10 January 2008
The new public service benchmarking report was welcomed as a 'reality check' on public sector pay and conditions by the country’s main professional institute for personnel management.
Michael McDonnell, director of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD-Ireland), said: 'This report places a fresh focus on the real value of pay-related, defined benefit, public-sector pensions for the country’s 303,000 public service employees providing a 12% premium over private sector pensionable employment.'
'It also highlights that real benchmarking can be a positive force in ensuring that both public and private sector employees share the wider gains of economic growth in a fair and rational manner.'
Mr McDonnell said that new means need to be found to reward public sector employees who show high levels of initiative and commitment separate from national-level pay awards. 'I would like to see some exchequer funds devoted towards rewarding the small number of outstanding people in the education, health and public administration areas who are often overshadowed by the aggregate pay claims made by public sector trades unions.'
'Benchmarking remuneration against private sector comparators with equal skills, competencies and responsibilities is a separate process from resolving industrial disputes or relativity pay claims. Nurses, teachers and civil servants need to accept that if the process is to enjoy wide support, especially from the wider tax-paying public,' Mr McDonnell said.