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TOWARDS 2016 - TRANSITIONAL AGREEMENT
File icon  T2016 Proposed Transitional Agreement (doc, 209 kb)

Proposals have emerged for a new National Agreement following protracted negotiations.

It includes the following:

(1) Duration:

Twenty-one (21) months from the expiry of the last pay agreement;

(2) Pay Terms: 

(a) Private Sector

  • a pay pause of 3 months from the expiry of the last phase of the 1st Module under Towards 2016;
  • an increase of 3.5% for the next 6 months of the agreement, as it applies in each particular employment or industry; and
  • an increase of 2.5% for the next 12 months of the agreement – except for those employees on an hourly basic rate of €11 per hour or less, on the commencement of the 2nd phase, where a 3% increase will apply.

(b) Public Sector

  • a pay pause of 11 months from the expiry of the last phase of the 1st Module under Towards 2016;
  • an increase of 3.5% for the next 9 months of the agreement; and
  • an increase of 2.5% for the remainder of the agreement – except for those earning  up to and including €430.49 per week (€22,463 per annum), on commencement of the 2nd phase, where a 3% increase will apply.

(3) Employment Rights:

The Employment Law Compliance Bill  will be enacted before the end of 2008.  The proposed legislation provides the legal framework for the enforcement of an extensive range of employment rights.

(4) Collective Bargaining:

The Government will enact legislation, in June of 2009, to enable the mechanisms which were established in the “2004 Act” to operate as originally intended prior to the Supreme Court decision in the Ryanair case.   This will be preceded by a review process which will consider the legal and other steps involved.  This will be concluded by the end of March 2009.

(5) Anti-Victimisation Legislation

Legislation to prohibit victimisation, including dismissal and incentivisation, and to provide effective protection and means of redress to employees when engaged in the proper and legitimate exercise of their rights to trade union membership or activity on behalf of a trade union, or non-membership, or a manager discharging his or her managerial functions, will be brought forward with a view to its enactment by March 2009.

(6) Agency Workers

The revised Employment Agency Regulation Bill, promised under Towards 2016, will be published before the end of 2008.   Interim legislation will also be enacted by the end of 2008 prohibiting the use of agency workers supplied by an agency, by an employer, for the direct replacement of employees in cases of an official strike or a lock out where the employees are not acting contrary to the terms of a Labour Court Recommendation.  (This prohibition will apply in all circumstances, except in relation to essential services as set out in the Code of Practice on Dispute Resolution in Essential Services – S.I. No. 1 of 1992.)  This measure will be retained in the legislation transposing the EU Directive on Equality of Treatment for Temporary Agency Workers when it is enacted.

(7) Employment Regulation Orders and Registered Employment Agreements

The pay and terms of employment of approximately 300,000 workers are set out in these legal mechanisms which render collectively-bargained agreements mandatory across the relevant sectors.  They have been subject to attack in the courts by those seeking to drive down wages and conditions.  Legislation will be enacted shortly to strengthen the existing system and to provide for its continued effective operation.

(8) Public Procurement

Contracting authorities will advise contractors in the performance of a public contract to avail of access to the Labour Relations Commission Conciliation Service, Labour Court and the Rights Commissioner service, as appropriate, in accordance with industrial relations legislation.

The Department of Finance will establish a liaison mechanism at which issues arising from the implementation of this commitment and those set out in Section 20 of Towards 2016, can be monitored.

(9) Pensions

The Proposal commits the Government to the publication of its comprehensive framework for future pensions’ policy by the end of 2008.

Legislation will also be introduced to transpose the optional pensions’ provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings Directive by the end of 2008.


Productivity is key to future economic success, not low pay for workers

15.02.2008
Union General President, Jack O’Connor said “today’s exhortations of pay restrain on behalf of top management ring hollow with those trying to cope with one of the highest costs of living in Europe - especially when these same people have been awarding themselves multiples of the increases workers have been receiving over the past few years”. Mr. O'Connor made his comments at the plenary meeting of the social partners at Dublin Castle to review progress on Towards 2016.
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File icon  Summary of Terms of Towards 2016 - Transitional Agreement (doc, 1,110 kb)



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