The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has criticised the content of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill 2017, which was published this week. The union has once again reiterated its commitment to eliminating pay inequality.
Statement from TUI President Joanne Irwin and TUI General Secretary John MacGabhann:
‘This Bill represents a heavy-handed, oppressive effort by Government to coerce compliance with an agreement that, in its current form, leaves a gross injustice intact in terms of pay inequality.
TUI of course recognises that when industrial action is taken, there are, in the normal course of events, consequences. However, the consequences mapped out in the Bill are entirely disproportionate and perverse. They would have the most damaging and dramatic effect on precisely the same new and recent entrants to the public service who have suffered discrimination and pay inequality by virtue simply of the date that they commenced their public service employment.
The outrageous sanctions set out would pursue the punished to the grave. We have been told by Government that the emergency is over. However, the anti-public service attitude that characterised the era of austerity is clearly still in the ascendant.
We call on fair-minded politicians of all parties and none to reject the oppressive approach set out in the Bill and we will be making strong representations to them in this regard.
TUI makes no apology for its demand that pay equality should apply and that new and recent entrants to teaching and lecturing should not suffer discrimination.
Along with other unions which rejected the agreement, TUI has recently engaged in good faith with Government on the issue of pay inequality. The publication of this Bill must not be allowed to impede or delay the necessary and just process of eliminating pay inequality.’