Staff in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have secured pay rises of up to 7.5%, following collective bargaining between management and trade unions. The pay rise of 7.5% applies to all trade union members earning under €100,000. Staff earning over €100,000 will receive a 3% increase.
The deal was negotiated by the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) and the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Trade Union (SIPTU). The deal will last until the end of September 2020, with a retrospective start date of 1 January 2018. It is the first pay increase seen in the college since the financial crash of 2008.
IFUT Deputy General Secretary Frank Jones welcomed the move and said that it “finally reverses the wage trend that has prevailed within the education sector over the past decade. The pay increases, while modest, are positive and have been warmly received by the union members”.
“That this deal was secured is a credit to our workplace representatives. Their work on the ground in the course of these negotiations was instrumental to achieving this win for their colleagues”.
SIPTU organiser Ray Stanley acknowledged the collaboration between SIPTU and IFUT, and pointed out the unusual nature of this deal for the College. He said: “While this would not have been the traditional approach in an employment such as the RCSI, our members pursued this option resulting in a success for all union members.”
The proposals for this increase were developed last October through collaboration by IFUT and SIPTU. During negotiations, it was acknowledged that while RCSI is not subject to the Public Sector Pay Agreement, it has in the past followed the terms and agreements set out. It is expected that RCSI will follow the terms of the national wage agreements.
