THE GOVERNMENT is to press ahead with efforts to revive the collapsed pay talks, despite the decision of leading trade unions to lodge individual pay claims on behalf of their members.
The Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA) became the latest union to plough its own furrow yesterday when it announced plans to lodge a claim for a 10 per cent basic pay increase over two years for workers with the four major retail banking groups.
The association, which represents some 15,000 workers in financial services in the Republic, says it will also pursue "enhanced rewards" for members in specific companies and/or sectors.
However, a Government spokesman insisted the actions of the IBOA, Unite and other unions that are lodging claims would not prejudice attempts to revive the stalled talks, which broke down at the start of the month.
"When the sides parted, some unions were outside the pay deal and it was accepted they were entitled to lodge claims," he said.
The spokesman insisted that the talks had not collapsed, but had taken "a bit of a pause" after it had become clear that the unions and employers could not reach agreement by the deadline.
Both sides had agreed to go back into talks and there was no animosity between unions and employers, he said.
Meetings between Taoiseach Brian Cowen's officials and the two sides under the auspices of the partnership process would start the week after next, the spokesman added.
The employers' federation Ibec has told its members not to engage in local bargaining with unions on pay claims until a further meeting sought by Mr Cowen on the possibility of reaching a national pay deal takes place at the end of the month. Ibec has not given up on the prospect of a national agreement on pay being reached after the summer break.
Speaking after the IBOA's executive committee met to finalise its pay strategy, its general secretary, Larry Broderick, said that in light of the breakdown of the talks on a new national agreement, it had decided to press ahead with claims on a new pay round in the four major retail banks after the previous agreements expired at the end of last month.
"The baseline increase we are seeking is 10 per cent over two years - in order to inflation proof our members' basic pay against expected cost of living increases of around 5 per cent a year over that period."
Mr Broderick said the union would also be seeking greater rewards for professional qualifications, enhanced productivity as well as guarantees on job security and measures to enhance work-life balance.
Mr Broderick said there were issues around the funding of extra staff training demanded by the financial regulator and the appropriate level of reward in recognition of achieving the higher qualification.
The IBOA had secured a positive outcome to negotiations with one of the banks - National Irish Bank - but the matter still had to be addressed by the other three banks.
Mr Broderick also signalled that bank staff would seek compensation in the event of a loss of profit-share in some instances.
It would also be seeking improved maternity leave for female staff.
Earlier this month, the trade union Unite lodged a claim for a 5 per cent cost of living increase with the insurance company Hibernian.
