The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants has lodged two pay claims on behalf of its 4,000 members.
They still must be agreed at talks with officials at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In an update to members, the union said there may be productivity or reform requirements in return.
An emergency motion on the pay claims for principal officers who work in the civil service is set to be discussed by delegates at the union’s annual conference in Portlaoise today.
The motion asks delegates to endorse two local bargaining claims submitted by the union. The first is a claim to double a 1pc pay increase under an old deal, as well as improvements to the pay scales of assistant principal and principal officer grades.
Their wages rise in increments each year, or over a number of years.
The latest civil service circular shows an assistant principal officer’s pay starts at €80,668 and rises in increments to €100,530. Pay for a principal officer on a higher scale starts at €112,974, and increases gradually to €139,320 when they reach the top of the payscale.
In an update to members on May 6 , the union said two “significant” claims are a part of efforts to secure fair, strategic, and impactful improvements to pay and progression structures.
It said a claim submitted to double a 1pc increase under a Programme for Competitiveness and Work deal to 2pc is due to growth in its members’ responsibilities.
The second claim for assistant principal and principal officer grades aims to address “pay progression bottlenecks, retention challenges and evolving job demands”.
This claim would involve the removal of the first wage increment on the pay scales for both grades – so they would start on higher pay. It would also reduce a three year wait for a final increment to one year, and there would be a 2.5pc increase in the maximum increment on both payscales, and a higher pay scale. The union said this measure aimed to retain leadership talent and support career progression.
Ciaran Rohan, general secretary of the AHCPS, said the pay claims are modest and balanced.
Meanwhile, the conference will focus on new AI guidelines for the public sector that were unveiled this week.
The union has warned that the position of human decision making must be safeguarded.
Motions put forward by delegates will call for greater management of AI in the workplace and raise concerns about its impact on jobs and accountability.
Delegates will also call on the union to strongly defend blended working practices.
“We welcome the publication by government this week of guidelines for the use of AI in the public sector,” said Mr Rohan. “It’s something our members have been looking for. “ He said AI is already playing a positive role in the civil and public sector, but it is critical that there continues to be strong guidelines and guidance in place.
“Not only are there issues of confidentiality, bias and transparency to consider, but we would also have concerns about any reliance on algorithms to inform decision making,” he said.
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