SIPTU denies threat of industrial action in public sector talks is bluffing

Vivienne Clarke

The deputy general secretary of the country’s largest trade union, SIPTU, has denied that the threat of industrial action in advance of public sector pay talks was posturing or bluffing.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Adrian Kane said the current situation was “this is a mess of the government's own making.”

The decision of SIPTU and its sister unions to ballot members across the public sector during the month of August was because of “the failure of the government to put an offer in relation to pay on the table.

“I don't believe it's a bluff on our behalf .”

The vote of 97 per cent in favour of strike action was an indicator of the “level of anger out there”.

“That's quite unprecedented. So what we will be doing over the next two weeks, we will be meeting with our representative committees throughout the union and SIPTU will then decide what action we take.

“We will also then confer with our sister unions in the public service as to what coordinated action takes. But we will, in the first place be discussing with our representative committees over the next two weeks what industrial action up to and including strike action that we take.”

This decision was not being taken lightly, he said. People were serious about trying to alleviate the cost of living crisis. There had not been any adjustment in tax bands in the budget to take into account inflation.

“We are now probably around five percent behind as a result of inflation and as a result of that decision. Those issues have to be addressed in terms of a pay offer.

“The point I would make is you're playing catch up because of the failure to do that the last time around. So that has to be addressed as also index linking tax bands on this occasion.”

Kane denied that SIPTU was introducing preconditions, he pointed out that he had previously conducted many negotiations in the public sector where, typically, negotiations would unfold with the company and management outlining what they were prepared to put on the table.

“They don't leave it to the last minute and start trying to negotiate every other thing. That's usually what happens. So because of the government's position and the way that they have conducted preliminary negotiations to date, we have taken this decision.”

This was not a precondition, he said. People were angry.

“We're a representative and a democratic organisation. And when we get a mandate by our members for strike action of 97 percent, we have to keep faith with them. If the government wants to engage with us, the door is open and we'll do that.

“But we will also keep faith with our own members. They've said their door is open as well.”