INMO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECOMMEND A NO VOTE

1. Is Croke Park One Over?
No it has another year to run and it guarantees no pay cuts for its lifetime. This proposal sets that aside and implements pay cuts from July 2013.

2. Did we comply with Croke Park One?
Yes – Fully and recorded savings of €1.5billion under it. Redeployment and reconfiguration of services were fully implemented and nursing in particular was highlighted as complying with and maximising redeployment and restructuring (April - December 2012, 2,400 employees re-deployed / reassigned in health service.)

3. Working Hours – How will my Hours of Work be affected?
Staff working 35hrs (or less) go to 37hrs (net of rest breaks)
Staff working over 35hrs but less than 39hrs go to 39hrs (net of rest breaks)
39hrs no change except, 1 hour overtime, if worked, will be free each week.

(Therefore Nurses would move from 37.5hrs back to 39hrs)

4. Pay - How will it affect my Pay?
Shift Workers
Twilight 1/6 time abolished
Sunday Premium reduced for Time x 2 to Time x 1.75
Hourly rate of pay altered due to extension of working week.

Table A
Change from Time x 2 to time x 1.75 - Annual Loss (30 x 12 hour shift s p.a.)
Time plus 1/6th Annual Loss (3 x 12 hour shift s per week) - Abolished

5. Overtime – Will overtime pay be reduced?
Yes – revised overtime arrangements are proposed as follows:

• For those on salaries of up to €35,000 (inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay), overtime will be paid at ti me and a half at the first point of the appropriate scale.
• For those on salaries (inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay) of €35,000, or greater, overtime will be paid at the rate of ti me and quarter at the individual’s scale point.

In addition, divisors for the calculation of overtime will be adjusted to take account of any additional hours provided for above.

For those grades currently with a working week of 39 hours or more (net of rest breaks), the first hour of overtime worked each week, will be unpaid.

6. Increments – Are my annual increments affected?
Yes – as follows:-
Those on salary scales less than €35,000 per year (inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay) will receive their next increment when it falls due and then wait 15 months (rather than 12) before the following increment is paid.

Staff who earn between €35,000 and €65,000 (inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay) will receive their next increment when it falls due, then wait 15 months (rather than 12) before any following increment is paid and then 15 months (rather than 12) before any further increment is paid (2 three month delays over the lifetime of the agreement).

If Salary (including allowances in nature of pay) is €65,000 or greater, incremental progression will be suspended for three years.

For those on salaries between €35,000 and €65,000 inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay and who reach the maximum of the scale following a single 15 month incremental period, a reduction of annual leave entitlement of 3 days will apply, or an equivalent amount to the value of the 3 annual leave days or a quarter of the most recent increment, whichever is the lesser.

For those who are now at the top of their scale they will forfeit six days leave or the pay equivalent over the lifetime of the agreement, i.e. before the end of 2016 or half of the most recent increment which ever is the lesser.

7. If I earn over €65, 000, but less than €100,000 will my pay be affected?
Yes, temporary pay reduction for three years of the agreement then revert to point of scale you were on before cut applied but, if you are on an incremental scale your increment will also be frozen for these three years. (Note: any pay reduction cannot bring your salary below €65,000)
It is also the case that if your salary increases beyond €65,000 during this agreement, you will then be subjected to the relevant pay reduction for the amount outlined in table B below;

Table B

The following table applies to sample nursing management grades.

Table C

Table D

8. Is it proposed to change the rules regarding redeployment under Croke Park 2?
Yes, the proposals say it is still 45km limit but:-

1. Disciplinary action can be used if person refuses to redeploy;
2. If redeployment is not an option then “voluntary departure” will be sought. The terms of this departure will be the subject of discussions with the trade unions.
3. In the case of Cross sectoral re-deployment if the person is unhappy about redeployment, the appeal will only be allowed after the move has taken place.

9. Will my flexible working arrangements change?
Yes, the rights of the employer to alter your work pattern are strengthened, as follows:-

• No work sharing should be less than 50% of full time working hours;
• If working less than 50% currently, will be migrated to new arrangements within a period of 12 months;
• Formal annual review of work sharing;
• First review must be completed before the end of 2013; and
• Three months’ notice of management’s intention to change work sharing arrangement will allow change.
• If a person chooses to remain on existing hours, pay will be reduced as a result of a longer working week.

10. The government say they will not cut any further pay from public servants, is this the case and what about allowances?
No, this commitment was given until 2014 under the current Croke Park agreement and the proposed cuts will now apply a year early, i.e. July 2013. This proposal, if accepted, will also allow for the governments ‘review’ of allowances to be implemented. The proposal at paragraph 2.29 sets out how this would be dealt with but parties who agree to these proposals could not object. They would be compelled to co-operate and ultimately the Labour Court will be asked to decide if allowances should be retained or removed.

11. I get travel and subsistence, will this be affected?
Yes, this proposal, if accepted, commits the parties to fully co-operate with a government review of travel and subsistence arrangements.

13. What about the Senior Staff Nurse Labour Court Recommendation?
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has agreed, to implement the Senior Staff Nurse agreement, which was already agreed, with the INMO(July 2012), if these proposals are accepted. In doing this, they are saying they will appoint qualifying Senior Staff Nurses from 2009 to date, without paying retrospection, and will commit to appointing each November in the future but, only if these proposals are accepted. So, to get the Senior Staff Nurse status, pay cuts and increased hours for all nurses/midwives have to be accepted. This is unfair as this issue has already been argued and agreed for implementation with the HSE.

14. What about the regularisation of acting agreement?
As with the senior staff nurse the INMO reached an agreement with the HSE in July 2012 which confirmed that those acting for periods greater than two years, into approved posts, would be ratified in those posts. Furthermore this agreement confirms that payment for acting in the future would be based on appointment on to the scale of the higher post for periods greater than three months and, if less than three months, the newly appointed senior staff nurse grade would be obliged to act in the first instance. This agreement has now been attached as an addendum to these (Croke Park 2) LRC proposals and the employers are saying they will only implement it if the overall agreement is accepted. As this is an agreement already made we believe it is not correct to tie its implementation to the acceptance of a pay cut and increased hours.

15. What about the Pension levy?
As part of the Agreement a slight reduction in the rate of the pension levy will apply. The €15K– 20k band will attract a 2.5% levy rather than 5%. This will mean that earnings in this bracket will be subject to a lesser levy which is equal to €125 less to be paid in a year on salaries of €20,000 and above.

16. If we vote no, does that mean we will have to then go on strike?
No – this ballot is to decide whether you are in favour of the LRC proposals or not.

This vote will make up a part of the Irish Congress of Trade Union’s Public Services Committee overall aggregate vote, which will be counted on 17th April 2013.

Depending on the outcome of this aggregate vote, the INMO Executive Council has determined there may, or may not, be a need for a further ballot of members.

The reason for this is, if there is an overall majority aggregate vote to accept these proposals, pay cuts may then apply to INMO members even if they had voted against the proposals. This would be unprecedented and could not automatically be accepted without further consultation with INMO members, and other Unions in similar situations, and a possible second ballot of INMO members to determine whether members accepted the aggregate vote or not.

The INMO would never put you on strike, without a specific ballot for that purpose, and, in relation to these proposals, would only do so as part of a campaign involving other Unions.

However, at the moment, the important thing is that all public servants who have a vote, vote to reject these flawed, unfair and anti-family proposals.

17. Those in favour say that the Government will legislate if the proposals are rejected would this be worse?
If the proposals are rejected the status quo remains in place until the Government decides what to do next. They indicated, at the outset, that they would legislate if agreement could not be reached. However, if trade union members reject these proposals, the Government would have to consider its next step, as they would be facing a situation where public servants had rejected proposals. This is different to the threat they made regarding legislation if talks did not take place. If the Government decide to legislate, in the absence of a collective agreement, this legislation would require a robust debate and may prove more difficult, in the absence of a collective agreement with the trade unions, than the government anticipates.

We should not be afraid to vote against these unfair and anti family proposals. Fear is never a good reason to accept proposals that will weaken your rights in the workplace and send a message that your pay and conditions are not going to be fought for.

INMO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECOMMEND A NO VOTE

Please refer to the INMO website www.inmo.ie for full text of LRC proposals and further INMO explanatory documentation.

Also, please attend INMO information meetings in your workplace (details notified locally and regionally).

Details regarding balloting arrangements will also be notified to you locally

PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT Your Questions Answered