Public Pay Talks - see mod warning post 4293

I'm being tongue-in-cheek calling it a decrease when mathematically it's an increase.

Odd to double down in your reply then….

You accept its a pay increase. I'm glad you've rowed back your comment.

Honestly there should just be a union survey circulated to test bothhow the pay deal has hit people's pockets, I can afford less now than last year and I've gone up 2 grades this year so I personally feel it's has done nothing to improve my situation. 10k up and I'm still struggling to pay bills and keep food on the table.

I'll be firmly against any local bargaining provisions in the next pay deal when it's negotiated. Current situation appears to be an absolute farce.

Already agreed at 2%. Of course, new deal still needs to be agreed and voted through but the unions have already agreed it in principle.

Personally, I think farce is a bit strong of a word. I'd imagine the deal will be back dated when agreed. Its disappointing to see the lack of engagement from the government on it.

Go to the WRC and then the Labour Court. If both of those fail, they could take industrial action (or at least that’s how I interpret the deal). However, I don’t think anyone is going to ballot for industrial action of 1% local bargaining.

The parties reconvened on the 27th. I imagine further discussions will take place before there is any noise.

I agree that communication from the unions is poor.

I’d disagree that it makes them look weak but that’s just a different opinion. I can see where you’re coming from.

I wouldn’t imagine the election fell at the right time for this but it was known when the deal was signed approximately when the elections were (last 2024/early 2025 being the most likely period)

seems really weird that it's been 9 days since the meeting and not a peep. sometimes forsa bulletins go out fridays so maybe today…

Why don't you include your yearly increment on top of your pay increases before drawing parallels to the 5.3% average weekly earnings increase that includes all earnings increases and does not exclude a part of it?

That 5.3% also includes increases from increments and pay deals for Government employees so it's actually a bit less than 5.3% if you are trying to compare with other sectors.

Any maybe people in the private sector did not get 5.3% either - which if you know how averages work - will be the case.

Only someone well versed in the spin of misinformation and manipulation from government employees could take a figure partly driven by their own pay increases, partly driven by their own increments, that includes all increases, exclude their own yearly increment when drawing comparisons and complain that they are not keeping up.

Interesting how you’ve dodged the argument entirely and went straight for the personal insult. That usually happens when you don't have a leg to stand on. Clearly, you can't refute my point, which only confirms I'm right.

Your point is ridiculous. You’re arguing that because some don’t get pay increases, no one should. The vast majority of people who work in large organisations, public and private, have defined pay structures. They aren’t comparable to small enterprises but once a company or body goes above a certain size, things starting working the same way.

I work in the private sector, formerly in the public sector. There is simply no argument that those in the public sector are paid more.

You can argue things like leave, hours, educational support, work/life balance stuff are better but not pay.

And as I’ve said before in this thread, most people now go between the two as they see fit. There is really no difference in how public and private sector workers (hired since 1994) are treated so people have to do what’s best for them.

I think arguing against workers - anywhere - getting increases is just plain weird

I'm sorry, but you must be imagining things and reading things that are not there. Go back to my post here and point out any error in the statement I said.

If you're in the private sector, you know if you receive a % pay rise, or looking at economic data, that's the totality of the increases.

Whether out of staggering ignorance of basic arithmetic or a deliberate attempt to mislead, government employees routinely omit their increments when talking about pay increases - painting a distorted picture that suits their narrative. Then have the bare-faced cheek to try compare numbers with this sleight of hand.

Good thing I’m around to correct the record and since all I get in return in personal abuse, it’s clear no one can actually challenge my argument leaving me confident that I am 100% in the right.

» Plenty of private sector workers have built in incremental pay scales. Union bargained increases are applied on top of this

Yes and in that case, it is included in the 5.3% average as reported.