Our ref: E150/7/03

9 January 2006

To: All Personnel Officers

Revision of pay of Craft Workers under Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress

Application of increases under Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress

1. I am directed by the Minister for Finance to refer to the terms of the Parallel Benchmarking Agreement for State Industrial Craft Workers and the terms of Sustaining Progress and the associated pay agreement. I am to convey the following instructions under the Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress with effect from 1 December 2005.

2. The payment of the 1.5% increase due under Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress is dependent on verification of cooperation with flexibility and ongoing change, satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by the Sustaining Progress agreement.

3. The Civil Service Performance Verification Group has considered progress achieved and has completed its verification process.

Groups Affected

4. (a) This minute applies to Industrial Employees who are linked for pay purposes to Craft Grades covered by the terms of the Parallel Benchmarking Agreement for State Industrial Craft Workers.

(b) This minute does not apply to State Industrial General Operatives or to grades linked to pay purposes to State Industrial General Operatives.

Revision of Pay

5. Subject to the provisions of this minute, sanction is conveyed for the 1.5% increase due under Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress to be applied with effect from 1 December 2005 to the basic pay of the grades to which this minute applies, in accordance with the Sustaining Progress Agreement.

6. The increases due under paragraph 5 are being added to basic pay as at 30 November 2005. The increase is being added to each point of incremental scales (and to off-scale points), rounding to the nearest euro on annual scales and to the nearest cent on weekly scales. Hourly rates should be rounded to the nearest €0.001.

Overtime

7. Payment in respect of overtime rendered on or subsequent to 1 December 2005 by members of the grades to which this minute applies should be calculated by reference to pay as increased with effect from 1 December 2005.

Allowances

8. Allowances in the nature of pay payable to members of grades to which this minute applies may be increased by 1.5% with effect from 1 December 2005.

Tool Allowance

9. Under the terms of the above agreement a tool allowance is payable to “working” Craft Workers, Craft Chargehands, Craft Foremen and Crafts Appretnices. No payments arise for the tool allowance as a result of this minute.

Part-time staff

10. The pay of part-time staff may be revised, in accordance with the normal arrangements, by reference to the pay of wholetime staff to which they are related for pay purposes.

Superannuation

11. Pensions in course of payment on 1 December 2005 in respect of former Industrial workers who served in the grades to which this minute applies may be adjusted, as appropriate in the normal way, by reference to the revisions of basic pay on the basis set out in paragraph 5. Departments/Offices which, under delegated authority, grant pensions and lump sums may, subject to any necessary prior consultation with this Department, revise pension payments strictly in accordance with this minute.

12. Employees in the grades to which this sanction applies who retired on reaching the maximum retiring age during the period 1 September 2005 to 30 November 2005 (both dates inclusive), but who could otherwise have been retained under the terms of this Department’s Circular Letter 13/75 up to and including 1 December 2005, and who are alive on that date, may have their lump sums adjusted to take account of the pay rates applicable on that date. Deductions from lump sums in respect of non-periodic contributions under the Spouses and Children’s Schemes should also be adjusted in these cases.

General

13. Any queries regarding the revisions of lump sums, death gratuities and pensions should be addressed to Tony Smyth, Pensions Section (direct dial 6045405). Queries about any other provisions of this minute should be addressed to Alice Smith (direct dial 6045411) or Tom Dowling (direct dial 6045469).

Electronic Copies of Circular

14. This circular is also available on the Department’s web-site at http://www.finance.gov.ie

Mise le meas

Tom Dowling

_______________________

Tom Dowling

Personnel & Remuneration Division

Application of increases under Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress from 1 December 2005

Basic Craft                  Craft Chargehand

€624.18                       €662.65

€628.74                       €671.01

€633.30                       €675.09

€637.85                       €679.58

€642.41                       €683.78

€646.97                       €685.92

€651.53                       €688.16

€656.08                       €690.30

€661.16                       €692.34

                                  €695.88

                                  €698.56

                                  €704.99

Craft Foreman:                                                    Defence – Inspector Instructor

Defence – BFW/Trade Foreman

                 Instructor

OPW - Overseer/Foreman/Inspector

Marine - Dun Laoghaire Harbour

€814.80                                                                  €824.97

Defence – Senior Inspector                                Instructor OPW – Drainage Foreman Grade 1

                                                                            Marine – Industrial Foreman

€848.43                                                                €819.37

                                                                           €828.06

                                                                           €836.95

                                                                           €845.95

OPW – Drainage Foreman Grade 2                     OPW – Drainage Foreman Grade 3