CLYDE WEATHERHEAD
THE LATEST round of talks between the CPO and the security services associations and recent talks involving the PSA have revealed that the Government is sticking to its position of four per cent - 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 2 for 2014-2019.
While the police, prisons and fire associations have indicated their rejection of the Government's position, the PSA president last week expressed optimism for a bilateral settlement.
Different reactions reflect the disparate positions taken by each of the bargaining bodies in these negotiation.
It also reflects the Government's tactics of treating these negotiations for periods long past as if separated by an impenetrable wall and keeping the bargaining bodies divided in the hope of imposing its position on them one by one.
On Tuesday, the prisons and fire associations' spokesmen expressed concern at the CPO's statement that "if we don't accept you might take this matter to the court; that is a real possibility," adding "we find that to be a strong-arming tactic."
Well, maybe the bargaining bodies and all public officers need to be reminded that the public service negotiating process involves:
* Discussions between the CPO (instructed by the Finance Minister) and the associations.
* Referral to the Finance Minister in case of no agreement.
* A waiting period with the dispute referred to the minister.
* Referral of the dispute to the special tribunal for arbitration with a minimum five-year award.
So the possibility of the CPO referring the unresolved negotiations to the special tribunal (made up of members of the Industrial Court) is the Government's BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement).
The representative associations and unions also have their BATNA - industrial action (outlawed by the IRA which defines public officers as not being workers and having no right to strike or take industrial action).
The CPO is reminding the security bargaining bodies of his options. They should remind him of theirs.
The PM's interim
payment position
At his media conference after the last Cabinet retreat, the Prime Minister spent a good deal of time explaining what the cost of the four per cent position is.
He also referred to the windfall revenues from increased hydrocarbon prices which have risen principally due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the Anglo-American/NATO economic warfare in response.
The PM went on to raise the possibility of treating the four per cent increase which would cost part of the windfall as an interim payment.
But the CPO's position on either side of Emancipation Day shows that the PM and his Finance Minister have not directed the CPO to put that position on the table.
Not surprising. Because the PM also put a condition for possibly putting forward the interim payment position.
His demand was for the trade union movement to return to NTAC and
