Pension parity our key concern
Over the past 12 months the Alliance of Retired Public Servants (ARPS) has had a series of meetings with politicians from all parties and groupings as well as Independent members of the Dáil. The purpose of this engagement was to outline to the public representatives the key concerns of the Alliance and to seek their support to have these issues addressed.
Now that the election is underway, we all get an opportunity to contribute to this lobby by putting our issues to candidates and their canvassers.
Engagement with politicians in the course of an election canvas is of its nature brief and doesn’t allow for detailed engagement or discussion. In this context the RTAI and our colleagues in the Alliance believe we should concentrate on one key issue – the maintenance of the link between the salaries of serving staff and the pensions of retired colleagues.
This link – known as pension parity – ensures that pay increases to serving staff are applied at the same rate and at the same time to retired colleagues. The current pay agreement The Public Service Stability Agreement (2018-2020) maintains the parity link – but only for the duration of the agreement.
While RTAI members will have many probing questions, on local and national issues to put to candidate and canvassers the NEC is asking members to raise the key issue of pension parity:
Will you and your party commit to the equitable and fair treatment of retired public service workers by ensuring that pay increases to serving staff are also applied to pensions?
Billy Sheehan, General Secretary
20/01/2020
Recent Comments