30th January 2024
Following a marathon 22-hour long negotiation between officers of the public services committee of ICTU and officials from DPENDPR, a draft new public service agreement was brokered at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last Friday morning.
If accepted by ICTU-affiliated public service unions, the proposed agreement would, by 1 June 2026, see primary teachers’ salary scale points and allowances increasing by 9.62%, with slightly higher increases earlier on the salary scale due to the series of flat rate payments for workers who earn less than €50,000. The first proposed uplift of €1,125 or 2.25% (whichever is greater) would be backdated to 1 January 2024.
Salary increases would be made on a periodic basis through a combination of flat rate payments and/or percentage increases.
The details include:
2024
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 2.25% or €1,125, whichever is greater, on 1 January 2024.
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% on 1 June 2024.
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% or €500, whichever is greater, on 1 October 2024.
2025
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 2% or €1,000, whichever is greater, on 1 March 2025.
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% on 1 August 2025.
2026
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% or €500, whichever is greater, on 1 February 2026.
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public servants of 1% on 1 June 2026.
Local Bargaining
A local bargaining instalment, equivalent to 1% of the basic pay cost, on 1 September 2025.
The draft agreement also provides €100 million for a local bargaining fund for INTO claims which would allow this union to progress a number of priorities set by INTO congresses since 2009. One third of this fund is applicable from 1 September 2025 with the remainder guaranteed to form part of the following pay agreement.
At the insistence of the union negotiating team that the industrial relations climate be normalised, government has agreed to repeal section 4(2) of the FEMPI No. 2 Act 2009 upon ratification of this agreement. Consequently, the draft agreement contains a simpler dispute resolution mechanism than those deployed since 2009.
The CEC will give detailed consideration to all aspects of the document before advising members of their recommendation.
The CEC will also finalise arrangements for information sharing with members in February and voting on the proposals within the draft agreement which will begin in early March.
Members will be informed of balloting arrangements in the coming weeks and the union will be distributing an INTO Eolas to schools around the country.
Click here to read the full agreement.