WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR…
SIPTU’s call on Section 39 Workers’ Pay and Dail Debate
SIPTU has recently indicated that a deal on sleep-over allowances secured with the HSE for the country’s 13,000 Section 39 workers, must pave the way for the same pay restoration for those workers as agreed for the country’s public servants under the latest public service pay deal.
While hundreds of thousands of public servants last week saw a hike in their wages under the new agreement, the workers in Section 39 companies saw no increase.
Section 39 Employees are not public servants, but their Employers are grant-aided by the HSE to provide services mainly in the health and social services sectors. Traditionally their pay has been linked to rates within the public service. However, while they experienced the cuts implemented in the recession years, there has, so far, been no sign of them securing the newly-agreed increases.
SIPTU has stated that the HSE, the Department of Health, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have repeatedly insisted they have no role or input into pay for workers in Section 39 organisations. However, the HSE and union representatives have recently attended the Workplace Relations Commission where according to SIPTU, the HSE agreed to provide funds for Section 39 workers to pay sleep-over allowances and instructed how the monies should be allocated to workers entitled to the payment.
The Dail has also recently debated a motion calling for pay increases for Section 39 agency staff in line with other public sector workers. Reacting to the debate the Rehab Group has welcomed an announcement from Government aimed at addressing funding restoration for Section 39 workers. However, it said urgent clarity is now required to illustrate how a “process of engagement between the HSE and Section 39 organisations” announced by Minister of State for Disability, Finian McGrath TD, will find a solution to the issue of Section 39 workers being excluded from the pay restoration process.
Minimum Wage Ireland 2018
In line with the Government’s Pay advisory group recommendation, the national minimum wage in Ireland increased on January 1st 2018. The new minimum wage is €9.55 an hour (was €9.25).The previous headline minimum wage rate in 2016 was €9.15 an hour with lower rates for younger and less experienced workers.
The Minimum Wage rates that apply from January 2018 are as follows:
(An experienced adult worker – for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act – is an Employee who has an employment of any kind in any 2 years over the age of 18.)
SIPTU has recently indicated that a deal on sleep-over allowances secured with the HSE for the country’s 13,000 Section 39 workers, must pave the way for the same pay restoration for those workers as agreed for the country’s public servants under the latest public service pay deal.
While hundreds of thousands of public servants last week saw a hike in their wages under the new agreement, the workers in Section 39 companies saw no increase.
Section 39 Employees are not public servants, but their Employers are grant-aided by the HSE to provide services mainly in the health and social services sectors. Traditionally their pay has been linked to rates within the public service. However, while they experienced the cuts implemented in the recession years, there has, so far, been no sign of them securing the newly-agreed increases.
SIPTU has stated that the HSE, the Department of Health, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have repeatedly insisted they have no role or input into pay for workers in Section 39 organisations. However, the HSE and union representatives have recently attended the Workplace Relations Commission where according to SIPTU, the HSE agreed to provide funds for Section 39 workers to pay sleep-over allowances and instructed how the monies should be allocated to workers entitled to the payment.
The Dail has also recently debated a motion calling for pay increases for Section 39 agency staff in line with other public sector workers. Reacting to the debate the Rehab Group has welcomed an announcement from Government aimed at addressing funding restoration for Section 39 workers. However, it said urgent clarity is now required to illustrate how a “process of engagement between the HSE and Section 39 organisations” announced by Minister of State for Disability, Finian McGrath TD, will find a solution to the issue of Section 39 workers being excluded from the pay restoration process.
Minimum Wage Ireland 2018
In line with the Government’s Pay advisory group recommendation, the national minimum wage in Ireland increased on January 1st 2018. The new minimum wage is €9.55 an hour (was €9.25).The previous headline minimum wage rate in 2016 was €9.15 an hour with lower rates for younger and less experienced workers.
The Minimum Wage rates that apply from January 2018 are as follows:
- Experienced adult worker €9.55 per hour
- Over 19 and less than 2 years since first job €8.60 per hour.
- Over 18 and less than 1 years since began first job €7.64 per hour.
- Aged under 18 €6.69 per hour.
(An experienced adult worker – for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act – is an Employee who has an employment of any kind in any 2 years over the age of 18.)
