Public sector pay deal will include reform and productivity measures, Jack Chambers says

The Government will want reform and productivity measures as part of any new pay deal for State employees, the Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has said.

He said this had been a standard part of such public service pay agreements for years.

Speaking at an event in Dunboyne, Co Meath, the Minister said the trade unions understood this.

“So, there will be proposals around reform and productivity, and they’ll be discussed, and hopefully agreed between all sides, as well as agreement on a wider public sector pay deal itself,” Chambers said.

Following a strike involving about 300,000 public service staff earlier this month, talks on a new pay deal have been under way between unions and officials of the Department of Public Expenditure since last week.

Speaking on Wednesday, Chambers said very intensive discussions were taking place at the Workplace Relations Commission.

“The Government is clear we want to have a fair deal for public sector workers, and a public sector deal has to be sustainable and affordable for the taxpayer as well,”
Chambers said. “So there’s been really positive and constructive engagement between all sides ... that level of intensity will increase through the week and, obviously, we want to have a positive outcome from that. But as has been said by everybody involved, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

The Minister said there was a confidential process under way “and we respect the fact that every side needs to conclude that before we’ll see an outcome”.

“But Government wants a positive outcome for public sector workers. We value industrial peace, and we want to have stability around industrial relations in 2027 and beyond,” he said.