Public sector workers are voting on whether or not to accept a revised national agreement on pay and conditions. The "Croke Park" agreement was originally negotiated in 2010 and included a substantial package of savings agreed by the unions in order to protect basic pay. The government began negotiations over a new agreement after threatening to impose a further €1 billion in cuts to the public sector pay bill. IMPACT reports that unions managed win concessions on a number of measures including compulsory redundancies, working time and overtime pay. It has recommended acceptance of the agreement as the best that could be achieved in the circumstances. Four unions have formed a coalition to campaign for a rejection of the agreement. These include the CPSU civil service union, the Unite general union, INMO (nurses and midwives) and IMO (doctors). The CPSU executive committee rejected the deal on the basis that it is an unacceptable attack on basic pay and terms and conditions built up over decades. The AHCPS higher civil servants' union has also recommended a "no" vote.
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New national agreement put to vote
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