The future of Partnership 2000 in the public service may be at risk if the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, is not prepared to adopt a more flexible stance on resolving current disputes, a trade union leader has warned.
The IMPACT general secretary, Mr Peter McLoone, said Mr McCreevy's tough stance in disputes like those of the National Museum and the Dublin ambulance controllers may damage the prospects for modernising the public service through the Strategic Management Initiative.
The ambulance controllers are due to attend the Labour Court on Thursday to present their case. The museum staff decided yesterday to continue their policy of non-co-operation with new managers who have been appointed on contract.
They are also writing to the Minister for the Arts, Ms de Valera, seeking her support in Cabinet and they have left open their options regarding further one-day strikes.
Mr McLoone's comments about the Department of Finance hardening its negotiating stance with the unions since Mr McCreevy was appointed Minister reflect a growing concern throughout the public service unions. Union leaders find the stance adopted over vacancies at the National Museum particularly hard to understand.
It is widely accepted that the museum staff have a legitimate grievance which could be resolved at a cost of £20,000. Its resolution would not lead to any "knock-on" claims from other public sector workers.
Mr McLoone said that if the way the museum dispute was being conducted "represents the beginning of a trend, we would be very concerned. As we see it, the Minister for Finance has a key role to play in the development of the `partnership' model throughout the public service. If he is to succeed he has to promote change in a non-threatening way.
"A dispute like the one at the National Museum threatens to undermine his main task," Mr McLoone said. "If the Minister is seen to wield a big hammer to resolve a small issue, there will be a perception out there that he is prepared to adopt a similar approach to bigger issues.
"Playing hardball in these disputes doesn't just mean that we as a union have problems. It threatens to affect the whole environment in which change is discussed within the public service."
Besides IMPACT, there are other unions which may soon be involved in serious confrontations with the Government. These include SIPTU and all of the main craft unions.
The craft unions are considering industrial action over a major "analogue" claim for members in the health boards and local authorities. The outcome of that claim will have pay implications for a further 60,000 public sector workers - mainly SIPTU members.
The analogue claim is based on a "basket" of pay increases granted by 18 companies to craftsmen in comparable employments. The unions claim this entitled them to a 10 per cent increase, worth over £27 a week. The indications are that management negotiators, who include Department of Finance personnel, are not prepared to agree anything like this figure.
SIPTU has an agreement that its members will receive 80 per cent of the craftworkers' rise. It begins a series of meetings this week to decide its own strategy for pursuing the analogue claim.