTU Honorary Vice President and Waterways Ireland employee, Alan Lindley, said: “The fact that the public service subsistence rates have increased by 930% since 1984 while the eating on-site allowance remains stagnant, this needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency.”